Medical Inadmissibility

This is an amount that we use to decide if the cost of your condition places an excessive demand on Canada’s health and social services.

In June 2018, the Government of Canada announced changes to the excessive demand policy. Under the new policy, the cost threshold amount is increased. The new amount is now three times the Canadian average cost for health and social services. We’ll update this amount every year, based on the latest Canadian average.

Exceptions

Medical inadmissibility rules for excessive demand reasons don’t apply to:

• refugees and their dependants
• protected persons
• certain people being sponsored by their family, such as dependant children, spouses and common-law partners

Common-law partner Related term Common-law spouse: A person who has been living with another person in a conjugal relationship for at least one year. The term refers to opposite-sex and same-sex relationships.

When you receive a procedural fairness letter

If we believe you may be medically inadmissible, we’ll send you a letter which explains the reason why. This letter is called a procedural fairness letter. You’ll receive this letter before a final decision is made on your application. You’ll have the opportunity to submit information to respond.

You are allowed to get advice or representation from a professional to help you respond to the procedural fairness letter, but it’s not required.

For example, you may give us information and evidence on:

• your health condition or the medical diagnosis
  • for example, if you’ve received treatment to cure or improve your health condition
• the kind of medication and services that you need
  • for example, if your doctor has changed your medication
• the cost of medications or services that you need
  • for example, if your doctor has switched your medication to a lower cost equivalent

All additional information must be sent within 90 days from the date of the letter. If you can’t respond by that date, you must contact us to request an extension.

The contact information is in the letter we sent you. Send all additional information or your request for an extension to that address.

Mitigation plan

If we believe your health condition might cause excessive demand on Canada’s health or social services, we may invite you to send us a mitigation plan. You’ll only be invited to do this if it applies to your specific situation.

Learn how to prepare a mitigation plan for excessive demand.