OTTAWA - Immigration officials are working furiously to finalize contingency plans for refugee health care coverage in the event the government loses a court battle this week.
The federal government is going to the Federal Court of Appeal today hoping to get more time to comply with a ruling that the program of drastically reduced coverage put in place in 2012 is unconstitutional.
The ruling gave them until next Tuesday to implement new policy but the government wants a stay pending the appeal.
They argue the decision created a policy vacuum and to implement a charter-proof program in four months isn't possible and puts lives at risk.
But lawyers for the refugee claimants who brought the case say the government has a simple option: go back to the pre-2012 program that provided coverage for all.
The government won't say what the contingency plans look like, only that they will continue to vigorously appeal the case.
