First Nations families are covering hundreds of thousands of dollars in health-related bills while they wait for an overwhelmed federal program to reimburse them, CBC News has learned.
Indigenous Services Canada says it is facing unprecedented demand under the policy known as Jordan’s Principle — a policy that states that when federal and provincial governments disagree over which level of government is responsible for providing health or educational services to First Nations children, they must help the child first and sort out the bills later.
The situation is leaving some families waiting months for reimbursement and covering heavy bills for approved care in the meantime.
The federal government’s
