Health Minister Eric Hoskins says providing emergency health care for refugee claimants hurt by federal cuts will likely cost the province $2 million this year.

Hoskins revealed that figure at a news conference Tuesday, here he reiterated the Liberal government's commitment to the Ontario Temporary Health Program, the legislative Band-aid to staunch cuts made to federal refugee health care programs.

"Thus far, since the beginning of the year, I believe the figure is just over $500,000 through the Ontario Temporary Health Program," he said after touring Women's College Hospital near the legislature. "We anticipate that that will be approximately $2 million by the end of this year."

He added that the federal government's reluctance to sign a data-sharing deal with the province regarding its refugee claimant database has created an unnecessary duplication of labour, and ostensibly, more costs to the province.

Hoskins implored the federal Conservatives, particularly Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, to resume their responsibilities to refugee claimants after cutting the interim federal health program two years ago.

Ottawa and several provinces have been battling over the federal move - which aims to stop the flow of bogus refugee claimants to this country and save money.

The minister cited a recent Federal Court ruling that effectively struck down Ottawa’s health care cuts for refugee claimants, saying the changes constituted "cruel and unusual" treatment toward refugees.

"This isn't frivolous, this isn't ... superfluous care, or care that we would deny to our own citizens," Hoskins said. "The Ontario government has then, I believe, strongly done the right thing to ensure better health outcomes for one of the most vulnerable populations in our province, and for the proper management of our healthcare system."

Hoskins rejected claims by Alexander that Ontario was undermining the federal refugee policy, saying "the federal government themselves are doing a very good job at undermining our historical compassion and responsibilities for refugees."

He also disputed the fact that Ontario was overstepping its provincial jurisdiction, especially in the face of a $12.5 billion provincial deficit, countering that it was the feds who had "downloaded" the responsibility to the province.

"I'm looking forward hopefully, maybe overly optimistically tor the day when we can shut down the Ontario Temporary Health Program, when the federal government resumes its responsibility as hit has been asked to do by the federal courts."

Hoskins says refugee health care to cost $2 million this year

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