Effective immediately, First Nations Health Benefits (FNHB) is expanding infant eligibility for health benefits to 18 months to allow more time for parents to process their children's status number.

Under the new FHNB eligibility criteria, children aged 0–18 months will be able to access FNHB benefits using an eligible parent or guardian's status number. Children older than 18 months will be required to have their own status number to access FNHB benefits. Prior to this change, children without a status number could only access FNHB benefits until they were 12 months old.

To ensure there are no disruptions to a child's access to FNHB benefits, parents and guardians of infant children are encouraged to begin status registration immediately after the child's birth. For additional information on status registration, contact your Band Office or visit the Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada's website.

For information on accessing health benefits through FNHB, please contact the FNHA Health Benefit support line toll-free at 1-855-550-5454 or visit the website at www.fnha.ca/benefits.