Registration or deregistration
To benefit from the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan Public plan
The Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan is administered by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec and is intended for persons who are not eligible for a private group insurance plan covering prescription drugs, for persons age 65 or over, and for recipients of last-resort financial assistance and other holders of a claim slip (carnet de réclamation). Children of persons registered for the public plan are also covered by that plan., it is necessary to register. The Régie invites you to do so online
(if your family situation and age allow you to use this service). You can also register by calling the Régie. Make sure to have your Health Insurance Card on hand.
Certain persons are automatically registered for the public plan and are therefore not required to take any steps themselves. These persons include:
- holders of a claim slip Claim slip (carnet de réclamation)
The Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale issues claim slips to recipients of last-resort financial assistance and, in certain conditions, to adults or families not receiving last-resort financial assistance benefits. Holders of claim slips can obtain certain drugs prescribed by a doctor and certain services, such as eye examinations and dental care. (carnet de réclamation) and their children under age 18;
- persons who turn 65;
- newborn children whose parents are covered by the public plan.
Certain persons mistakenly believe that by paying a premium Premium
The premium is the amount that insured persons are required to pay to the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec or to a private insurer for their prescription drug insurance. through their income tax they are automatically registered for the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan. Others wrongly suppose that their pharmacist can register them. And, some think that they can cancel their registration for the public plan simply by indicating on their income tax return that they are covered by a private plan Private plan
Private plans are usually available in the form of group insurance or employee benefit plans. Persons may be eligible for a private plan through employment, through membership in a professional order or association, or through their spouse or parents. Persons who are eligible for a private plan are required to join that plan.. Actually, the only way for them to register for the public plan is to contact the Régie directly, unless they belong to a category of persons whom the Régie registers for the public plan automatically.
When contacting the Régie to register for the public plan, you must provide the exact date on which your private plan coverage ended.
To extend the coverage of a child under age 18
Persons who turn 18 may, if they are full-time students, do not have a spouse Spouse
Two persons (of the opposite sex or the same sex) are considered spouses if they are married and have entered into a civil union, or have been living together for 12 months (separations of less than 90 days do not interrupt the 12-month period), or are living together (regardless of for how long) and together have had or have adopted a child. and live with their parents, remain covered by the public plan as a child. In this case, the person's parents must contact the Régie to request that the person's coverage as a child be extended.
Recent drug purchases
If you purchased covered drugs prescribed by a health professional before contacting the Régie to register, ask your pharmacist to check whether the cost may be reimbursed to you. In this regard, the Act respecting prescription drug insurance specifies that the only prescription drugs reimbursable are those received within 3 months preceding registration.
To deregister
Do you need to deregister from the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan? The Régie invites you to do so online (if your family situation and age allow you to use this service).
You can also call the Régie during office hours. Make sure to have your Health Insurance Card on hand.
However, the Régie cancels the registration of the following persons, without them having to submit a request:
- person who cease to receive a claim slip Claim slip (carnet de réclamation)
The Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale issues claim slips to recipients of last-resort financial assistance and, in certain conditions, to adults or families not receiving last-resort financial assistance benefits. Holders of claim slips can obtain certain drugs prescribed by a doctor and certain services, such as eye examinations and dental care. (carnet de réclamation) and their children under age 18;
- persons registered as a child Children
Children are persons who are under age 18 or persons age 18 to 25 inclusive, are full-time students at an educational institution recognized by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, do not have a spouse and live with their parents. Persons age 18 or over are considered children if they are spouseless, have a functional impairment that began before age 18, are not receiving last-resort financial assistance benefits, and are domiciled with someone who would exercise parental authority over them if they were a minor. who turn 26.
Just the same, they receive in the mail the information necessary to determine whether they or their parents (as the case may be) must contact the Régie with respect to maintaining their registration for the public plan.
Private plans
Generally speaking, when someone begins to work at a new job or for a new organization, the group plan administrator, who may be a human resources employee or an employee benefits specialist, gets in touch with the person and explains the various coverage options offered. The person normally then registers for the private plan Private plan
Private plans are usually available in the form of group insurance or employee benefit plans. Persons may be eligible for a private plan through employment, through membership in a professional order or association, or through their spouse or parents. Persons who are eligible for a private plan are required to join that plan. at that time.
Please note that employers offering an insurance plan are not required to cover all their employees and the plan may have eligibility requirements. For example, the plan may exclude part-time, temporary or contractual employees, or may cease to cover those who become eligible for retirement.
However, no one may be denied prescription drug coverage under a private plan because of any risk the person may represent due to age, sex or state of health, nor may anyone's spouse Spouse
Two persons (of the opposite sex or the same sex) are considered spouses if they are married and have entered into a civil union, or have been living together for 12 months (separations of less than 90 days do not interrupt the 12-month period), or are living together (regardless of for how long) and together have had or have adopted a child. or children Children
Children are persons who are under age 18 or persons age 18 to 25 inclusive, are full-time students at an educational institution recognized by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, do not have a spouse and live with their parents. Persons age 18 or over are considered children if they are spouseless, have a functional impairment that began before age 18, are not receiving last-resort financial assistance benefits, and are domiciled with someone who would exercise parental authority over them if they were a minor. be denied coverage on the same grounds.
Persons who fulfill the eligibility requirements for a private plan must join that plan. Specifically, they must obtain at least the prescription drug coverage offered by that plan, although most plans do not allow anyone to register for that coverage only.
If the employer offers a private plan, the employees are required to join that plan, unless they can prove that they are covered by another private plan (another group insurance or employee benefit plan). They can do so by providing the employer with one of the following documents:
- a photocopy of their group insurance card;
- a form filled out by their spouse's employer, or an official letter from that employer on the company's or organization's letterhead;
- a letter or certificate from another employer or from the professional association or order to which they belong.
Waiting period
An insurer Insurer (of persons)
A legal person that holds a permit issued by the Autorité des marchés financiers authorizing it to transact personal insurance in Québec and that assumes, in return for a premium paid, the financial consequences resulting from one or more risks specified in the contract signed by the parties. sometimes imposes a waiting period when someone begins to work at a new job or for a new organization. A waiting period is a period during which an employee is not eligible for the group insurance offered. For example, the insurer may require an employee to work a minimum number of hours before joining the plan.
Persons who are subject to a waiting period need to make sure they have coverage under another plan during that period. They must therefore check whether they are immediately eligible for another private plan, such as their spouse's plan or the one offered by a professional order or association to which they belong.
As a last resort, they must register for the public plan, administered by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec, or remain registered for it throughout the waiting period.