During a Trip or a Temporary Stay
When travelling or when outside Québec temporarily, persons holding a valid Health Insurance Card can receive healthcare services covered by the Québec Health Insurance Plan. However, in most cases, the Régie de l'assurance maladie reimburses only part of the cost.
In order for these services to be covered, persons spending time outside Québec must fulfill certain conditions regarding the duration of their trip or temporary stay. Information about remaining eligible for the Health Insurance Plan is available in the section on temporary stays outside Québec.
Private insurance: to avoid unfortunate consequences
Please bear in mind that the Régie usually cannot reimburse you in full and that the cost of healthcare services outside Québec is usually higher than in Québec.
It is therefore essential to take out private travel insurance covering all or part of the costs not paid by the Régie. Obtaining insurance before leaving could spare you unfortunate financial consequences.
Information about private insurance is available from the OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI).
If you receive healthcare outside Québec but don't have private insurance, you are responsible for the portion of the cost not reimbursed by the Régie.
The examples in this section illustrate the amounts that an insured person may be required to pay, in a given situation. Please note that we cannot list here the cost of all the various healthcare services.
Persons leaving Québec temporarily who remain covered by the Health Insurance Plan can refer to the following pages for information on:
