What is a Private Plan?
A private plan is a group insurance
or employee benefit plan offering basic coverage for
prescription drugs. Plans of this
type are called private plans
because, unlike the public plan,
administered by the Régie de
l'assurance maladie du Québec, they
are offered by private-sector
companies.
Private plans are usually available
through employment, in the form of
group insurance, which an
employer may offer to its employees
as a fringe benefit. In
addition, many professional orders
and associations, as well as unions,
make such plans available to their
members.
Private plans are sometimes called
healthcare plans or health
insurance plans. Most private
plans offer prescription drug
coverage along with other services,
such as paramedical services or consultations with certain health professionals (chiropractors,
physiotherapists, dentists, etc.),
but some offer prescription drug
coverage only.
Coverage
provided may vary from one private
plan to another, depending on the
agreement entered into between the
policyholder and the
insurance company or plan
administrator.
However, in
Québec, all private insurers
offering prescription drug insurance
must fulfill minimum conditions
regarding the coverage they provide
and the financial participation they
require of the persons they insure.
To find out what these conditions
are, consult the pages entitled
Prescription Drugs Covered,
The
Costs – At the Pharmacy and
Maximum
Annual Contribution.
