Persons who
become unemployed must usually
take certain steps regarding
their prescription drug
insurance coverage.
The following
information concerns persons
whose employment relationship
with their employer has been
permanently severed. If you are
on unpaid leave or maternity
leave, or have been temporarily
laid off, consult the page
entitled
Being Temporarily Absent From
Work.
Persons who
become unemployed need to
determine whether they are
eligible for a private plan. If
they were covered by a private
plan through their former
employment, their coverage will
generally end on the date their
employment officially terminates.
They must ask their former
insurer to provide them with the
date their coverage ceased and
with the conditions applicable
to coverage of expenses incurred
prior to that date.
Although
persons usually are eligible for a
private plan through employment,
they may be eligible for another
private plan through their
spouse. In fact, persons who
are covered by a private plan
are required to obtain coverage
under it for their spouse. They
can also be eligible for this
type of plan through membership in a
professional order or
association to which they belong.
Persons who
are eligible for a private plan
must join that plan, at least
for the prescription drug
portion. Prescription drug
coverage is most often included
in a plan covering other health
care (called a health insurance
plan), but is sometimes offered
alone.
Persons who
are not eligible for a private
plan must
register for the
public plan by
contacting the
Régie.
Maximum
annual contribution
There is a
maximum annual amount that
insured persons may be required
to pay for their drug purchases.
As a general rule, the private
insurer or the Régie sees to it
that this maximum is not
exceeded. However, persons who
change insurance plans and
believe they will reach their
maximum annual contribution
before the end of the year must
themselves inform their new
insurer of the amount of their
contributions.
