Terminating Full-Time Studies

Generally speaking, persons age 18 to 25 inclusive may remain covered by their parents' plan if they meet the following conditions:

• they are full-time students;
• they do not have a spouse;
• they are domiciled with their parents.

When those persons cease to be full-time students, they or their parents must notify the private insurer or the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec, who, in most cases, will terminate the child's coverage.

The persons must then take certain steps.

Check your situation to avoid unpleasant surprises

In Québec, everyone must be covered by prescription drug insurance at all times. By completing a short questionnaire, you will know in a few minutes under what time of plan (private or public) you should be covered and what steps you need to take, if any.

Persons who cease to be covered by their parents' plan

Persons who cease to be covered by their parents' plan must obtain their own coverage and must therefore determine whether they are eligible for a private plan.

Persons may be eligible for a private plan either through their employment, through membership in a professional order or association to which they belong, or through their spouse or parents. In fact, those persons covered by a private plan are required to obtain coverage under it for their spouse and children, unless their spouse and children are already covered by another private plan.

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, in which case they will no longer be registered as a child of an insured person, but rather as an adult.