Eligibility
You must fulfil the requirements set out in the Québec Health Insurance Act
to be eligible for the Québec Health Insurance Plan. Also, you must meet certain conditions concerning your presence in Québec to remain eligible.
Who is eligible
You may register for the Health Insurance Plan if you are eligible. Select your current situation to find out more about your eligibility.
You become eligible for the Québec Health Insurance Plan on the 1st day of the 3rd month following the date on which you take up residence in Québec. Until then, your province of origin covers the cost of the healthcare services you obtain in Québec. For example, if you take up residence in Québec on January 8, you will be eligible as of April 1.
Refusal of cards from other provinces
Some doctors refuse the health insurance cards from other provinces for in-office care. You must then assume the costs yourself and apply for a reimbursement with the administrator of the health insurance plan of your province of origin. If you receive hospital care, the hospital in question will invoice your province of origin directly.
You will become eligible after a waiting period of up to 3 months following the date of your registration. This “waiting period” applies even if you hold Canadian citizenship. By registering as soon as you arrive, you will avoid delaying your eligibility.
Paying for healthcare during the waiting period
In most cases, healthcare services received during the waiting period are not reimbursed by RAMQ. We recommend that you take out private insurance in the 5 days following your arrival in Québec. To find out more, visit the OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance website.
Depending on the duration of your stay here and the document issued to you by the immigration authorities, you may qualify for health insurance if you are:
- a temporary or seasonal worker
- a student or trainee under an official scholarship program of the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur du Québec
- the spouse or a dependant (for instance a child) accompanying a worker or scholarship holder
- a person from a country covered by a social security agreement
- a person covered by an agreement with a Québec-based international organization
Change of situation
If you receive new immigration documents, they may change your status or affect your eligibility for the Québec Health Insurance Plan. To find out more, contact us or refer to the Registration section.
Who is ineligible
- a tourist or his or her child born in Québec
- a student or any other person from another Canadian province staying in Québec temporarily
- a foreign student from a country other than those with which Québec has concluded a social security agreement
- a refugee claimant (you may benefit from coverage under the Interim Federal Health Program)
Conditions for remaining eligible
Being away from Québec could render you ineligible for health insurance. You would then have to repay all the costs of the covered healthcare services you received during the year. RAMQ can verify your presence in Québec.
Persons who have already taken up or who are taking up residence in Québec
You must be present in Québec 183 days or more per calendar year (January 1 to December 31) to remain eligible. Certain absences are not tallied:
- absences of 21 consecutive days or less
- days of departure and return
Exceptions may apply for a prolonged absence if you are outside Québec, for instance, to pursue studies, work or training. For more information, refer to the page Eligibility during the stay.
Absence of 210 days from February 1 to December 31 in a given year
|
Destination
|
Departure date
(not tallied)
|
Return date
(not tallied)
|
Number of days away
|
Number of days away that are tallied to determine eligibility
|
| Mexico |
January 1
|
January 15
|
13
|
0 (because it is an absence of 21 days or less)
|
| Florida |
March 1 |
June 30
|
120
|
120
|
| Ontario |
September 1
|
December 1
|
90
|
90
|
According to this example, you would lose your eligibility for the full year, except if you qualified for an exception (e.g. 7-year provision 7-year provision
Once every 7 years, you may be absent from Québec 183 days or more in a given year and still remain eligible for Québec health insurance. This provision applies for long vacations.). You would have to assume the healthcare costs that you incurred in Québec and outside of Québec over that year.
Absence of 184 days spread over 2 years
|
Destination
|
Departure date
(not tallied)
|
Return date
(not tallied)
|
Number of days away
|
Number of days away that are tallied to determine eligibility
|
| Ontario |
August 14, 2018
|
February 15, 2019
|
184
|
In 2018: 139
In 2019: 45
|
In this example, you would remain eligible for the Québec Health Insurance Plan for both years. Your absence does not exceed 183 days in one calendar year, i.e. January 1 to December 31.
Exceptions for new arrivals
To maintain your eligibility for the Québec Health Insurance Plan, you must be present in Québec 183 days or more in the 12 months following your eligibility starting date. Certain exceptions may apply to new arrivals from another Canadian province or territory. After these first 12 months, your presence is calculated annually (from January 1 to December 31).
Persons temporarily in Québec who are covered
You are allowed to be away from Québec for periods of 21 consecutive days or less. The days on which you leave and return are not tallied. You will then benefit from the services covered by the Québec Health Insurance Plan outside Québec.
However, if you are away from Québec for more than 21 consecutive days, you will lose your healthcare coverage for the entire duration of the stay outside Québec. You will then have to repay the cost of any healthcare services received during this period. If you plan to spend more than 21 days outside Québec, please notify us before leaving.
Application for review
You can apply for an administrative review if you disagree with a RAMQ decision. To find out more, refer to the page Application for review.