New employment

Questions to ask yourself

Here are the questions that you have to ask yourself when you start a new job or become a member of a new organization.

Does this employer or organization have a private insurance plan?

If so, you have to join that private plan, at least for prescription drug coverage. It may be a group insurance plan or employee benefit plan. In addition, you must deregister from the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan, if applicable.

Do I have access to other private plans?

You may have access to several private plans, for instance, through:

• Your employer
• Your spouse
• A professional group: association, order or union

In this case, you can choose the plan most advantageous to you.

I don’t have access to a private plan. How can I obtain prescription drug insurance?

Remember, at all times, you must have prescription drug insurance if you live in Québec on a permanent basis. If you don’t have access to a private plan, you will have to register with the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan.

Access to several private plans

You can choose the private plan you consider the best for you if you have access to several private plans. If you don’t join your new employer’s plan, you will have to provide proof that you are covered under another private plan. Otherwise, your new employer will to deduct a premium from your salary.

Certain employers oblige their employees to join their private plan as a job requirement. In this, case, you will have to pay the premium. To find out more, refer to the webpage Information on private plans.

Mandatory deregistration from the public plan

From the moment you become eligible for a private plan, you must deregister from the public plan without delay. If not, you will have to repay the cost of the drugs you have purchased because they should have been covered by the private plan.

Deregister from the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan

Changing insurers in the course of the year

Will you be changing insurers in the course of the year? In this case, you have to avoid overpaying the maximum annual contribution for the purchase of your covered drugs.

Your former insurer must send you a statement of your contributions for the current year. In turn, you will have to send this document to your new insurer so that it will keep track of your maximum contribution. To find out more about the annual maximum amount payable and the contribution itself, refer to the webpages Rates in effect and Amount to pay for prescription drugs.