Treatment coverage in your region

Prescription Drug Programs in Québec

In Québec, the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan, often called the Public Plan, can help cover the costs of your prescription drugs if you do not have private health insurance.  All Québec residents must have health coverage, either under the Public Plan or their own private plan.  The amount of help you can get from the Public Plan depends on things like how much money you make, your age and whether or not you receive financial assistance. 

The Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan is for you if any of these apply:

• You do not have a private health plan
• You receive financial assistance or have a claim slip from the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale
• You are 65 or older
• You have a parent who is covered by the Public Plan

You will have to pay a fee each year to get coverage through the Public Plan. This fee is called a premium and is based on how much money you make.   However, you do not have to pay this fee if one of the following situations applies to you:

• You have a claim slip from the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale
• You are 65 or older and receive 94% to 100% Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
• Your parent is covered by the Public Plan and you are either:
  •  under 18
  •  between 18-25 and a full time student living with your parents and not married

If you receive financial assistance, you do not need to apply for the Public Plan because you and your children who are under the age of 18 will automatically receive coverage for your prescription drugs. 

To register for the Public Plan, you can either call the closest Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) office or visit during office hours.  You must have a Health Insurance Card to register for the Public Plan.

If your application for the Public Plan is turned down, you can challenge the decision by asking for a review.  You can begin the review process by filling out and sending the Application for Review form to the Régie.

Getting My Hepatitis C Medications

 In Québec, hepatitis C treatment medications (peginterferon and ribavirin) are called Exceptional Medications.  This means that to get your treatment medications, they need to be approved by the Régie before they will be covered by your health plan.  To do this, you can ask your doctor to mail a request letter to the Régie to see if the cost of your medications will be covered.  You and your doctor will get a letter telling you if your treatment medications will be paid for or not. If your request is approved, you will be able to get your medications at the pharmacy by showing your health card. Depending on your health plan, you may have to pay a contribution fee when you get your medications at the pharmacy, which is based on how much money you make. If you have a claim slip you will need to show it to the Pharmacist so that you do not have to pay anything to get your medications.

If you would like more information about the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan you can visit the Régie website or call the department directly at (418) 646-4636 in Québec, (514) 864-3411 in Montréal, or toll-free anywhere else in the province at 1-800-561-9749.

If you’re a registered First Nations or recognized Inuit person, the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program may be able to help cover the cost of your hepatitis C medications. You can contact NIHB by phone or mail at:

Non-Insured Health Benefits – Québec Region
First Nations and Inuit Health
Health Canada
Guy-Favreau Complex, East Tower, Suite 216
200 René-Lévesque Boulevard West
Montreal, Quebec
H2Z 1X4  

Toll-free: 1-877-483-1575