Quebec

Quebec list of medications: The List of Medications consists of a regulatory list of the medications paid for by Québec’s basic prescription drug insurance plan.

Financial Support – Ruban Rose: Breast cancer can interfere with the budget of those affected due to greater out of pocket expenses and a reduced income. The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation offers a financial assistance program. Individuals that qualify can receive financial support. For more information, consult this website.

Financial and legal assistance: The Quebec Cancer Foundation offers a financial assistance support program for daily living activities. This program is a last-resort financial support measure for individuals with cancer who are living below the low income threshold and do not qualify for other financial support programs. The yearly amount offered under this program can be up to $1,000/individual.

Application for financial assistance: Based on your circumstances, you may be eligible for last-resort financial support. You could also qualify for special benefits covering the cost of medication, optometric services, dental care as well as other needs. The eligibility criteria varies based on if you are 18 years of age or older, or 18 years of age or younger. For more information, including details on the forms to be completed to make an application, click here.

Food Banks of Quebec: Food Banks of Quebec is a network that delivers food donations to individuals who need it most across Quebec. To find food assistance, click here.  

Shelter Allowance Program | Revenu Québec: The Shelter Allowance Program is meant for low-income individuals and families who spend a significant amount of their budget on housing. This program is open to homeowners, tenants and boarders.

Aid programs | Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ): The aid programs offered by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) include financial or technical assistance like the provision of a prosthesis. Certain services or prescription drugs are offered at zero cost. Note that each program has its own qualification criteria and procedure.

Low-income household | Hydro-Québec: If your household is deemed low-income, and you have missed your payments, or you believe you might in the foreseeable future, you should contact customer services immediately to maintain your file in good standing. You may have the possibility of being referred to a help center for low-income households so that you are able to settle on a payment agreement with more manageable installments.

Disability benefits under the Québec Pension Plan: Disability benefits under the Québec Pension Plan (QPP) are payments that you could obtain each month if you:

• Are considered to have a severe and permanent disability by Retraite Québec’s medical advisors;
• Have meaningfully contributed to the Québec Pension Plan;
• Are below the age of 65;
• Are not authorized to receive to an unreduced income replacement indemnity from the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST)
• Are not taking a pension under the Canada Pension Plan.
• Type of benefits – Disability benefits consist of:
  • The disability pension, which is paid to a person that is identified as disabled by Retraite Québec;
  • The pension for a disabled contributor’s child, which is paid for a disabled person’s child below the age of 18. It can also be paid for children who are living with a disabled person for a minimum of one year as of the moment he or she is considered to be disabled. 

Please note that as of January 1 2024, the extra amount for disability is no longer paid to new beneficiaries. People who currently receive this extra amount will continue receiving it until they reach 65 years of age.

Canadian Cancer Society Travel Treatment Fund: The travel treatment fund provides short-term help to pay for some costs of travelling to cancer treatments. This includes costs like fuel and taxi or public transit fares. It is available to individuals in Canada who are currently or will soon be going through cancer treatment and are traveling fewer than 200km (one way). For more information on how to apply, click here.

Reimbursement of Medical Transportation Expenses for Individuals Receiving Benefits Under a Social Assistance Program | Gouvernement du Québec: You can be reimbursed for medical transportation costs. A written medical certificate may be needed, in addition to other information like written confirmation of a medical evaluation from the facility’s staff, as well as the mode of travel, mileage etc.

Financial assistance | Let’s Fight Cancer Together: This financial assistance program works to support patients in Gaspesies-Îles-de-la-Madeleine who, based on their physician’s request, have to travel long distances to receive care and services not offered locally. Payment is provided as an allowance to reduce the costs associated with travel and accommodation costs.

Financial assistance program – CISSS de l’Outaouais: This program is for CISSS de l’Outaouais patients who, at their physicians request, need to travel outside the region (greater than 200km one way only) to receive health care and social services not offered in the Outaouais region. This program reimburses patients for a portion of their travel and accommodation costs, including meals.

RAMQ: External Breastforms Program: The External Breastforms Program is meant for persons who have undergone mastectomy or demonstrate a total lack of breast formation (aplasia). The program grants a reimbursement of the purchase or replacement cost of regular/swim external breast forms. To be eligible for the program, you have to be covered by the Québec Health Insurance Plan and be in one of the following situations:

• Have had a total, radical or partial mastectomy
• Be 14 or older and have received a diagnosis of breast aplasia

For more information, including reimbursement details and how to receive financial assistance, click here.

Financial Assistance – Leucan: Leucan is an organization that provides families with financial support to help them deal with unanticipated expenses that occur during their child’s illness.