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McGill.CA / International Student Services / Health Insurance (IHI) / Who is Covered

Minors (less than 18 years of age)

  1. Accompanying children (less than 18 years old) of international students and minor students who are staying in Québec for longer than 6 months are eligible for Quebec’s Health Insurance Plan - Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec(RAMQ).

  2. If your child is covered under the RAMQ plan, you do not need to add them to IHI coverage.

Case 1: You choose RAMQ coverage

You are still eligible keep or add your children to the IHI plan as your dependants by term or for the whole academic year.

  1. It is important to verify if your child is eligible for RAMQ soon after you enter Canada.
  2. Register your child(ren) online once you and/or your children have settled and temporary staying in Québec for more than 6 months.
  3. If you are calling RAMQ, you will need to confirm if your child was born in Québec or outside of Québec.
  4. If your child was born outside of Québec:
    1. You will be asked to mail back your registration form and any requested supporting documents (e.g. your child’s immigration document, their birth certificate).
    2. You will be sent a registration form by mail.
  5. If your child is/will be born in Canada:
    1. The hospital where they are born will take care of their registration onto the RAMQ plan.
  6. RAMQ has a process for reimbursement if expenses are incurred prior to receiving a RAMQ card for your child.

SCENARIO: You added your children to the IHI plan, but then found out they qualify for RAMQ coverage, so you want to cancel their IHI coverage.

  1. The deadline to request to remove your children from the IHI plan is:
    1. Fall term: September 30th
    2. Winter term: January 31st
    3. Summer term: May 31st
  2. Cancellation of coverage for dependants can only be done in the first 30 days of each new semester.
  3. Requests for cancellation must be sent through the International Health Insurance Portal (using the Management of Exemptions option). 
  4. Submitted requests will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Case 2: You choose IHI coverage

  1. If you choose not to register your children to the RAMQ plan, we highly recommend that you add them to the IHI plan to ensure they are adequately covered in Canada.
  2. If you choose not to register your newborn to the RAMQ plan:
    1. You must add them to the IHI plan within 30 days of their birth in order to change your IHI coverage according to your new situation.
    2. The hospital will bill Medavie Blue Cross insurance provider for mother and baby-related expenses within 30 days window.

To know how to add your dependant children to the IHI plan, please refer to the "How to add a dependant to your IHI plan?" section in the Adding Dependent Spouse page.

Related Content

IHI Premium Rates
Add your Dependant(s)
Activate your Coverage
RAMQ Eligibility
Tags: 
accompanying children
accompanying minors
Minors
minor students
under 18 years of age
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