Health Services

The Health Passport is designed to help you and your family keep track of essential health information. It also puts helpful words and phrases in French at your fingertips when you go to clinic or an emergency. 

Click here to access the Health Passport for the Thetford Mines area.

Click here to access the Health Passport for the Lévis area.

The online Health Passport App has happened thanks to CHSSN who were inspired by the work and collaboration of a few organizations: MCDC, VEQ and Health Canada.  Several years ago, MCDC decided to invest resources we had received from Health Canada for promoting better health of our community into a pocket reference that could be used on a visit to French-speaking health care professionals.  We felt that having some of the basic vocabulary necessary for these visits at a person's fingertips could improve the outcome of the visit and ultimately the health of the individual. The original paper model for the pocket reference was called the MCDC Health Passport and was a huge success and was adopted in several regions of Quebec and by two Francophone communities in Canada (in Newfoundland and Yukon). 

We publish our dedicated health newsletter, Partners in Health, twice a year. 

Click here to see all editions.

Healthy After 50 is a program, organised by MCDC in Thetford, which includes an in-person activity of physical exercises and brain games, followed by lunch and time to relax and socialise.

The physical component is about 45 minutes long and includes fun exercises to music, led by Andréanne Raby, Kinesiologist. 

After exercising, there are brain games in small groups, for example, crossword puzzles, word finding, brain teasers and memory challenges.

A snack fresh fruit snack and beverages such as water, juice, coffee, tea, as well as lunch is provided by MCDC.

For more information and if you have any questions, contact Laurie by email at health@mcdc.info or by phone at 418-332-3851.

The CHEP program, offered by CHSSN, serves to enhance access to English-language health information, resources, services, and support.

The information sessions take place on Zoom once a month (September - May) on Wednesdays at 10 - 11.30am.

Some examples of health education topics include: Fall prevention, Diabetes prevention, Mental Health...

Look in our Events to see the CHEP for this month.

You have the right to receive public health services in English, as long as the institution has the resources to provide them. 

In a health setting, it is vital that you understand and are understood properly. 

Do not hesitate to ask for services in English. 

If the institution cannot provide them, you have the right to ask for an interpreter.

To find out more about the 12 Users' Rights of the Health and Social Services network, recognized by the Act respecting health services and social services (LSSSS), click here.

Québec residents are covered by public health care.  The Régie de l'Assurance Maladie du Québec (RAMQ) is the government agency that manages public health insurance in Québec.  In order to qualify, you must be a Québec resident who is present in Québec for 183 days or more during a calendar year.

If you are here temporarily, you may qualify for coverage; visitors are not eligible.  Click here to find out if you meet the eligibility conditions.

How to get your health card?

Your Quebec health card is your RAMQ card and it can also often be referred to as the “carte soleil”.

To register for your RAMQ card, click here.

For more information about the Québec Health Plan, contact RAMQ at 1 800-561-9749 or go to the website. 

When to apply?

Apply for your Québec health care card right away when you arrive here.  There is a 3-month waiting period after you register.  The sooner you apply, the sooner you are covered.   This period also applies if you hold Canadian citizenship but does not apply to children under age 18 or if you are a member of the Canadian armed forces and your family.

Until you receive your Québec health insurance card, if you have moved from another province, your home province should cover most of your medical expenses.  You may, in some cases, have to pay upfront when you receive services here and ask your home province to reimburse you afterwards.  If you are coming from another country, you are advised to take out private insurance within 5 days of your arrival in Québec to ensure your coverage during the waiting period.

Shortly after you submit your application for Québec health care, you will receive a letter in the mail from RAMQ confirming that they have received your request.  This letter can be used as proof of address and residence for certain services until you receive your card.

To find a family doctor, you can register on the waiting list of the Québec Family Doctor Finder (GAMF). The waiting time varies depending on the availability of doctors and the number of registrations in your region.  Please be aware that the wait time can often be years before you are allocated a family doctor.

To register for the Québec Family Doctor Finder, you must:

• Be age 14 or over (you can also register a younger person)
• Not have a family doctor
• Have a valid Health Insurance Card
• Be domiciled in Québec, at the address currently indicated in your file at the Régie (if you have moved, report the change of address by using the online Service québécois de changement d'adresse)

To register for a family doctor on the Québec Family Doctor Finder, click here.

For all information regarding finding a family doctor, go to https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citizens/health-insurance/find-family-doctor.

When you need to see a doctor on the same day or the next, medical consultation services are available for these situations.

You can call 811 Info-Santé nurses at any time with questions or concerns regarding your health.

If you do not have a family doctor, or if your family doctor is not available, you can still have access to a medical consultation. You can schedule an appointment 'sans rendez-vous' online.  To do so, click here.  You will need to have your RAMQ card to be able to use this service online.

Québec Health Booklet is an online service that enables you to access your health information and certain services to help you take charge of your health.

To find out more about this service and to find out the eligibility criteria, click here. 

To register for, or to access your Health Booklet, click here. 

Everyone who has taken up residence in Québec permanently must have prescription drug insurance coverage. Coverage is available through RAMQ's Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan. Alternatively, prescription drug coverage may also be obtained through private plans such as group insurance plans or employee benefit plans.

If you do have access to a private plan, you must choose this option.

In order to receive services covered by the Health Insurance Plan and Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan, you must present your valid health card.  Failure to present your valid card may result in you having to pay for the services you receive.  You must then apply to the RAMQ for reimbursement using a special form for this purpose.

You are not automatically registered for the public drug insurance plan.  You need to register online or by calling the RAMQ.

To find out more, and to register, for the Prescription Drug Insurance Plan, click here.

Info-Santé / Info-Social is a telephone information and advice service that has nurses and social workers responding to health and well-being concerns 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  

This service is available in English or French.  811 is used for the entire province of Québec.