On November 26, 2014, Quebec Minister of Finance Carlos Leitão introduced Bill 28: an act created mainly to implement certain provisions of the Budget Speech of June 4, 2014 and to return to a balanced budget in 2015-2016. The key objective of this omnibus bill was to introduce measures protecting the province’s financial health. However, this bill also impacts private group insurance plans.

Special consultations and public hearings were held from late January to mid-February 2015, and briefs were tabled by various groups. The Regroupement des assureurs de personnes à charte du Québec (RACQ), in collaboration with its counterpart The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, drafted and submitted a brief to the Minister during these consultations. Following the consultations, Bill 28 was amended during the parliamentary committee’s detailed consideration of the bill which came to a close in late April 2015.

Even though the bill was passed on April 20, 2015, with formal assent on April 21, 2015, the measures with the greatest impact on private group insurance plans will not come into effect until October 1, 2015. We eagerly await the publication of the implementing regulation, which should be released by shortly and will provide additional details on the mechanics of this Act.

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Impact of Bill 28 on Private Group Insurance Plans in Quebec