FAQ Personal
Am I required to buy drug insurance from ACDQ?
Drug insurance has been required for all Quebec residents, under the Act respecting prescription drug insurance, since January 1, 1997. Since that date, the following rules apply:
- No dentist who is a Quebec resident, under 65 and a member in good standing of the ACDQ can be registered for the province’s public plan..
- Here are the options you have:
With your spouse and any dependent children, you must subscribe to the Sogedent Assurances prescription drug insurance plan, unless:
a) You can subscribe to your spouse’s plan;
b) You can subscribe to a group insurance plan that includes prescription drug insurance with another private insurer, such as at the dental office where you practice. - A dentist who is 65 or older who practices dentistry can register for the province’s public plan or keep his insurance at Sogedent. .
What is the waiver of life insurance premiums?
This optional waiver lets you take a break from paying premiums upon total disability of more than six months before your 65th birthday. In addition, the premiums of those first six months will then be reimbursed to you.
It applies if an incapacity resulting from an illness or accident, you are not capable:
i) during the first 2 years of the disability, of performing the main tasks of his usual professional functions and for which he is under medical supervision;
ii) afterwards, of performing a remunerated activity for which he is qualified or for which he would reasonably be qualified by training, education or experience, he is without remunerated employement and is regularly under the supervision of a physician.
Why are your premiums for disability insurance (income protection and office overhead) cheaper than those of your competitors?
Companies set the premiums based on statistics from claims and projections. The other companies do not differentiate between groups of professionals. However, dentists often return to work a lot faster than other professionals, out of fear of losing some of their patients. Since the premiums of the ACDQ plan are reserved for dentists, its results are overall better than those for the rest of the industry.
Please note that the premiums for personal products available on the market are 50% to 80% higher for women than for men, while at Sogedent, the gap is only 20% (mostly because of the complications caused by pregnancy), making our product even more attractive to women dentists.
I have complementary health insurance. Do I have to notify you if I am going on vacation outside Quebec?
No, but you must make sure that you have your card on hand in order to use the emergency telephone numbers indicated on the back of it if an accident, illness or any other situation requiring medical assistance occurs outside Quebec—before incurring the expenses, if possible.
What does my complementary health insurance cover?
Essentially, the coverage includes the cost of hospitalization in Canada, up to the cost of a semi-private room, and travel insurance (for a maximum of 180 days per trip) for all the insureds covered. In addition, for insureds under 65, this coverage extends to the cost of transportation in an ambulance to the closest health care institution that is able to offer the care required and trip cancellation insurance, up to $5,000 per insured who travels. Other costs can be reimbursed, but you must contact Sogedent Assurances to find out more about special situations.
Is there a limit to the travel insurance reimbursements?
Yes, the limit is $5,000,000 per event per insured person, in addition to the government plans but since some coverages contain particular limits, check with your Sogedent Assurances advisor or read the insurance coverages descriptive brochure.
Is it important to contact the insurer quickly if I have to cancel a trip for which I incurred costs?
You must contact your travel agent or carrier, as the case may be, within 48 hours of the event in order to cancel your trip and notify your insurer in the same period.
What happens if I inform the insurer of my intention to cancel a trip for which I have incurred costs after the 48-hour period?
Generally, the insurer investigates what fees would have been paid if the event had been reported within 48 hours and reimburses an amount equal to what it would have paid.
How much disability–income protection insurance should I take out?
You must insure 100% of your income after taxes, since disability benefits don’t allow you to contribute to your RRSP. In fact, if you are disabled over a long period, you have to contribute to non-RRSP funds, and the amounts will increase a lot less rapidly. You will find a table determining the amount of insurance suggested, based on your income, at the end of the brochure explaining the insurance coverage.
Needs are often greater during a disability than when you are working, plus you have nearly 80% more free time for your activities, duties and recreation. You will therefore have a lot more time to notice the devastating impact that inadequate coverage has on you and those close to you.
Should I cover the salaries and benefits of my employees in my disability insurance–office overhead?
More and more, dentists cover the salaries of assistants and hygienists. They prefer to pay them in case of disability rather than risk losing them. Since some dentists believe that it is very difficult to train a good assistant, the return from a period of disability would not be the best time to try to train a new one. Hygienists are a rare commodity in any case, and dentists prefer to pay them so that they won’t end up working in a colleague’s practice. As for receptionists, you will need someone to answer patients’ phone calls while you are away on disability.
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