Did you know that the Quebec government offers a financial assistance program for parents to help them purchase glasses and contact lenses for their children? In addition to eye exam coverage for children under the age of 18, the new See Better to Succeed program from the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) offers a $300 refund on eyeglasses or contact lenses.
This amount is fixed: it does not vary with the cost of your purchase. Only purchases made as of April 1, 2023 from a merchant in Québec are eligible to a $300 reimbursement (originally $250 prior to April, 2023). The reimbursement is granted only for the purchase of eyeglasses or contact lenses prescribed by a professional for vision correction.
Eligibility criteria :
- Be under 18 years old on the date of purchase of glasses or contact lenses.
- Have a valid Health Insurance Card.
- Have received a prescription for corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses issued by an authorized optometrist or ophthalmologist. As a reminder: the eye exam is also covered by RAMQ for those under 18 years old. The recommended frequency of an eye exam for a child under 18 is annually.
- No request was submitted in the last two years.
Program details
- The reimbursement will be made by the RAMQ, through an online service.
- To be eligible, purchases must be made from a merchant in Québec.
- Purchases can be made either online or in-store.
- You must submit your application within 12 months following the date of purchase.
- Applications for reimbursement must be made every two years, that is, a child for whom a reimbursement is received under the program must wait 2 years from the date of that qualifying purchase before being eligible again. For example, if you obtained a reimbursement for eyeglasses purchased on October 1, 2023, the next eligible purchase can be made as of October 1, 2025.
- A receipt for glasses or contact lenses and proof of prescription is not required. However, you must keep these documents on file for five years, as they may be requested for verification purposes.
Ineligible purchases:
- Eyeglasses and contact lenses purchased outside of Québec ;
- Eyeglasses and contact lenses purchased without a prescription ;
- Eyeglasses and contact lenses without correction, including sunglasses;
- Eyeglasses designed for taking part in sport or recreational activities (e.g. swimming, skiing) ;
- Blue light blocking eyeglasses.
We know that your children are the apple of your eyes and rest assured that we will take great care of their vision.
