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PME Québec Group Insurance 2026: employee plan for 2 or more people

A group benefits plan is one of the most valued benefits for employees — and a key tool for retaining and recruiting in a tight job market. From 2 permanent employees, your SME can offer health, dental, drug, life and disability coverage at a cost that is often less than $100/month per employee. In Quebec, since the coming into force of the RVAD, employers with more than 3 employees must also offer a voluntary retirement savings plan. Assur360 compares the 9 Canadian insurers via our AMF certified brokers — free quote in 3 minutes.

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From 2
Permanent employees
$85/month
Average premium per employee
3 min
To get a price
50 %
Corporate tax deductible
Quebec SME Team — Employee Group Insurance

At a glance

Protect your employees from 2 people

SME group insurance covers health, dental, disability and life for your employees. Flexible programs from 2 employees, 100% tax deductible for the company.

Assur360 connects Quebec SMEs with partner firms specializing in group insurance — comparison of Desjardins, iA, Manulife, Sun Life, Beneva.

What is a group insurance plan?

A group plan is an insurance contract taken out by a company to cover its employees (and their dependents). It brings together several coverages under a single policy, with mutualized premiums that are generally shared between the employer and the employee. In contrast to individual insurance, employees are rarely subject to a medical investigation and premiums are significantly lower thanks to the group’s bargaining power. For small businesses, a good plan reduces turnover, attracts the best candidates, and provides tax benefits for both parties.

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Health and medicines

Reimbursement of prescription drugs (mandatory to avoid RAMQ), paramedical care (physio, chiropractor, massage therapist), eye exams, hospital fees.

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Dental care

Coverage for preventive care (100%), basic care (80%) and major care (50%). Orthodontics for children is optional. Typical annual maximums: $1,500 to $2,500.

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Short and long-term disability

Income replacement if an employee is unable to work. ICD covers 17-26 weeks, LTD takes over until age 65 depending on the contract.

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Life Insurance AD

Capital paid to beneficiaries in the event of the employee’s death (usually 1 to 2 × annual salary). DMA covers dismemberment or accidental dismemberment.

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Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Confidential psychological, legal and financial services 24/7. Highly valued since the pandemic — modest cost ($3-6/employee/month).

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Business Travel Insurance

Out-of-Quebec Emergency Medical Coverage — automatically included in most plans for all employees on the move.

How much does a group plan cost?

The price depends on the number of employees, their average age, the benefits chosen and the employer/employee share. Here are indicative bonuses per employee for a Quebec SME:

Company sizeBasic schemeIntermediate schemePremium scheme
2 to 5 employees$65 to $90/month$110 to $145/month$175 to $235/month
6 to 15 employees$55 to $80/month$95 to $130/month$155 to $210/month
16 to 30 employees$50 to $72/month$85 to $115/month$140 to $190/month
31 to 50 employees$45 to $65/month$78 to $105/month$125 to $175/month
51+ employees$42 to $60/month$70 to $95/month$115 to $160/month

*Primes par employé indicatives 2026, tous partages confondus. Les régimes sont typiquement partagés 50/50 ou 60/40 employeur/employé. Obtenez votre soumission exacte.

Basic vs. Intermediate vs. Premium Plan

🥉 Base — ~$75/month/employee

Drugs (100%), limited paramedical care ($300/year), preventive dental (80%), life $25,000, STD 66% of salary. Legal minimum to satisfy the Act respecting prescription drug insurance.

🥈 Intermediate — ~$115/month

Extended Drugs + Paramedics ($500-800/year), Preventive + Basic Dental, Life 1× Salary, ICD + Basic LTD, Eye Exams ($150/2 years), EAP Included.

🥇 Premium — ~$185/month

All inclusive: paramedics $1,000-1,500/year, complete dental + orthodontics for children, life 2 × salary, improved LTD, wellness reimbursement (gym membership, mental health care). Top tier to attract talent.

🎯 Tailor-made — modular

Tailor-made construction according to your budget and your profile. Possibility of adding group retirement (VRSP), group TFSA, group RRSP with employer contributions.

How to set up your diet — 5 steps

1

Analysis of your needs

Number of permanent employees, average age, salary level, annual budget available. Your AMF broker documents your situation in 30-60 minutes.

2

Call for tenders with 9 insurers

Canada Life, Manulife, Sun Life, iA Financial Group, Beneva, Desjardins, Empire Life, Industrial Alliance, SSQ. We negotiate the best rates according to your risk profile.

3

Presentation and selection

Clear comparison of the 3 best options: premiums, guarantees, deductibles, maximums, co-insurance. You choose according to your budget and priorities.

4

Employee Registration

Simplified forms (without medical exam for most coverages), broker or HR management. Activation time: 30 to 60 days.

5

Ongoing Service and Renewal

Claims management, adding/removing employees, annual negotiation at renewal. Typical percentage increase to watch: 5-15%/year depending on experience.

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Act respecting prescription drug insurance — obligation in Quebec

Since 1997, all Quebec residents must have prescription drug insurance. If your employees have access to a private group plan, they must enrol (themselves and their eligible dependents) — they cannot choose RAMQ. Offering a plan protects your employees from a high RAMQ contribution (up to $744/year each in 2026).

Tax benefits for the employer

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100% deductible

The portion paid by the employer is fully deductible from corporate income tax (26.5% in Quebec). A $100/month/employee plan costs significantly less net.

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Tax-free benefit

For health, dental, and travel benefits, the employer premium is not a taxable benefit to the employee (unlike life and LTD which are).

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Retention Tool

The average cost of replacing an employee is 6 to 12 months of their salary. A $100/month ($1,200/year) plan pales in comparison to this avoided cost.

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Don’t confuse group plans with VRSPs

Since 2017, Quebec employers with 5 to 9 or more employees must offer a Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan (VRSP) OR an equivalent registered plan (group RRSP, DPSP, etc.). This is a separate obligation from group insurance — but often managed jointly by the same AMF broker.

TAILOR-MADE PLAN

Attract and retain your best employees

The brokers of our partner firms negotiate the best premiums with 9 national insurers.

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The 6 most valued benefits by employees

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Prescription drugs

#1 priority for Quebec employees. Without a private plan, they contribute to the RAMQ (variable according to income) with monthly deductibles and limited co-insurance.

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Mental Health Care

Demand has exploded since the pandemic. Psychologists, psychotherapists and registered social workers. Ideal budget: $1,000 to $2,000/year/employee.

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Dental Coverage

Very valued, especially for families. Basic plan (preventive + exams) at $15-25/month/employee. With orthodontics: $40-60/month.

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Vision Care

Glasses/Lenses Reimbursement ($150-300/2 years) + Annual Exam. Inexpensive option but highly visible to employees.

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Long-Term Disability (LTD)

Essential coverage: 66% of salary until age 65 if the employee becomes unable to work. Huge difference vs. QPIP (limited to 26 weeks).

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Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

24/7, confidential, for psychological, legal and financial consultations. Modest cost (~$5/month) for a measurable impact on the work climate.

Common mistakes made by SMEs that make the wrong choice of their plan

❌ Choose only on price

The cheapest plan often has high deductibles, low maximums, and poor customer service. Also compare the quality of the service and the reimbursement times.

❌ Ignore employer/employee sharing

A 100% employer-paid plan seems generous but creates a taxable benefit. A 50/50 split is fiscally optimal and empowers employees.

❌ Forgetting to shop at renewal

Insurers increase premiums by 5-15%/year. Every 2-3 years, your broker must redo a complete call for tenders to validate that you are paying the right price.

❌ Not training staff on warranties

A little-known plan is one that is underutilized — and therefore undervalued by employees. An annual 30-minute session multiplies the perception of the benefit.

❌ Signing up too early with no history

For companies founded less than 6 months ago, wait until you have a stable team. Otherwise, the first premiums will be based on unfavourable assumptions.

❌ Refusing to Exclude Warranties

Paying for coverage that no one uses (orthodontics at 40, for example) is a waste. Build according to your team’s real needs.

Group Insurance in Quebec: Where We Serve

Our Assur360 brokers support Quebec SMEs throughout the province. We particularly serve the regions of Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Longueuil, Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Saguenay, Lévis and Thetford Mines. Whether your SME has 2 or 150 employees, we compare the same 9 major insurers and negotiate according to your sector profile — rates vary by industry (office, construction, restaurant, technology, manufacturing).

To go further

Frequently asked questions — Small Business Group Insurance

From how many employees can I subscribe to a group plan?
From 2 permanent employees (including the owner in some cases). Some insurers require 3-5 employees for experience plans, but most offer pooled plans for very small teams. Self-employed or part-time employees (20 hours/week) generally do not count.
Do I have to include all employees in the plan?
You can define categories of employees with different coverages: management, executives, office workers, factory employees, part-time employees. The only rule: not to discriminate according to age, sex, marital status or health. Most plans cover all permanent employees working 25 hours/week or more.
Is the employer’s bonus tax deductible?
Yes, 100%. All premiums paid by the employer are deductible as operating expenses, reducing your corporate taxes. For a CCPC in Quebec, this represents a savings of 26.5% on every dollar invested in the plan.
Are the premiums paid by the employer taxable to the employee?
In Quebec, employer-paid health and dental premiums are a taxable benefit to be reported on the T4/RL-1 slip — but drugs, paramedical and dental care remain federally tax-free benefits. Life and LTD premiums are taxable to the employee. A 50/50 split optimizes taxation.
Can I have a group plan as a self-employed worker?
Yes, through an association plan (e.g., CFIB, Chambers of Commerce, professional orders). The premiums are higher than in traditional SMEs but are still significantly lower than in an individual one. Some insurers also offer solo-entrepreneur plans with group pricing.
What happens if an employee leaves the company?
The employee automatically loses the group coverage within 30 to 90 days. However, they can exercise their right of conversion and take out individual life insurance without a medical exam at the insurer’s standard rate — useful for people in less good health.
Can spouses and children be added?
Yes, automatically in family coverage for health, medication, dental, and paramedical care. Life and disability are typically personal to the employee, with the option of adding spousal life insurance ($25,000-50,000) and child coverage.
How are annual premium increases justified?
Renewals are based on: (1) your group’s experience (claims/premium ratio), (2) medical inflation (generally +4-7%/year), (3) the evolution of the group (ages, additions/withdrawals), (4) market rates. Average increase: 8-12%/year. A good broker will shop around every 2-3 years to avoid abusive increases.
What is the difference between a pooled plan and an experience plan?
The mutualized group includes several small companies — stable premium, not very sensitive to your history, ideal under 25 employees. The experience plan is based on your own claims — more upward sensitive if it’s a heavy year, but lower if it’s not used much. Typical pivot with 30-50 employees.
Can I add a group RRSP or VRSP to my plan?
Yes, and it is even mandatory for SMEs with more than 9 employees in Quebec (unless an equivalent plan is offered). The broker often integrates both — group insurance + retirement savings — into the same jurisdiction. Employee benefits: employer contributions, simplified management, reduced management fees vs. individual RRSPs. The brokers of our partner firms support you on both fronts.
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