As an international student, you must have basic and extended medical insurance while you are in Canada. Exchange and visiting students must also have medical insurance.
Having the right medical coverage is important. It means you can get the care you need without worrying about extra expenses or bills.
You will need two main types of health insurance:
1) Basic insurance, these are mandatory policies, which covers most medically required services:
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British Columbia Medical Services Plan (MSP), for your basic medical expenses during the entire duration of your studies in Canada. There is a waiting period for MSP policy to be active.
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GuardMe for the first 3 months in Canada to cover the MSP waiting period.
2) Extended health insurance, which covers some fees and services which are not covered by basic insurance:
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Student Union Society (SUS) Extended Health and Dental Plan for the duration of your studies at UFV.
Basic Insurance
B.C. Medical Services Plan (MSP)
The Government of British Columbia (B.C.) health plan is called the Medical Services Plan (MSP). It is a legally required insurance plan which pays for basic medical health services, such as: doctor visits, medical tests, hospital services, and treatments.
The cost for MSP is $75 per month, billed to you directly, and paid through Revenue Services of B.C.
As an international student arriving in B.C., it's important you know that MSP coverage has a waiting period of about three months from your arrival date.
Here’s what you need to do:
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Apply as soon as you arrive: Don’t wait until the end of the three-month wait period to apply for MSP. It's best to apply immediately after you arrive in B.C. This allows enough time for your application to be processed before your coverage starts.
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Why apply early?: The sooner you apply, the sooner your MSP coverage can begin once the waiting period is over. If you wait too long to apply, you might experience a gap in coverage.
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Step-by-step Guide: You can find easy instructions on how to apply for MSP on your iCent app.
GuardMe
UFV International automatically enrolls students in GuardMe, which offers temporary health coverage for three months until your MSP policy becomes active, unless you already have a valid MSP. In that case, you can opt out directly through the GuardMe website.
The cost for GuardMe is $155 for 3 months, and it is charged directly to your student account.
GuardMe Coverage Timeline & Opt-Out Periods:
|
Semester |
Coverage |
Opt-out period* |
|
Fall |
September 1 to November 30 |
September 1 to 15 |
|
Winter |
January 1 to March 31 |
January 1 to 15 |
|
Summer |
May 1 to July 31 |
May 1 to 15 |
You can opt out of GuardMe if you already have valid MSP coverage. Here’s how:
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Submit your opt-out request on the GuardMe website.
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Make sure you haven’t claimed any medical expenses under GuardMe.
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Check the approved refund amount in the Student Billing and Account section on the myUFV portal.
Please note, the approval and refund process takes about 5-6 weeks.
Early Arrival Insurance Option
If you arrive in Canada before your program starts, you can apply for additional medical insurance coverage. This early arrival option is a one-time purchase only and cannot be bought after your program start date.
Your family members who travel with you are not included in your policy. You can purchase insurance for them directly through GuardMe.
Extended Health Insurance
Student Union Society (SUS) Extended Health & Dental Plan — StudentCare
The SUS Extended Health and Dental Plan is meant to cover additional health benefits that the MSP does not provide.
Full-time students enrolled in the fall and winter semesters are automatically included in the SUS Health and Dental Plan, known as StudentCare. Students who begin their studies at UFV in the summer semester will be automatically enrolled for this plan during the following fall semester.
You can opt out of StudentCare if you already have an equivalent health and dental insurance through another provider. For more information on how to opt-out of StudentCare, please visit the SUS Change of Coverage page.
Note: Exchange and visiting students who study at UFV for more than one semester are eligible for this plan.
Exchange and visiting students
If you are an exchange student who is studying for:
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less than six months in B.C. (usually for 1 semester):
You are automatically enrolled in GuardMe for four months.
The cost of coverage is $225, charged to your student account.
You are NOT required to apply for MSP.
Note: If you plan to extend your studies beyond 4 months, connect with studyabroad@ufv.ca ahead of time.
- more than six months in B.C. (usually 2 semesters):
You are automatically enrolled in GuardMe for your first three months.
The cost of coverage is $155, charged to your student account.
You must apply within 10 days of arriving in B.C. for the Medical Services Plan for the remainder of your studies at UFV.
Information about MSP can be found here.
Accompanying family members are also strongly recommended to have basic and extended health insurance while residing in Canada.