Health & Dental
Basic Information
Opt-ins and Opt-outs for Fall 2025 will be completed via the Alumo portal, which will be posted here as soon as it is available, no later than September 1st, 2025.
As per the March 2025 Referendum, our members voted to replace our previous Health & Dental broker with ALUMO (formerly Studentcare). Pacific Blue Cross will remain our insurance provider. The rollout for these changes is September 2025.
Use the portal below to find the ALUMO site for the GSS Extended Health & Dental Plans. All opt-ins and opt-outs will be completed via the ALUMO portal.
As part of the move to ALUMO, our in-house Health & Dental Coordinator has changed roles. For questions about the Extended Health & Dental Coverage, please contact ALUMO for support.
Is this your first term on the GSS Extended Health and/or Dental Plans? There is a blackout period for about two months at the beginning of the policy year (approximately September 1 to October 31). Find information about the blackout period here.
Opt-in / Opt-out Deadlines
Fall term: September 22
Winter term: January 22
Summer term: May 22
May Start Students & Summer Opt-ins/Outs
Students who start their graduate program in May are not automatically added to the insurance plans with their tuition.
Graduate students that start their program in May will have the option to opt themselves in (as well as their family) for the summer session at additional cost paid directly to the GSS. Opt-ins are available for the Extended Health plan, Dental, or both. Contact the GSS Health and Dental Coordinator at gsoc@uvic.ca if you wish to sign up for an opt-in.
Opting in during the May term will provide coverage from May 1 – August 31. All opt-ins must be renewed in September.
The deadline for Health & Dental Opt-ins/Outs for the summer semester is May 22.
Please note that students enrolling in the dental plan after March 1st get a reduced financial limit on dental claims. Make sure to contact us for full details. Opt-ins/outs need to be renewed each September. For more information, email the GSS Health & Dental Coordinator at gsoc@uvic.ca.
Who is Assessed?
Grad students registered in 3 or more units of on-campus courses, AND students registered in full-time Co-Op are automatically assessed for the Extended Health & Dental Plans. Check your tuition summary to confirm whether or not you have been assessed for the Extended Health & Dental Plans.
How to Use the Plan
Our insurance company is Pacific Blue Cross
Our group policy number is 43222
Your personal ID is the last eight digits of your UVic student number.
Provide these details to your service provider before your appointment/service begins. If your service provider is set up to directly bill PBC for their services, you will only need to pay the portion of the cost not covered by insurance at the end of your appointment.
If your service provider does not offer direct billing to the insurance company, or if you live out-of-province, you will have to pay the bill and submit the claim either online or by mail.
Create Your Online Insurance Account
Use the group policy number and your personal ID to create your online Pacific Blue Cross insurance account here: https://service.pac.bluecross.ca/member/login/
Creating an online account with Pacific Blue Cross will allow you to:
- Access and download your insurance card
- Submit online claims
- See your claims history
- Monitor that amount of your remaining benefits
- See full details of coverage under the plan
Do you have questions about the GSS Health & Dental Plans? Visit the ALUMO on-campus care office in the Student Union Building (room A102), or use their Assistance Centre for FAQ’s and a support form.
Use the group policy number and your personal ID to create your online Pacific Blue Cross insurance account here: https://service.pac.bluecross.ca/member/login/
Creating an online account with Pacific Blue Cross will allow you to:
- Access and download your insurance card
- Submit online claims
- See your claims history
- Monitor that amount of your remaining benefits
- See full details of coverage under the plan
Do you have questions about the GSS Health & Dental Plans? Check out the ALUMO Assistance Centre.
Filing an Appeal
Appeals
Starting in September 2025, the GSS Extended Health and Dental Plans are now administered by Alumo.
Students who hold comparable alternate coverage are eligible to opt out, provided they submit proof of coverage to Alumo via their Opt Out Portal before the deadline. BC MSP and other provincial equivalents are not extended coverage and do not qualify as alternative insurance. Students residing outside Canada are eligible for an opt-out through the Alumo Opt Out Portal, provided they submit proof of residency before the deadline.
Opt ins are available for all UVic graduate students who have not been assessed insurance fees on their tuition and their immediate family members, provided they opt in before the deadline.
All opt-in and out requests should be submitted to Alumo.
Graduate students whose application to opt-in/out of the U-Pass or Extended Health and Dental Plans is denied by Alumo may submit an appeal. Common reasons for opt ins/outs to be denied include:
- Missed the Change-of-Coverage period deadline
- Graduate students are in a situation that does not match the opt in/out criteria
To submit an appeal means your application to opt in or out will be reviewed by the GSS Appeal Committee to ensure that GSS policies were fairly and correctly applied. Submitting an appeal does not guarantee that your request to opt in/out will be approved.
Currently, there are two ways to submit an appeal:
- Submitting via Alumo’s Exception Request Portal.
- Submitting an Appeal Form to the GSS Finance and Benefits Coordinator
The Appeal Committee assesses the validity of appeals on the basis of two criteria:
- Administrative unfairness (by the University of Victoria, the Graduate Student Society, or Alumo); and/or
- Extenuating personal circumstances
This means that in order for the Appeals Committee to approve an appeal, you must document how either administrative unfairness or extenuating personal circumstances made it impossible for you to meet the opt-in/out criteria, including deadlines. Please note that under University policy, it is the students’ responsibility to be familiar with University and GSS service deadlines.
The Appeal Committee has 30 business days to review appeals. Appellants will receive a letter from the Finance and Benefits Coordinator informing them of the Committee’s decision.
Appeal Form
2025-2026 Insurance Appeal Form
This form must include an explanation of your reason for appealing in detail. Please add supporting documents as necessary to explain extenuating circumstances and/or administrative unfairness that prevented your opt-in/out by the deadline.
The GSS encourages you to consult with the Office of the Ombudsperson for support in preparing your appeal. The Ombudsperson is an impartial advocate for fairness at UVic.
Submit your Appeal form and supporting documents by email to the Finance and Benefits Coordinator: gsoc@uvic.ca.
Additional Information or Supporting Documentation
Graduate students that have received an appeal decision may submit another appeal form if the graduate student would like to include additional or new information that was not previously on their form. It is important to include clear documentation of how administrative unfairness or personal extenuating circumstances prevent you from meeting the opt-in/out criteria, including deadlines.
The Appeals form (linked above) must include an explanation of the new or additional information and/or documents in detail that contributed to missing the opt-in and/or opt-out deadline. Submit your Appeal form and supporting documents by email to the Finance and Benefits Coordinator: gsoc@uvic.ca
Appealing the Decision of the Appeals Committee
Appellants can submit an Appeal of an Appeal directly to the GSS Executive Board if they feel that the decision reached by the Appeals Committee was biased or that the GSS procedures were not followed. Appellants can contact the Finance and Benefits Coordinator to inquire about their eligibility. To submit an Appeal of an Appeal, appellants should include:
- Their original appeal letter
- Their original appeal decision from the GSS Appeals Committee
- A new GSS Appeal Form outlining the reasons for the Appeal of an Appeal
These must be emailed to the GSS Chair (gsschair@uvic.ca) within 30 days of receipt of the original appeal decision. The Executive Board can only hear cases relating to bias on the part of the Appeals Committee, or improper GSS procedure. Disagreement with the decision is not sufficient reason to appeal the Appeals Committee’s decision.
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