Opt-in – Information on opting in to the Extended Health and/or Dental Insurance Plan
The deadline for Health and Dental Opt-ins is:
September start students: September 22. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Graduate students starting their program in the September – December term will not be able to opt in GSS extended Health and/or Dental plan in the January term (unless you have a change in life situation – more information below). If you wish to opt into the GSS extended Health and/or Dental plan you must do so before September 22.
January start students: January 22.
The opt-in period opens on September 1. Opt-ins are available for graduate students (who are not automatically charged with their tuition) and for their families (dependents) for an additional cost. Graduate students that are registered as full-time (3.0 units or more) in September will have their GSS Extended Health and GSS Dental plan fees charged with tuition.
Those eligible to opt into the plan are, part-time graduate students, students on approved leave of absence, visiting graduate research students, May term start students, students with a change of life situation, and dependants of graduate students on the plan. To be eligible to opt in you must also have vaild BC MSP (other over Provincial health plan coverage) or Mandatory Medical Insurance (also known as MTMI).
To opt-in please complete the Opt-In form in, available in the Forms section of the website and send the completed form to gsoc@uvic.ca.
- On the form, the box labeled “SINGLE” refers to graduate student opt in, and “FAMILY” refers to dependent(s) opt in. Part-time and students previously not on the plan adding boththemselves and their family should tick both If you have more than three (3) dependents, you will need to have two forms so that all dependents’ names each have their own line.
- Ensure that you check and initial the section confirming you have BC MAP or Mandatory Medical Insurance.
- Sign the form.
All insurance coverage follows academic years from September – August; all insurance coverage will expire on August 31. Opt-ins must be renewed by submitting a new Opt-In form at the start of every academic year.
Opt-ins are also permitted within 30 days of a change to your insurance situation. If you no longer have comparable alternate coverage at any point during the school year or have recently arrived in Canada, you have 30 days to contact the Health and Dental Plan Coordinator to be assessed for eligibility for an opt-in.
Opt-in fees are payable to the GSS and cannot be added to your UVic Tuition Account after you have previously opted out. Opt-ins can be done by email to the GSS Health and Dental Coordinator at gsoc@uvic.ca. Please include your student number in all emails.
Please see our Family (Dependent) Opt-in page for details.
Part-time students are registered graduate students recognized by the Faculty of Graduate studies in less than 3.0 units in the September 2021 term for September start students, or the January term for January start students. Part-time graduate students are eligible to opt-in onto the GSS Extended Health and GSS Dental Plan(s) at additional cost paid directly to the GSS. Opt in forms can be found on the GSS Extended Health and Dental Opt-In Form page. Submissions for part-time students will begin starting September 1, and will close on September 22.
Insurance fees are determined by referendum of all voting members of the GSS.
September 2023 Part-time Opt-in Fees
Family Opt-In Rate (coverage effective from September 2022 – August 2023) | |
Extended Health Only | $414 |
Dental Only | $289.55 |
Both | $703.55 |
The deadline for the September opt-in is September 22.
January 2024 Part-Time Opt-in Fees
Family Student Opt-In Rate (coverage effective from January 2023 – August 2023) | |
Extended Health Only | $276 |
Dental Only | $193.03 |
Both | $469.03 |
The deadline for the January opt-in deadline is January 22.
Health and Dental Opt-out forms are available here.
Our Health and Dental Coordinator can be reached at gsoc@uvic.ca.
Graduate students that are visiting from another university are eligible to join the GSS Extended health and/or dental plans at additional cost. They must submit a GSS Extended Health and Dental Opt-In Form a copy of their visiting research student status letter from the University of Victoria Graduate Admissions and Records Office to gsoc@uvic.ca. Letters can also be obtained from the VP of Research at the UVic.
All visiting graduate research students must have a valid BC MSP or an equivalent Canadian provincial/territory medical services plan. Please contact your provincial or territorial health department prior to your arrival in British Columbia to ensure that your basic medical is not interrupted.
Visiting Graduate Research Student Opt-In Rates for September 2023
Extended Health Only | $511.91 |
Dental Only | $387.46 |
Both | $801.46 |
Health and Dental Opt-in forms are available here.
Our Health and Dental Coordinator can be reached at gsoc@uvic.ca.
Graduate students that were previously not on the plan due must contact the GSS Health and Dental Coordinator within 30 days to be assessed if they can join the GSS Extended Health and/or GSS Dental Plan(s). Graduate students can opt-in at additional cost paid directly to the GSS.
All change in insurance situations must have attached documentation of change in insurance situation. This can include termination letter(s), court document(s), Record of Employment (ROE), plane ticket(s) of arrival, passport stamp(s), IIRC permit/Visa, or termination of insurance letter(s).
Change in insurance situations can include:
- Recently arrived in Canada and obtained primary insurance coverage through Mandatory Medical Insurance (also known as Guard.me) or BC MSP (or equivalent Canadian provincial/territorial coverage). Note: switching from Mandatory Medical Insurance to BC MSP is not considered a change in insurance situation.
- Loss of previous employment extended health and/or dental insurance coverage
- Divorce and loss of spouses’ extended health and/or dental insurance coverage
Graduate students can also submit a completed family opt-in form if they have a change in life situation for within 30 days (with dated documentation) of:
- New addition to their family: marriage, birth, adoption, or new granted legal guardianship of a child (but is not a foster child)
- Recently reached one (1) year of co-habitation with another person in a common-law partnership
- Family member (dependent) has recently arrived in Canada with valid visa permit
Please contact the GSS Health and Dental Coordinator for details the opt-in rate for your situation.
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 opt-in deadline 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 speak to the GSS staff for full details. Opt-ins/outs need to be renewed each September. For more information the GSS Health Plan Coordinator at gsoc@uvic.ca.
Opt-In fees are paid directly to the GSS in one of the following methods.
In office: stop by the GSS office to pay for your Health and Dental with cash, cheque or debit.
Interac e-transfer: Contact the Health and Dental Plan Coordinator at gsoc@uvic.ca for detailed instructions
Pre-authorized monthly debit withdrawals:
- First month needs to be paid right away by e-Transfer or at our office. We must receive the first payment before the opt-in deadline.
- Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement form in the Forms section of the website.
- Payments are withdrawn from your account on the 15th of each month.
- The payment amounts will be divided equally based on the number of months remaining in the academic year (September – August)