Come to the GSS Town Hall on Thursday, November 19th from 4-5pm to learn about the upcoming Health and Dental Plan changes, ask questions, and give feedback!
The GSS is seeking feedback on the Extended Health & Dental Insurance coverage in advance of the upcoming referendum in 2027, via the Extended Health & Dental Renewal Survey, and this Town Hall event. The cost of offering the same plan to our students has increased due to a combination of factors (see below). We want students to be informed and help us find a solution. At this town hall, members can learn about and discuss the wide range of options that the GSS is considering to control costs while supporting our members’ health and wellbeing. Please come and let us know what matters the most to you when it comes to your Extended Health & Dental Plans, and learn what the GSS is considering.
Join us for the Town Hall in person in the Boardroom (108) of Halpern Centre, or join via Zoom. Visit the Event Page for more details & the Zoom link.
The GSS Extended Health & Dental Renewal Survey closes at 12:00am, November 23rd.
Context:
The GSS provides Extended Health and Dental insurance to graduate students registered in 3.0 units or more of on-campus courses. Part-time, distance, and family members may opt into the GSS insurance at an additional cost and within the permitted Change of Coverage periods. Extended Health and Dental insurance covers costs that are NOT included in basic insurance (BC MSP or MTMI for newly arriving international students). All graduate students at UVic are required to have both basic and extended health/dental insurance for the duration of their studies.
Find a summary of your coverage here, and a handy infographic here.
What you should know:
The cost of offering the same plan to our students has increased. In order to maintain ALL coverage we currently offer, we would need to raise prices by at least 35%. The reason for this increase is a combination of factors, primarily driven by an increase in the utilization of our plan by our students and additional costs from market inflation. Areas of most increase were Physiotherapy, Psychology, and Prescription Medication. This is in addition to smaller increases in other categories. We are aware that some of our members will want to retain as much coverage as possible, and others may be more interested in keeping their fees as low as possible. We want students to be informed and help us find a solution. Specifically, How much do we want to pay for these services? If the cost is too high in some areas, where do we want to reduce coverage? The GSS is considering a wide range of options to control costs while supporting our members’ health and wellbeing.
This information is available at the top of the survey, and will be presented at the Town Hall.