In March 2025, the GSS held a Referendum asking our members whether we should move our Health & Dental Plans to Alumo (formerly StudentCare).

76% of voters chose YES.

In September 2025, this change will take place. The GSS will continue to administer the Health & Dental Plans over the summer term until the end of August. More information will be forthcoming as we make this transition.

Find the certified results and the full list of FAQ’s that were posted regarding this referendum here: https://gss.uvic.ca/about/history-archives/referendum-and-election-results/

The referendum question we asked, including background, was:

• Members have expressed a desire for more affordable Extended Health and Dental plans. We have found one provider who was able to cut costs: StudentCare. Switching to StudentCare comes with advantages and disadvantages for our members. In order to move forward with this change, we want to ensure our members have a comprehensive understanding of the coverage and services changes that would be involved in moving to StudentCare.
• Negotiations over the final cost and coverage rates will take place over the Summer 2025. We are not proposing a reduction in current coverage levels. We anticipate cutting costs by 5-10%.
• There are some guaranteed service changes. StudentCare does not require a blackout period for returning plan members (i.e. no more blackout period for second year and above students). StudentCare has lower-cost provider networks for vision, dental, and pharmacy.
• It is important for GSS members to be aware that customer service for plan enrolment (opt-ins/outs), claims submissions, and support accessing healthcare would move from the GSS to StudentCare. All claims and enrolment questions would be addressed by StudentCare staff through their phone line, online tools, or through the StudentCare office in the SUB. The advocacy work currently performed by the GSS Health and Dental Coordinator, such as disputing claim rejections on member’s behalf with Pacific Blue Cross, would no longer be available. Other GSS services, such as office hours and the UPASS, would not be impacted.
• Do you support moving the GSS Health and Dental Plans to StudentCare?

If you have questions about your Health & Dental coverage, or the upcoming changes to how your plans will be administered, please reach out to gsoc@uvic.ca.