Health & Dental

Basic Information

In the March 2025 Referendum, our members voted to replace our current Health & Dental broker with Alumo (formerly Studentcare). Pacific Blue Cross will remain our insurance provider. The rollout for these changes will be September 2025, but in the meantime, we are reducing the amount of information on our website to the essentials, as Studentcare will have its own webpage set up for our plan. Please email gsoc@uvic.ca with any questions.

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.

How to Use the Plan

Our insurance company is Pacific Blue Cross

Our group policy number is 43222

Your personal ID is the last seven 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? Email the Health & Dental Coordinator at gsoc@uvic.ca

More Information

Forms & Booklet (Opt-in & Opt-out)

Family (Dependent) Opt-in

May-start grad students may opt their dependents in at the same time that they themselves opt in to the plan. Email gsoc@uvic.ca for cost and payment information.

Family members of Graduate Students are not automatically included in the GSS Health and Dental Plan. Graduate Students’ dependents can be opted into the GSS Health and Dental plan within 30 days of the Graduate Student being assessed for the Health and Dental plan. The cost for opting your family unit into the GSS Health and/or Dental plan can be found in the fees section.

All insurance coverage follows academic years from September – August; all insurance coverage will expire on August 31. Opt-ins must be renewed annually by submitting a new Opt-In form at the start of every academic year in September.

Who is eligible?

Graduate students with dependents who reside in Canada may opt into the plan if they are:
The spouse or common-law partner (To be considered common-law partners, you and your partner must cohabitate for at least one year. One spouse per plan.)
A financially dependent child* under 21 years of age
A child* that is under the age of 25 year AND is also in full-time attendance at a recognized educational institute
September start students must opt their dependants in during the September opt-in period (September 1 – September 22)

Opting In / Out Mid-Year

Graduate students that were previously not on the plan must contact the GSS Health & Dental Coordinator within 30 days of a change of life situation to be assessed if they are eligible to join the Extended Health and/or Dental Plan(s). Grad students can opt in at additional cost paid directly to the GSS.

All change of life situations must have attached documentation of change of 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 of insurance situations can include:

Recently arrived in Canada and obtained primary insurance coverage through Mandatory Medical Insurance (a.k.a. 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 coverage
Divorce and loss of spouse’s extended health and/or dental coverage

Graduate students can also submit a completed family opt-in within 30 days of a change in life situation (with dated documentation) of:

Eligible change of life situations are:

Marriage or recently reached one (1) year of co-habitation with another person in a common-law partnership
New addition to their family: birth, adoption, or granted legal guardianship of a child (but is not a foster child)
Family member (dependent) has recently arrived in Canada with valid visa permit.

Please contact the GSS Health and Dental Coordinator for mid-year opt-in rates.

Appeals

Graduate students whose application to opt in or out of the UPASS or Extended Health and Dental Plans is denied may file an appeal. Common reasons for opt-ins/outs to be denied include:

Missed the opt-in and/or opt-out deadline
Graduate students that are in a situation that does not match opt-in/opt-out criteria

An appeal means your application to opt in or out will be reviewed by the GSS Appeals Committee to ensure that GSS policies were fair and applied correctly. Submitting an appeal does not guarantee that your opt-in/out will be approved.

The Appeals Committee assesses the validity of appeals on the basis of two criteria:

Administrative unfairness (by the University of Victoria or the GSS); 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.

Appeals 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 Health and Dental 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 Health and Dental Coordinator: gsoc@uvic.ca

Appealing the Decision of the Appeals Committee

Graduate students that disagree with the decision of the Appeals Committee may submit a request of the decision to the GSS Executive Board. Submit a new Appeals Form (linked above). This submission must include and clearly outline how:

The grounds in how the process or procedure for the appeal(s) was not following; AND
The hearing or decision was biased

The Appeal Form must include an explanation in detail the process or procedure that was not followed by the Appeals Committee to the GSS Executive Board. Submit this form and any other documentation to the GSS Executive Director (gssmgr@uvic.ca) and the GSS Chair (gsschair@uvic.ca)

Travel

IMPORTANT! Students travelling for more than 6 months must provide proof that they will be maintaining BC MSP for the duration of their travels. This information must be a document directly from BC MSP. Without this proof, Pacific Blue Cross may not extend your coverage to the duration of your travels.

All graduate students that plan on traveling out of province or out of country will have emergency medical coverage under the GSS Extended Health Plan. Be advised that there are limits to the amount of days you are covered out-of-country.

If you plan on departing Canada for your travel, please review and regularly monitor information on all travel advisories issued by the Government of Canada prior to departure for your destination. If you are a Canadian citizen and are planning on traveling outside of Canada, then register as a Canadian Abroad in case of emergency and response. This can help connect you to Canadian embassies and consulates.

All students are advised to request a copy of your BC MSP Account Confirmation prior to departure. Please obtain a copy of your BC MSP Account confirmation prior to your departure to border exit, entry, and visa purposes when traveling abroad.

Travel for Leisure

The GSS Extended Health Plan includes up to 60 days of out of country emergency medical coverage.

You need to maintain your basic medical coverage, BC MSP or equivalent, for the duration of your trip. Please obtain a copy of your BC MSP Account confirmation prior to your departure to border exit, entry, and visa purposes.

For more information about individual Plans for travel for leisure, call (604-419-2000, press 1) or email inhealth@pcc.bluecross.ca and let them know that you are a member of the Graduate Students’ Society at the University Of Victoria (policy: 43222). Plan members will receive 10% off individual travel plans.

Travel for Academic Purposes

If you will be travelling for more than 60 days and your reason for travel is for academic purposes, you must contact the Health and Dental Plan Coordinator at gsoc@uvic.ca at least two (2) weeks before leaving to arrange to extend the limit of the out of country emergency medical coverage and to obtain your travel insurance coverage letter.

If you require a coverage letter for a travel visa, you must contact the Health and Dental Coordinator with at least two (2) weeks’ notice before your visa appointment for processing. Ensure you have enough time prior to visa submission deadlines to allow the GSS to process your request.

Follow the steps according to the University Of Victoria: https://www.uvic.ca/international/travel-safety/students/index.php.

All graduate students must maintain their BC MSP or equivalence for the duration of their trip. If their trip exceeds six (6) months, please contact BC MSP for more information regarding maintaining your coverage.

IMPORTANT! Students travelling for more than 6 months must provide proof that they will be maintaining BC MSP for the duration of their travels. This information must be a document directly from BC MSP. Without this proof, Pacific Blue Cross may not extend your coverage to the duration of your travels.

In your email you must include the following:

Legal first name
Legal last name
UVic Student Number
Date of Departure from Canada
Location(s):
Estimated date of Return to Canada
Confirmation that you will maintain BC MSP or other Canadian government basic medical services plan coverage.

Medi-Assist

All students covered under the GSS Health plan will have access to Medi-Assist services. Medi-assist provides 24/7 assistance to members and dependants in emergency situations when travelling out-of-country. Medi-assist can provide the following assistance.

Puts you in touch with qualified licensed physicians and medical services
Connects you with qualified legal services
Assists with lost baggage or stolen documents/money
Arranges consular assistance and travel advice
Assists with arrangement of repatriation of remains in the event of a death
Notifies your insurer (Pacific Blue Cross) to facilitate claims payment
Helps to contact your family or business partners
Assist with transfer of patient from one facility to another, or to return patient to province of residence

While travelling make sure to carry with you your insurance card and a Medi-Assist brochure with the phone number(s) to call in case of an illness or emergency.

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