Medical Insurance

MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE
(Quick Reference Sheet for Health & Dental Plans)

BASIC MEDICAL INSURANCE

The province of British Columbia requires all residents, including temporary residents on Study Permit, to purchase BC Medical Service Plan (BC MSP) coverage.

All residents of British Columbia are required by law to enrol with the Medical Services Plan (MSP) health insurance. 'Resident' is defined as a person who stays in BC longer than six months. Therefore, all international students who stay in BC for longer than six months must enrol in MSP. There is a waiting period of three months before students can be enrolled, but we advise students to apply as soon as they arrive in British Columbia to ensure their application will be processed in a timely fashion. Applications can be obtained from the International Student Centre, and must be mailed with a copy of a Study Permit to support the application.

There is a 3 month waiting period BC MSP. During this period, students are required to purchase private interim coverage provided by Guard.Me. The cost of this plan is $2.00 per day. The number of days is calculated by: the balance of days in their arrival month, plus the days in the subsequent two months. The International Student Centre registers students for this plan on the 7th day of classes.

EXTENDED HEALTH AND DENTAL

The Extended Health and Dental insurance plan is organized by the Capilano Student Union (CSU) per referendum. This coverage provides extensive extended health, travel (home country exception) and dental coverage. The cost of this insurance is $219 and covers the students from Sept 1 to Aug 31. The rate is prorated for students who begin their studies in January. The Student Union has created opportunities for part time students; and students who will study at the Sechelt or Squamish campuses with an opportunity to opt into this plan. See the CSU for more information or check www.ihaveaplan.ca