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International Student Health Insurance: The Insurance Choice for Foreign Students In Canada
Are you a foreign student looking to study in Canada? Here’s a guide to help you understand the relevance of international student health insurance during your academic sessions in Canada.
Types of Healthcare In Canada
To better understand how international student health insurance works, let’s take a look at how the healthcare system operates here in Canada
Provincial Health Care
Let’s begin with the provincial health care system in Canada which basically covers all preventive medical services for patients. The system extends to emergency services and transportation catering for individuals within designated provinces in the country. As an international student who’s been offered admission into a Canadian tertiary institution, your study visa should enable you to acquire a provincial health care card. This card is instrumental to access primary health services.
While the provincial health care card guarantees you access to primary health services, it is restricted to many medical services. Sadly, the access card isn’t valuable enough to get you vision or dental care, and other diagnostic testing services here in Canada. Also, hospitalizations may have numerous restrictions and visitation terms attached to them. Without international student health insurance, staying in the hospital for a few days could cost you thousands of Canadian dollars.
Private Health Care
Private health insurance provides international students with additional and extended medical service coverages than provincial insurance. Note that your access card with provincial health care restricts you from claiming medical coverages in other provinces and territories in Canada. However, private health insurance extends to all provinces in Canada which guarantees you medical coverage anywhere in the country.
International students coming to study in Canada have options of customizable health insurance plans with private health insurance. These plans can be customized to fit their preferred medical needs and sometimes extended to cater to critical illnesses. Of course, policies offered by private healthcare insurance provide dental checkups and treatments, prescription glasses. private room costs, and ambulance services. Some may cover IVF treatments if discussed with the insurer.
GMS Insurance Plan
Group Medical Insurance Plan
With our Student Plan, students studying out of province or abroad can find comfort knowing they’ve got emergency medical coverage for things like hospitalizations or mental health services if ever they’re in need. We even have Sports Participation Coverage for post-secondary athletes while they’re in school.
A plan that fits your schedule.
Because we know you need coverage that fits with your school year, we let you choose your length of coverage – anywhere between four or 12 months. The plan is also available in single, couple or family rates and provides emergency medical coverage up to $2 million along with 17 comprehensive
benefits including:
- Mental health services
- Road and air ambulance
- Hospitalization
Plan 1: Canadians studying in another province or territory
➤ Up to $2 million in emergency and non-emergency medical coverage
➤ Up to $10,000 in AD&D coverage
➤ One medical exam and one eye exam every year
➤ Save 50% on the premium for Canadians studying abroad
Emergency medical benefits*
Hospital
➤ Up to 60 days for injury or illness
➤ Up to 30 days for psychiatric care
➤ Outpatient services
➤ Emergency department services
Health services
➤ Physician services – plus up to 5 follow-up visits
➤Paramedical services – up to $70/visit to combined maximum of $700
➤ Psychiatric care – up to $5,000
➤ Trauma counselling – up to 6 sessions
➤Private duty nurse – up to $10,000
➤ Medical appliances
➤ Diagnostic services
➤ Prescription drugs – up to 30 days’ supply
Dental Services
➤ Accidental injury – up to $2,500
➤ Pain relief – up to $100
➤ Wisdom tooth extraction – up to $250/tooth
Transportation
➤ Ambulance – up to $5,000
➤ Emergency evacuation – up to $100,000
➤ Family to bedside and subsistence allowance – up to $4,500
➤ Repatriation of remains – up to $25,000
Plan 2 : Canadians studying abroad
➤Up to $2 million in emergency and non-emergency medical coverage
➤ Up to $10,000 in AD&D coverage
➤ One medical exam and one eye exam every year
➤ Coverage extends to side-trips
Details: Emergency medical benefits*
Hospital
➤ Up to 60 days for injury or illness
➤ Up to 30 days for psychiatric care
➤ Outpatient services
➤ Emergency department services
Health services
➤ Physician services – plus up to 5 follow-up visits
➤ Paramedical services – up to $70/visit to combined maximum of $700
➤ Psychiatric care – up to $5,000
➤ Trauma counselling – up to 6 sessions
➤ Private duty nurse – up to $10,000
➤ Medical appliances
➤ Diagnostic services
➤ Prescription drugs – up to 30 days’ supply
Dental Services
➤ Accidental injury – up to $2,500
➤ Pain relief – up to $100
➤ Wisdom tooth extraction – up to $250/tooth
Transportation
➤ Ambulance – up to $5,000
➤ Emergency evacuation – up to $100,000
➤ Family to bedside and subsistence allowance – up to $4,500
➤ Repatriation of remains – up to $25,000
Plan 3 : International students studying in Canada
➤ Up to $2 million in emergency and non-emergency medical coverage
➤ Up to $10,000 in AD&D coverage
➤ One medical exam and one eye exam every year
➤ Coverage includes trips outside of Canada up to the lesser of: 15 days or 49% of days of coverage, excluding the home country Details
Emergency medical benefits*
Hospital
➤ Up to 60 days for injury or illness
➤ Up to 30 days for psychiatric care
➤ Outpatient services
➤ Emergency department services
Health services
➤ Physician services – plus up to 5 follow-up visits
➤ Paramedical services – up to $70/visit to combined maximum of $700
➤ Psychiatric care – up to $5,000
➤ Trauma counselling – up to 6 sessions
➤ Private duty nurse – up to $10,000
➤ Medical appliances
➤ Diagnostic services
➤ Prescription drugs – up to 30 days’ supply
Dental Services
➤ Accidental injury – up to $2,500
➤ Pain relief – up to $100
➤ Wisdom tooth extraction – up to $250/tooth
Transportation
➤ Ambulance – up to $5,000
➤ Emergency evacuation – up to $100,000
➤ Family to bedside and subsistence allowance – up to $4,500
➤ Repatriation of remains – up to $25,000
What Is International Student Health Insurance?
As Canada remains a hotspot for quality standards tertiary education, students across the globe send in thousands of applications yearly. International student health insurance policies are designed to ensure foreign students have medical insurance during their academic sessions in Canada. Unlike regular health insurance policies, this is tailor-made to meet the day-to-day medical occurrences of the life of an international student on every Canadian campus.
What Does International Student Health Insurance Cover?
Starting with the basics, international student health insurance covers primary prescriptions and hospitalizations for foreign students. The plans ensure international students get the most effective treatment options on reoccurring illnesses or sicknesses. Depending on the insurance provider, international students could get their health insurance to cover preexisting conditions. However, these benefits aren’t generally offered to everyone except on demand.
Why International Students In Canada Need Health Insurance?
Yes, most tertiary institutions in Canada offer health insurance plans to students at home and foreign scholars. However, you’d soon realize that these student health insurance plans could be quite expensive than what insurance providers offer. Also, the plans offered by the schools have limited coverages that somehow attract higher rates. Regardless of how expensive studying in Canada is for foreign students, securing health insurance helps to protect medical expenses.
How Much Does Student Health Insurance Cost?
Comparing your provincial and private health insurance costs isn’t necessary since provincial insurance offers almost free medical aid. However, private health insurance provides beneficial medical coverage to international students although at a cost. While private health insurance is known to be generally expensive, health plans for foreign students are budget-friendly. They are designed to have little or zero taxing attached to them, unlike others.
FAQs
How much coverage do I need?
Everyone’s needs are different please write us at info@lifecareinsurance.ca or call us at 905-791-7781 for a custom quote
Should I Get Dental Insurance As An International Student in Canada?
Yes, it’s a great thing that your international student health insurance covers dental care.
Can I Bring My Current Medicine while Coming to Canada as an International Student?
Coming into Canada with drugs is prohibited from the immigration service checks at the borders.
Do I Need Extended Student Health Insurance If I Am Traveling Within Canada?
No; your international student health insurance is a private health care insurance policy that covers all provinces and territories in Canada.
Ready to buy?
You can get a quote and purchase this insurance online through Cover Me.
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