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Student Health & Wellness!mystudentplan is a benefits plan for students and can provide coverage for prescription drugs, vision care, dental care, mental health counseling, and more. The plan is designed to supplement provincial health insurance and provide additional access to medical services.

 

Plan Enrollment

Want to know if you are eligible for the plan, your plan's start and end date, or how to take advantage of more than one insurance plan?

Eligibility Criteria

All eligible domestic and international students are automatically enrolled in the Balanced Health and Dental Plan, and they will find the fees added as part of your term fees. The Health and Dental Plan fees are mandatory and must be paid as well as the Tuition total charges by the applicable deadline to avoid overdue penalties.

The Health and Dental plans were approved by the students' referendum and as a result, are now a requirement of your enrolment at MacEwan University through your membership in the Students' Association. The plans provide protection and security for eligible students minimizing the effects of injury or ailments.

SAMU offers four different plans to help students suit their Health & Dental needs:

  • Balanced Plan
  • FLEXible Drug & Parameds
  • FLEXible Vision & Parameds
  • FLEXible Dental

For more information about these plans, the percentage of coverage, and differences, please visit the plan details section.

Eligible students are automatically enrolled in the default Balanced Plan. If you wish to switch to one of the FLEX plans, you must submit the online FLEX Your Plan Form at the start of your academic year before the applicable deadline.

The Student Health and Dental Plan provided by the SAMU is automatically added to students who meet all the following criteria:

  • Must be registered in an eligible study program, taking a minimum of one MacEwan University credit level course; and
  • Assessed a Student Association Fee; and
  • Students residing in Canada studying in person or online; and
  • Students under the age of 70.

Enrollment Confirmation

If you are not sure if you meet the eligibility criteria, please follow the steps below. If you see the Health Insurance Fee and Dental Insurance Fee included in your tuition, you are covered by the Extended Health and Dental Plan provided by the Students' Association.

How to know if you are eligible for the plan
Step 1

Open your mobile or desktop Internet browser and go to your MacEwan student portal myportal.macewan.ca

Step 2

Log in using your MacEwan username and password to access the student portal.

Step 3

Click on the myStudentSystem link on the Quick links blue menu located on the left side of the screen. Then click on the Fees drop down menu and select Enrollment and Account Summary.

Step 4

The system will open a pdf file in a new tab. Scroll down to the second page to view the detailed term charges. If you are eligible for the Plans, you will see a Health Insurance Fee and a Dental Insurance Fee.

If you are unsure about whether you are eligible for the Student Health and Dental plan, please contact your Benefit Plan Office at macewanplan@mystudentplan.ca before any applicable deadlines.

Validation Period

There is a 45-60 day validation period from the start of the term. During this time, you will have to pay out of pocket for all eligible Health and Dental expenses and keep the receipts. After the enrollment process is complete, you will be able to submit online claims for reimbursement and your Plan Card will be automatically activated.

The validation period applies only to new students, students who apply for re-enrolling and family members added to the plan. Returning eligible students may continue using the health and dental plan without disruption.

If you apply to flex your plan as a returning student, your new flex plan will be reflected when the validation period is over.

Plan Card

For students eligible for the health and dental plan, the Plan Card includes all the information the service provider requires for direct billing. Generate and show your Plan Card to the service provider and ask if they can direct bill. You can use the electronic card by emailing it to yourself and showing it on your phone or if you have access to a printer, you can print it and show the paper copy.

Direct billing is the process between the healthcare provider and the insurer - Canada Life that allows the service providers to submit and pay your eligible claims directly and you would only have to pay the co-portion that is not covered by the plan. Direct billing is based on the service provider's billing practices and whether or not they are set up for direct billing.

If you are an eligible new student, re-enrolled, or have added a family member you will automatically be activated for direct billing for pharmacies and dental offices however for direct billing to work at optometrists and paramedical practitioners you must first register on my.canadalife.com and update your address, including the postal code in your profile section.

If your service provider is not set up for direct billing, you will need to pay the full amount out of pocket for eligible expenses and then submit an online claim for reimbursement through my.canadalife.com. You must attach the receipt when submitting a claim.

The card will be automatically activated for new eligible students once the validation period is over. Eligible returning students can continue using the same Plan Card as the policy information remains the same. You do not need to generate a new card every year.

Generating a card does not mean you are eligible for the Student Health and Dental Plan.

The Canada Life Online Tool

my.canadalife.com is an online tool that provides you access to your group benefits plan. It is important to register on Canada Life once your plan is active. For new students, there are approximately 45-60 days from the start date of your program for the enrollment process to be completed. Through my.canadalife.com you can submit claims, check balances, investigate claim status and history, and set up Direct Deposit of claim payments. For more information, please visit the Submitting Claims section.

Welcome to your Student Group Plan, watch a short video about your benefits.

Coverage Period

Effective Date

Eligible students will receive coverage starting the first day of the term when their programs begin.

  • Fall Semester: Coverage begins September 1st and ends August 31st provided there has been no change in your eligibility status from the fall to the winter semester. In cases where there has been a status change, coverage may end December 31st.
  • Winter Semester: Coverage begins January 1st and ends August 31st.

Benefit Year

The benefit year is from September 1st to August 31st for students that attend fall & winter term. For students only attending one term, the student may have 4 months or 8 months of health & dental coverage depending on when they first start their program or return after taking a break from school. During the benefit year, eligible students can use their benefits according to the limits defined per service. You cannot accumulate or carry over any unused coverage.

The benefits will restart every September 1st no matter if you attend both fall & winter or only one term.

Coordination of Benefits

For eligible students who already have a benefit plan, you can utilize both your private plan and your student plan to obtain more coverage. This is called Coordination of Benefits and allows you to maximize your Health & Dental coverage!

How to Get up to 100% Coverage

Use your Student Health and Dental Plan and another plan from your parents, spouse, government, job, or band to maximize your coverage! Your plans can work together to make sure you're getting the most out of your coverage.

The primary insurer is the first payor of the eligible health or dental care costs. Once paid, a claim can be submitted to the secondary insurer for any remaining amounts that are eligible for coverage and not paid by the primary insurance company.

How to identify your primary insurance

If a student is eligible for the Student Health and Dental plan and the student is covered by another plan under a parent's or spouse's as a dependent, the primary insurance is the Student Health and Dental Plan.

Example:

Students who have Health or Dental coverage through their school: these plans will always pay before any plan where the student is covered as a dependent.

The Student Health and Dental plan pays first.

If a student is eligible for the Student Health and Dental plan and the student is covered by another plan under job, government, or band the primary insurance is the one you have had the longest.

Example:

Students who have Health and Dental coverage through their employer: the student needs to confirm the effective date of all insurances to determine which plan has been in effect the longest.

The plan you have had the longest pays first.

Submitting Claims

After you have identified which is your primary and secondary insurance, submit the claim to your primary insurance first. Once you receive the Explanation of Benefits, you can then submit the remaining unpaid portion to your secondary insurance.

Examples:
Student Health and Dental Plan as Primary Insurance.

Submit the claim to your student plan (Canada Life). Once processed, submit any portion that remains unpaid to your secondary insurance plan.


Student Health and Dental Plan as Secondary Insurance.

If you have an alternative insurance plan that you are also the primary holder of, and that has been in effect longer than your student plan, all eligible claims will be submitted to your alternative plan first. Once the claim is processed, submit any portion that remains unpaid to your student plan.


Submitting Claims for Your Spouse (if applicable).

Submit the claim to your spouse's primary plan first. Next, any unpaid portion can be submitted to your student plan.


Submitting Claims for a Dependent Child (if applicable).

Submit the claim to the parent's plan whose birthday falls first in the year (this is their primary benefit plan). Next, any unpaid portion can be submitted to the parent’s plan whose birthday falls second in the year.


Important notes:
  • Take a copy of your original receipt before you send it to your primary plan as you will need to send a copy to the secondary plan.
  • Include a copy of the Explanation of Benefits statement received from the first claim submission (primary plan), as well as a photocopy of the originally submitted receipt when you submit to your secondary plan.

Not Eligible

My personal insurance solutions from mystudentplan

My personal insurance solutions fit the needs of students who are not eligible for the Student Health and Dental Plan. This may apply to you because you may not meet the eligibility criteria for the student plan, or you may be changing enrollment status, graduating, or leaving school. There are many coverage and enrolment options at cost-effective rates, including options that do not require medical questionnaires or exams to qualify for coverage.

Personal Insurance Scenarios

  • I don't have mystudentplan: I am not eligible to have mystudentplan and want information on purchasing personal insurance. This option also applies to students who missed the re-enroll or opt-in deadline for their student plan.
  • I am losing mystudentplan: I am graduating or leaving school and want information on purchasing personal insurance.
  • I want to cover my family: I missed the deadline to add family members to mystudentplan and want information on purchasing personal insurance for my family.

The personal insurance solutions are offered in partnership with Canada Life through their Freedom to Choose™ individual insurance products.

SAMU Benefits Plan Office

Email: macewanplan@mystudentplan.ca
Phone: 780-497-4675
Address: 10850 - 104 Avenue NW
SAMU Building - SA-109A
Edmonton, AB. T5H 0S5

General Inquiries Line

Monday to Friday from 6:00am to 5:00pm MST

Phone: 1-877-746-5566 Ext. 7249