Am I Covered

The health and dental plans were approved by student referendum and as a result are now a requirement of your enrolment at Nova Scotia Community College. The plans provide protection and security for eligible students, minimizing the effects of injury or ailments. The cost of the plans is included in your institutional fees provided you meet the eligibility enrolment criteria:

- You are a domestic enrolled in a full-time or customized program that is 20 weeks or longer
- You are an international student,
- You are an Adult Learning Program (ALP) student enrolled in three or more units
- You are an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) or an Achieve student
- You are residing in Canada,
- You are under the age of 70

* International students who studied at home in 2020/2021 please click here for details for submitting eligible claims.

Full time eCampus students who are residents of Canada can opt into the Health & Dental Plan within the applicable timeframe.

Please note : If you are a student officially sponsored by the Department of Community Services (DCS), you will be automatically opted out from the Student Benefit Plan.

If you are unsure about whether or not you are eligible for the Student Health and Dental plan, please contact the NSCC Student Benefits Plan Office prior to any applicable deadlines.

Students with Accommodated Reduction course load
Students who are taking part-time course load but are considered full-time by the institution may be eligible to opt in to the Student Health and Dental Plan. Please contact the NSCC Student Benefits Plan Office for further details, prior to the applicable deadline for your semester period of enrolment.

Do you need individual insurance? If you are not eligible for the student plan there are personal insurance solutions available. Click here to learn more.

For Family Add-on:
You are here because you did not add your dependents to your existing coverage within the prescribed time period and you would like to know your options. For further assistance, please contact nsccplan@mystudentplan.ca; please provide your student ID and full name you have registered with at NSCC.

For Expired Coverage:
Your coverage is or will expire and you are remaining in Canada and not returning to school. For further assistance, please contact nsccplan@mystudentplan.ca; please provide your student ID and full name that you registered with at NSCC.

Eligible students will receive 12 months of coverage starting with the first day of the month your program begins.

New eligible students will be added to the health and dental plan approximately 45 days from the start date of your program. Please keep your receipts for eligible expenses incurred during this time period for submission to the insurance carrier upon completion of the enrolment process.

Returning eligible students may continue to access the health and dental plan without disruption by using their current myBenefits Card or by submitting reimbursement claims directly to the insurance carrier.

Each year, you are given one opportunity to purchase family coverage for your spouse and/or dependent(s) by completing the online application form and paying the family coverage fee. All family add-on forms and applicable fees must be received no later than 30 days after the start of your program. Your family can only be covered while you are a student on the plan(s).

Below is important information about Family Coverage with your student health & dental plans.

• To be include your family member(s) must meet the definition of spouse or dependent as outlined below.
• Your family can only be covered while you are on the plan.
• The add-on fees are in addition to the student health and dental fee.
• Add-on fee amounts available by contacting Support.
• Add-on fee amounts are subject to change.
• Your optional family add-on is not automatically renewed.
• In order for your family add on to continue, you must purchase the coverage each benefit year before the applicable deadline.
• Family Add-on Fees are non-refundable.

In order for international students to add their dependents to the Health & Dental Plans, they must be added to the Emergency Health Insurance Plan first.

International students who have missed the deadline to add dependents to their International Emergency Health Insurance plan have the option to purchase private coverage for their dependents. Please contact the Benefits Plan Office at nsccplan@mystudentplan.ca or 1-866-491-1624 for more information.

Please note: Your optional family add-on is not automatically renewed. In order for your family add-on to continue, you must purchase the coverage each benefit year before the applicable deadline. FAMILY ADD-ON FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Spouse means the person who is a resident of Canada, and who is married to the student, or a person of either sex who has continuously co-habitated with the student for a period of at least one year and who is publicly represented as the student's wife or husband.

Dependent means an unmarried child who is a resident of Canada, and entirely dependent on the student for maintenance and support, and who is:
1) under 21 years of age,
2) under 25 years of age and attending a college or university full-time, or
3) physically or mentally incapable of self-support and became incapable to that extent while entirely dependent on the student for maintenance and support and while eligible under 1) or 2) above.

To add family coverage to your Student Health and Dental plan submit the completed Family Add-On Form, along with the required fees to the NSCC Student Benefits Plan Office, before the established deadline.

Do you need insurance for your family members? If you have missed the enrolment period to add family to the student plan or are looking for other coverage for your family, there are personal insurance solutions available. Click here to learn more.

NSCC currently offers full time students an extended health and dental benefits plan and as a full time student taking 3 or more units in our Adult Learning Program, you will be automatically enrolled. There is some important information you need to know about the health and dental plan. So read on and be sure to contact the Student Benefits Office or your ALP Counselor if you need further clarification.

Is the plan compulsory
Yes. All students in ALP taking 3 or more units are included on the plan unless they have alternate coverage under another plan (i.e. spouse's plan, family plan or through a sponsor such as the Department of Community Services). Students with other coverage must submit an opt-out form and the health and dental plan will be removed from their student account.

New Student to ALP
If you have other coverage (i.e. spouse's plan, family plan, through a sponsor), you must submit your opt out form by the deadline. Please contact the Student Benefits Plan Office for the specified deadline. All other students will only be added to the plan upon successful completion of the three (3) month ALP Transition period, at which time your coverage will be backdated to the first day of the month in which your program started. If you wish to add family coverage, please contact the Student Benefits Plan Office for the specified deadline.

Returning Student to ALP
Your health and dental plan fee or opt-out form must be submitted by the deadline. Please contact the Student Benefits Plan Office for the specified deadline. If you wish to add family coverage, please contact the Student Benefits Plan Office for the specified deadline.

Should your insurance coverage needs fall outside of what is provided through your Student Health & Dental plan, mystudentplan.ca provides the following optional insurance programs:

Follow-Me Plan: This program will fit the needs of students who are no longer eligible for coverage through the Student Plan. Whether you are graduating, changing your enrolment status, or simply leaving school the Follow-me plan has no insurability requirements and provides various levels of coverage at cost effective rates.

Find out more about your Follow-me coverage options

Flex-Care Individual Insurance: This program is available to students who are not eligible for coverage provided through the Student Benefit Plan or for family members who require coverage and are not eligible through the Family Add On option under the Student Plan. With the Flex-Care Individual Insurance you can investigate your individual coverage options.

Find out more about your Flex-Care Individual Insurance options

Early Arrival Emergency Health Insurance for International Students: This program is available to international students who are arriving in Canada prior to their official program start date. All international students are required to have emergency medical insurance coverage once in Canada. Contact the Benefits Plan office directly at nsccplan@mystudentplan.ca or 1-866-491-1624 before you depart your home country for more information on how to apply for this coverage.

International Emergency Health Insurance Coverage Extension: This program will fit the need of international students who are no longer eligible for coverage through the Emergency Health Insurance plan and are not eligible for MSI coverage. This is a great option if you are graduating or leaving school and planning on staying in Canada. Contact the Benefits Plan Office directly at nsccplan@mystudentplan.ca or 1-866-491-1624 for more information on how to apply for this coverage

How to Get 100% Coverage

Use more than one plan to maximize your coverage!

Do you have more than one benefit plan? Student Plan, Parent's Plan, Employer Plan or Spouse's Plan?
If so, those plans can work together to make sure you're getting the most out of your coverage.
One plan becomes your primary plan. It pays your claims first. Then the second plan pays toward the remaining cost.

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.

Example: A student has health coverage through the College plan, but is also still eligible under a parent's plan as a dependent. Therefore - the school plan pays first.

This process is called coordination of benefits and it's easy to do!

IMPORTANT – 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.

Submitting Claims For Yourself:
Submit the claim to your Student Plan first (this is your primary benefit plan).
Next, an unpaid portion can be submitted to your Parent's Plan, Employer Plan or Spouse's Plan (this is your secondary plan).

If you have more than one plan where you are the primary insured (Student Plan and Employer Plan) your primary plan is the one you have had the longest. Submit the claim to the plan you have had the longest (this is your primary benefit plan). Next, an unpaid portion can be submitted to the plan you have had the second longest (this is your secondary plan).

Submitting Claims for Your Spouse (if applicable):
Submit the claim to your spouse's plan first (this is their primary benefit plan).
Next, an unpaid portion can be submitted to your Student Plan (this is their secondary 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, an unpaid portion can be submitted the parent's plan whose birthday falls second in the year (this is their secondary plan).

ALWAYS REMEMBER! 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.

Nova Scotia Health Card (MSI)

Nova Scotia's Health Insurance Programs are designed to provide eligible residents with coverage for medically required hospital, medical, dental and optometric services with some restrictions. If you are an international student with a Nova Scotia Health card you can use that coverage to opt-out of the Emergency Health Insurance Plan.
Students with a Study Permit that is valid for a minimum of 12 months can apply for coverage the first day of the thirteenth month following the date of arrival in Nova Scotia as a student (providing they have not been outside the province for more than 31 consecutive days except in the course of their studies)
Example: If you arrived in Nova Scotia in the month of July, you would not become eligible to apply for MSI until the following August.
Students who arrive in Nova Scotia with a spouse or partner who holds a Work Permit that is valid for a minimum of 12 months may be eligible for MSI coverage immediately upon arrival in Nova Scotia.
It is the student’s responsibility to apply/renew their MSI cards.

Please contact MSI with any related questions:

Toll-free: 1-800-563-8880

Phone: 902-496-7008

Email: MSI@medavie.ca