Eligibility Criteria
All eligible domestic and international students are automatically enrolled in the student 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 Nova Scotia Community College. The plans provide protection and security for eligible students minimizing the effects of injury or ailments.
The Student Health and Dental Plan provided by the Nova Scotia Community College is automatically added to students who meet eligibility criteria:
- You are a domestic student enrolled in a full-time or customized program that is 20 weeks or longer; or
- You are an international student; or
- You are an Adult Learning Program (ALP) student enrolled in three or more units; or
- You are an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) or an Achieve student; and
- You are residing in Canada; and
- You are under the age of 70.
Full time eCampus students who are residents of Canada can opt into the Health and Dental Plan within the applicable timeframe.
If you are a student officially sponsored by the Department of Community Services (DCS), you will be automatically opted out from the Student Health and Dental Plan.
Students with Accessibility Accommodations
Students who are studying at NSCC through accommodated reduction (taking a part-time course load due and registered with Accessibility Services) may be eligible to opt-in to the Student Health and Dental Plan. Students are required to fill out a full-time status application in order to be considered full-time with a reduced course load. Please contact the Student Benefits Plan Office for more details prior to any applicable deadline.
ALP Students
NSCC currently offers the extended student Health and Dental Plan to full-time students taking 3 or more units in the Adult Learning Program. Eligible ALP students are automatically enrolled in this mandatory plan and students studying in their first year of the program will only be added to the plan upon successful completion of the three (3) month ALP Transition period. Your coverage will be backdated to the first day of the month in which your program started.
Enrollment Confirmation
If you are unsure about whether or not you are eligible for the Student Health and Dental plan, please contact your Benefit Plan Office at nsccplan@mystudentplan.ca prior to 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 benefits 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.
Benefits Card
For students eligible for the health and dental plan, the Plan Card includes all the information the service provider requires for direct billing.
Direct billing is the process between the healthcare provider and the insurer - Canada Life that allows them to submit & 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.
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.
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.
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.
If your service provider is not set up for direct billing, you will need to pay the full amount out of pocket and then submit your receipt online claims for reimbursement.
The card will be automatically activated 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.
Canada Life online tool
my.canadalife.com is an online tool that provides you online access to your group benefits plan. It is important to register on Canada Life once your plan is active. For new students, takes 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 setup 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 12 months of coverage starting with the first day of the month their program begins. For example, if you are enrolled as an eligible student in the Winter term, and the official start date of your program is February 9th, the effective date of your plan is February 1st.
Benefit Year
The benefit year is one year, or 12 months of benefits coverage under the Student Health and Dental Plan. During the benefit year, eligible students can use their benefits according to the limit amount defined per service. You cannot accumulate the benefit year. The benefit year starts the same day as the effective date of your coverage. The benefits will restart every year.
For instance, if the effective date of your plan is February 1st, your benefit year starts on February 1st and ends on January 31st of the following year.
Termination Date
The termination date of your benefits is the last day of the coverage period. For example, if the effective date of the plan is September 1st, the termination date is August 31st of the following year. If you want to confirm the termination date of your plan, please contact your Benefit Plan Office at nsccplan@mystudentplan.ca.
Nova Scotia Pharmacare
The Nova Scotia Pharmacare Programs are the province’s public drug plans. These programs help residents with the cost of prescribed drugs and devices which are indicated as benefits in the Nova Scotia Formulary, as well as with the cost for some services to which a level of coverage applies under a particular program. You can review the program details by visiting the Nova Scotia Pharmacare website.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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
There are personal insurance solutions available for students who do not meet the eligibility criteria for the Student Plan, who are going to graduate or leave the school, or who miss the deadline to add family members, re-enroll, or opt-in to the Student Plan.
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
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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.
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I am losing mystudentplan: I am graduating or leaving school and want information on purchasing personal insurance.
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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.