Eligibility Criteria
All eligible domestic and international Undergraduate students are automatically enrolled in the student health and dental plan, and they will find the fees added as part of their 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 the University of Western Ontario through your membership in the University Students’ Council. 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 University Students' Council (USC) is automatically added to students who meet all the following criteria:
- Enrolled as having full-time status at the University of Western Ontario; and
- Residing in Canada studying in person or online; and
- Must be covered under a Provincial Health Care Plan or equivalent; and
- Under the age of 65
Opt-In to the Health and Dental Plan
Full-time equivalent students and students over 65 years of age are allowed to opt-in to the Health and Dental Plan at the start of their program. They must be assessed by September 23rd of the academic year by completing the opt-in online form before the applicable deadline.
Full-time equivalent students: Students taking a reduced course load due to documented disability are considered full-time equivalent but are not automatically enrolled or charged.
No exceptions can be made if the deadline is missed.
Enrollment Confirmation
If you are not sure if you meet the eligibility criteria, please visit UWO Student Center, (Log in -> Student Financials -> Fees and Refunds -> Statement of Account -> Select Year) once a year is selected a breakdown of your tuition fees, look for ancillary fees. If you see the Health & Dental Fee included in your tuition, you are covered by the Health and Dental Plan provided by University Students’ Council.
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 healthdental@westernusc.ca prior to any applicable deadlines.
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.
Direct billing is the process between the healthcare provider and the insurer - Canada Life that allows them 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.
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.
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 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
The coverage Period is the period of time during which the students can use their benefits from the retroactive start date and terminating on the expiry date of the student plan policy.
Effective Date
Eligible domestic and international students will receive coverage starting on September 1st and ending on August 31st.
Benefit Year
A year or 12 months of benefits coverage starting on September 1st and ending on August 31st 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 carry forward any benefits. The benefit year starts the same day as the effective date of your coverage.
The benefits will restart every year if you remain an eligible student who is charged the Health and Dental Plan fee.
if the effective date of your plan is September 1st, your benefit year starts on September 1st and ends on August 31st. If you are attending college and are charged the plan fees for the following September, your coverage will restart on September 1st.
Termination Date
The termination date of your benefits is the last day of the coverage calculated from the effective date of the Plan. If you want to confirm the termination date of your plan, please contact your Benefit Plan Office at healthdental@westernusc.ca.
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.