Medical insurance - Graduate students

As a student studying in Canada, you must have medical insurance. Find out how to get it by following the links below.

If you are a visiting post-doctoral fellow, faculty member or scholar at SFU, you should also have medical insurance for the entire duration of your stay. Follow the links below for details.

There are several paths for health care coverage for graduate students, depending on your country of origin and employment status at SFU.

Choose the category that best describes you

International and US student (TAs and RAs, see below)

Applying for Health Insurance - International Graduate Students.pdf
Checklist for international grad students

Step 1

Effective January 1, 2013, if you are a new international student enrolled in a graduate program at SFU, you will be automatically enrolled in a mandatory 4 month primary medical insurance plan for your first term through guard.me@SFU. Great Northern Way Campus students are also covered by the plan.

The cost for this plan is $353.00/term and is included in your student fees. Please check your student account online at sis.sfu.ca to confirm if you have been charged for the plan fees.

This plan provides interim coverage during the waiting period for the BC Medical Services Plan. You must have coverage under the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) if you will be a resident of BC for longer than 6 months.

As soon as you receive your BC Medical Services Plan, you may be eligible for a refund of the unused portion of your guard.me@SFU insurance if you have not made a claim and there is more than 1 month of coverage remaning when you apply. Opt out online at https://www.guard.me/sfu

If you already have MSP (or acceptable equivalent coverage), you must opt out online before the end of the first month of your first term.

See also: Frequently Asked Questions

Guard Me SFU Plan Summary.pdf
guard.me@SFU brochure

GuardMe_Policy_Wording__English.pdf
gurd.me@SFU policy wording

Step 1a

As soon as you arrive in BC, apply for the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) by yourself.

To apply for MSP, mail the application form with a copy of your study permit (and copies of your dependents' immigration documents). Do not send any payment. Your MSP coverage may take effect 2-3 months after your arrival date in B.C.; therefore there may be a few weeks of overlap in coverage between the two plans.

You will receive your Carecard/Services Card in the mail with a bill for payment of the monthly fees.

As soon as you receive your CareCard/Services Card: You must provide proof of MSP enrollment to guard.me. Opt out online at https://www.guard.me/sfu. Failure to do so will result in your continued enrollment in the guard.me@SFU plan for your second term, and related fees assessed on your student account.
If you move: Don't forget to update your address with MSP.
If you renew your Study Permit: Your Carecard/Services Card will expire on the same date as your study permit. Ensure you send a copy of any new immigration documents to the BC Medical Services Plan to maintain your coverage

Step 2

If you enroll in a graduate program at SFU in September or January, you will be automatically enrolled in the SFU Graduate Student Society's Health and Dental Benefit plan. The fees will be assessed on your student account.

If you begin your academic year in May, you will not be automatically covered but you will have the option to enroll yourself during the opt-in period.

The plan gives you the option to enroll your family (spouse and/or dependants) by completing an enrollment process and by paying an additional fee, over and above your individual fee as a plan member. Common law and same-sex couples are eligible.

For information on benefits and opt-outs, visit the Graduate Benefit Plan website.

Information is also available on the Graduate Student Society's website.

British Columbia (BC) resident (includes both Canadian citizens and permanent residents)

Step 1

All BC residents must have benefits under BC's Medical Services Plan.

Does your parents' medical insurance include you?

Unmarried students whose parents are covered by MSP as dependants are covered until their 19th birthday. The coverage may be continued until the student’s 25th birthday providing the student is in full-time attendance at university and mainly dependent on his or her parents. However, students must notify MSP of their student status each September, in order for MSP coverage to continue past their 19th birthday

Step 2

If you begin your academic year in May, you will not be automatically covered but you will have the option to enroll yourself during the opt-in period.

Information is also available on the Graduate Student Society's website.

Canadian resident from outside of BC (includes both Canadian citizens and permanent residents)

Step 1

Canadian students who do not plan to take up permanent residence in BC may be able to remain on your home province's medical plan. Check with your home province (see list).

If you are not able to remain on your home province’s coverage, you must apply for BC MSP. There is a waiting period before you are eligible for coverage under the BC MSP plan. You are required to maintain coverage with your former medical plan from your home province or obtain private insurance for the waiting period.

Step 2

If you begin your academic year in May, you will not be automatically covered but you will have the option to enroll yourself during the opt-in period.

Information is also available on the Graduate Student Society's website.

Teaching Assistant (TA)

Step 1

If you are a sessional instructor, teaching assistant or tutor marker, SFU will pay for your BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) premiums. Coverage is not automatic. You must apply to enroll yourself (and any dependent family members) in the group plan.

Once you have received your TSSU appointment form, attend a benefit information session and submit a group MSP enrollment form to Human Resources in Strand Hall, Room 2171. If you are an international student, take a copy of your study permit (and immigration documents for your dependent family members), and your Social Insurance Number.

Tip: A Medical Benefits Information Session and Sign-up for TAs and TMs will be held during TA/TM Day on Friday September 6th, 2013.

Step 1a / International Students

If you are a new international sessional instructor, teaching assistant or tutor marker in your first term in BC, you will be automatically enrolled in a mandatory 4 month primary medical insurance plan through guard.me@SFU (see Step 1 of the International and US student section above). As soon as you receive your BC Medical Services Plan, you may be eligible for a refund of the unused portion of your guard.me@SFU insurance if you have not made a claim and there is more than 1 month of coverage remaning when you apply. Opt out online at https://www.guard.me/sfu

Tip: SFU will reimburse a portion of the cost for single, couple, or family guard.me@SFU coverage. Bring proof of payment (electronic invoice from guard.me for family enrolments) and a copy of your and your family's guard.me (if applicable) cards to Human Resources for partial reimbursement.

Step 2

The TSSU also offers extended health and dental plans through the Pacific Blue Cross insurance company. TSSU's plan is considered comparable coverage to the Graduate Benefit Plan, and can be used to opt-out of that plan. (Note: If you don't sign up for the dental portion of the TSSU plan, you cannot opt out of the Graduate Benefit plan's dental portion.)

Graduate students can choose between the Graduate Benefit Plan or the TSSU's, though some students keep both to receive more coverage. Coordinating benefits in this way may cover medical expenses in full.

If you choose to opt out of the Graduate Benefit Plan, know the opt out dates. See change of coverage period

Research Assistant (RA)

Benefits for Research Assistants depend on grant holder approval.

To be eligible for benefits, your grant holder must provide written authorization to Human Resources stating that the grant will be responsible for 50% of the monthly premiums.

Please note that NSERC [Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council] and some other grant holders are not able to partially pay for benefits for Research Assistants or Post-doctoral Fellows.

See also: RA Benefits Frequently Asked Questions

SFU student studying or working abroad

SFU Students Studying or Working Abroad

Benefits for Research Assistants depend on grant holder approval.

To be eligible for benefits, your grant holder must provide written authorization to Human Resources stating that the grant will be responsible for 50% of the monthly premiums.

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Before leaving the province, review the procedures and coverage for studying outside of BC with MSP.

The SFSS Benefit Plan (undergrad students) and GSS Benefit Plan (grad students) include Travel Coverage. Please visit your benefit plan's website for details of your coverage to determine if this coverage will be sufficient for you. If you have opted out of these plans, please make the necessary arrangements to ensure that you have health insurance coverage while overseas.

If you are participating in a formal SFU field school program, you will need to provide proof of travel insurance to International Services for Students. This should be in the form of either a photocopy of your insurance card or a letter from your provider.
If you are participating in a formal SFU exchange, please refer to your Exchange Manual.
SFU students travelling abroad on Work Integrated Learning (including Co-op) activities are required to have travel health insurance coverage before departure
If you are participating in field research, please refer to the SFU Environmental Health and Safety planning guidelines.