UHIP (University Health Insurance Plan)
PLEASE NOTE: In addition to UHIP, all University of Guelph students are also registered for the Student Health and Dental Plan.
UHIP is mandatory for all exchange students. UHIP is the general health coverage for medical services such as visiting the doctor, visiting or staying in the hospital, medication while hospitalized, surgery, laboratory tests, x-rays, other diagnostic tests and other hospital services. For more information about which medical services are covered by UHIP, visit the UHIP website.
Coverage Dates
UHIP coverage begins on the day you arrive in Canada but NOT earlier than the 10th day of the month before school starts. Therefore, the earliest day that you can be covered by UHIP for the fall semester is August 10. If you intend to arrive before that date (for tourism or other travel), please ensure that you have your own travel medical insurance to cover you. You will also need your own international health insurance for the period when you are in transit (on the plane) between your home country and Ontario. If you are bringing dependent family members (spouse, children) to Canada with you for the period of your studies, you can purchase additional family health insurance for them through UHIP within the first 30 days of the semester.
Printing Your UHIP Card
All exchange students will be automatically registered for UHIP by the University of Guelph, so you do not have to complete an application form. After you arrive on campus, you will be given instructions on how to print your UHIP card from online. (You are still covered by UHIP from the day you arrive in Canada, even if you don’t have your card yet. However, if you access medical services before you have printed your UHIP card, you may be required to pay for the services and then apply for a reimbursement from UHIP – make sure to keep a receipt for any medical expenses you pay for).
Is UHIP Mandatory?
UHIP is mandatory for all exchange students. Although it is possible to apply for an exemption from UHIP, please note that 99% of applications for exemption from UHIP are not approved. Therefore, it is best to not buy your own health insurance plan before arriving in Canada. To be approved for an exemption from UHIP, you must provide a detailed copy of your health insurance plan from your home country and UHIP must deem your coverage to be equivalent to UHIP. You can see a list of pre-approved health insurance plans that UHIP has agreed to exempt. If you want to try to apply for the exemption from UHIP, you must complete a Request for Exemption From UHIP Form. However, you must first pay the UHIP fee to the University of Guelph by the deadline for fee payment and you will then be given a refund later on if you are accepted by UHIP for an exemption.
If you have not received your coverage card or have problems logging into your Cowan/Manulife account, contact that UHIP Administrator in Student Financial Services <accquest@uoguelph.ca>
If you have any questions about your UHIP plan or what to do if you need medical help, please contact the International Student Advisors.
Insurance after UHIP
If you plan to stay in Canada and travel after your studies have finished, you may not be covered by the UHIP insurance since it is for registered students. If you are looking to extend your coverage we recommend you look at Guard.Me insurance as often times they are willing to cover international students. You can find out more information at their website here.