UHIP - University Health Insurance 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 UHIP, click here.

UHIP coverage begins on the day you arrive in Canada but NOT earlier than the 10th day of the month before school starts. The earliest day that you can be covered by UHIP is August 10, 2012. If you intend to arrive before that date (for tourism or other travel), please ensure that you have your own 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.

If you are an undergraduate student, you will automatically be registered for UHIP (you do not have to complete any forms) and can pick up your UHIP card after you arrive on campus from Benny Quay, International Student Advisor. 

If you are a graduate student, we cannot order your UHIP card until you have registered for at least one class.  Please inform the Education Abroad Advisor once you have registered for classes and your UHIP card will then be ordered.  You will be able to pick it up from Benny Quay, International Student Advisor, within a few weeks.  Even though you will not receive your UHIP card right away when you arrive on campus, you are still covered by UHIP from the day you arrive in Canada.  If you need to seek medical services before you receive your UHIP card, please ask the doctor or hospital to call Benny Quay for your UHIP registration number.

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 health plans from around the world that UHIP has already rejected here.

If your plan is not on the Non-Approved Insurance Plans list, and you want to try to apply for the exemption, you must complete a Certification for UHIP Exemption Form which is available from Benny Quay, the International Student Advisor.  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 any questions about your UHIP plan or what to do if you need medical help, please contact Benny Quay, International Student Advisor at bquay@uoguelph.ca

The Student Health Plan

The Student Health Plan is mandatory for all undergraduate students – it is not possible to apply for an exemption.  The Student Health Plan covers some medical costs that are not covered by UHIP, such as prescription drugs, vision care, physiotherapy or chiropractor, and dental accidents. For full details about what is covered under the Student Health Plan, click here.

You can download and print your Student Health Plan card – we will give you the website link when you arrive. Please note that while most prescription drug costs are covered by the Student Health Plan, you may have to pay for the medication first and then submit a claim form for a refund. Also, many pharmacies in Guelph charge a ‘dispensing fee' ($5 – $12) for preparing prescriptions which is not covered by the Student Health Plan.

The Dental Plan

The Dental Plan provides some coverage for routine dental care such as examination, consultation and cleanings. For full details about which dental services are covered under the Student Health Plan, click here. 

The Dental Plan is optional.  If you are already covered for dental services under a health insurance plan from your home country, you can apply to ‘opt-out' of the University of Guelph dental plan.  To be exempted, you will need to submit a detailed copy of your health insurance plan's benefits in either English or French to the Student Health Plan Office for consideration.  Please note that you must pay for the Dental Plan first as part of your total student fees, and you will be given a refund cheque later on if you are exempted from the plan.