Students participating in a University of Guelph related international experience are required to purchase Guard.Me travel health insurance. This includes students participating in a study abroad program (exchange, field school, etc.), or are travelling through an academic field trip, conference, research, co-op, etc.
Purchase Your Guard.Me Travel Health Insurance Here [1]
When purchasing Guard.Me travel health insurance, students have a choice between Plan A and Plan B. Plan B is the minimum requirement, but students can choose which plan best suits their needs and budget. You can find the full policy details below, but we have included a quick summary to help you decide.
| Benefits Section | Plan A | Plan B |
| Travel Assistance | Included | Included |
| Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption | ||
| Trip Cancellation | Trip cost up to $5,000 | - |
| Trip Interruption-Unused Land | Trip cost up to $5,000 | - |
| Trip Interruption-Return Flight | Trip cost up to $5,000 | - |
| Act of Terrorism | See page 9 | - |
| Accommodation & Meals | $300 | - |
| Trip Delay | ||
| Trip Delay | $1,500 | - |
| Accommodation & Meals | $200 | - |
| Emergency Medical | ||
| Hospital & Medical | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Accidental Dental | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Emergency Medical Evacuation/Return Home | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Accommodation & Meals | $450 | $450 |
| Incidental Expenses | $250 | $250 |
| Repatriation of Remains | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Cremation/Burial at Destination | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Baggage & Personal Effects | ||
| Baggage & Personal Effects | $800 | $800 |
| Baggage Delay | $100 | $100 |
| Maximum Per Item | $300 | $300 |
| Personal Money | $100 | $100 |
| Accidental Death and Dismemberment | ||
| Accidental Death and Dismemberment | $25,000 | $25,000 |
Note that while Guard Me offers comprehensive travel health coverage, it does not cover everything. Read the policy carefully to understand what exclusions there may be, including, high-risk activties (think bungie jumping, sky-diving, mountain climbing), pre-existing conditions, health care costs due to inhebriation; these are standard exclusions listed by most insurance companies. Know your policy and behave accordingly.
Plan A Policy [2] Plan B Policy [3]
*Note, policy details, coverages and availability can change at any time and you should always verify your policy details on the GuardMe website [4] at the time of purchase.
Guard.Me Travel Health Insurance FAQ
To receive the discounted U of G group rate for your Guard.Me travel health insurance, make sure you purchase your Guard.Me Travel Health Insurance from the Guelph portal [1].
- When you open the Guelph portal, click 'Students'
- Enter your personal information (e.g, student nuber and date of birth)
- Enter your travel information and coverage dates (dates you will be travelling)
Plan B is the minimum requirement for all U of G students pursuing an international learning experience. Plan B offers comprehensive coverage of emergency medical, baggage and personal effects, and accidental death and dismemberment for approximately $1.65 per day.
Plan A covers everything that Plan B covers, plus trip cancellation, interruption, and delay. The additional sections covered in Plan A can help when an unexpected event causes a delay, cancellation, or interruption of your scheduled travel date. The full details of what is covered can be found in the Plan A Policy document [2]. Plan A costs approximately $2.05/day for 4 months of coverage but has an initial up-front fee for the cancellation and interuption coverage which can make it significantly more expense than plan B for shorter trips.
*Please note, the trip cancellation coverage included in Plan A DOES NOT cover trips that are cancelled due to a change in the Government of Canada travel advisory. Should the advisory change from a level 1 or 2 to a level 3 or 4 before your departure, which causes your trip to be cancelled, you will not receive the trip cancellation insurance (exemption listed on page 21 of policy A under exemption number 21).
If there is a Government of Canada travel advisory [5] of Level 3, avoid all non-essential travel, or Level 4, avoid all travel, in effect for your host country (or countries you plan to visit, as outlined in your travel itinerary) at the time you purchase your Guard.Me insurance you will be required to pay the COVID-19 Emergency Medical Coverage Waiver premium. This waiver will cover emergency medical expenses should you test positive at your destination.
This waiver is a premium that you will pay, in addition to the daily cost of the plan you select (Plan A or B), for the full duration of your trip. This premium will cost an additional $2.00/day.
If the Government of Canada travel advisories are removed before your trip, but after you have already paid for this COVID-19 Emergency Medical Coverage Waiver you will not get your money back for this premium.
Full details of the coverage can be found in the COVID-19 Emergency Medical Coverage Waiver [6].
Note these details are subject to change and you should always verify your policy details on the GuardMe website [4] at the time of purchase.
This COVID-19 Quarantine Coverage Rider is an optional addition to your policy coverage. Should you test positive for COVID-19 and be required to self-isolate or quarantine at your destination beyond your scheduled return date, this rider will help cover the costs of quarantine for up-to $200/day for 14 days.
Plase note, if you wish to purchase this rider you have to do so when you are purchasing your insurnace plan (Plan A or Plan B).
Full details of the coverage can be found in the COVID-19 Quarantine Coverage Rider [7].
Note these details are subject to change and you should always verify your policy details on the GuardMe website [4] at the time of purchase.
Yes. There are NO EXEMPTIONS from purchasing Guard Me insurance.
Yes. There are NO EXEMPTIONS from purchasing Guard Me insurance. For example, even if your exchange host university or country requires you to buy a mandatory health insurance plan (such as OSCH in Australia) you must still purchase Guard Me insurance. While other plans may cover you for basic medical care in your host country, they often do not cover students for such things as travel to other countries, emergency evacuation, repatriation, or flying a loved one to be with you if you are hospitalized. Therefore, having the Guard Me insurance is necessary.
