Health insurance for international students
In Canada, medical care can be extremely expensive if you don’t have insurance and have to pay from your own pocket. Health insurance is a plan that will pay some or all of the cost of medical treatment in Canada if you get sick or injured. You pay a monthly, annual, or one-time fee for this coverage.
All international students are required to have basic and extended health insurance for the duration of their studies at UBC.
In addition, accompanying family members should have appropriate basic and extended health insurance coverage for the duration of their stay in Canada.
Overview of health insurance
All BC international students will need 2 kinds of health insurance:
- Basic health insurance
- Extended health insurance
Basic health insurance
Basic health insurance covers most medically required services, such as doctor’s visits, hospital visits, and medically required services provided by a provincially licensed physician.
iMED temporary health insurance
iMED, provided by GuardMe, covers your first 3 months in British Columbia until you become eligible for the BC provincial health plan, the Medical Services Plan of BC (MSP).
If you are a visiting or exchange student who will study in Canada for less than 6 months, you will be covered by iMED for the duration of your studies.
All new-to-UBC international students are automatically enrolled in the plan, and no application is required.
Medical Services Plan of BC (MSP)
The British Columbia public health insurance plan, BC MSP, is required for everyone who lives in BC for 6 months or longer. MSP covers the cost of basic medical care within Canada, including most physician and hospital services.
You will need to apply for MSP after arriving in BC. If you extend your study permit at any point, you’ll also need to apply to extend your MSP.
Extended health insurance
Extended health insurance covers some fees and services not covered by basic health insurance, such as vision and dental care, some prescription drugs, and private mental health services.
The SUO Health and Dental Plan is an extended health insurance plan designed to cover some fees and services not covered by iMED. You must have MSP or equivalent basic health insurance coverage to be covered under the UBCSUO Health and Dental Plan.
Most students, including full-time and part-time students, international students, and those auditing a course are enrolled in the plan automatically for the duration of their studies.
