International Student Health Insurance
Overview
While the hope is always that insurance will not be needed, it is critical to have protection that enables you to easily access health services when you need them, while in Canada. Healthcare in Canada is not free and so it is of the utmost importance that everyone have an appropriate healthcare insurance plan.
At Cape Breton University, it is mandatory for all international students to have health insurance coverage through CBU’s guard.me international health insurance plan. Guard.me is the number one international health insurer in the world that provides comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage. Coverage is provided in two plans, which are explained below.
IMPORTANT: Having a health insurance plan under your employer does NOT replace the mandatory guard.me international health insurance plan. CBU’s guard.me insurance will still be required in order to attend CBU.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) are located at the bottom of this page.
The Importance of International Health Insurance
To ensure your protection against unexpected medical costs, all new students must have International Health Insurance. While the hope is always that insurance will not be needed, it is critical to have protection to enable you to easily access health services when you need them, while in Canada.
The consequences of requiring medical care while not having valid health insurance are incredibly costly:
We recommend anyone with pre-existing conditions to contact guard.me directly to discuss their conditions and review their insurance policy.
International Health Insurance Plan Breakdown
Plan A:
- Is mandatory for all international students who do not have a Nova Scotia Government Health Insurance (MSI) card. Students will automatically be enrolled in this plan.
- The costs of guard.me’s International Health Insurance Plan are prorated. For the 2024-2025 academic year, the cost of this plan is $1283.00.
- Examples of guard.me Plan A coverage include hospital services, physician fees, laboratory (blood work) and diagnostic testing (x-rays or ultrasounds) and prescription medication while hospitalized. For details, refer to the guard.me insurance policy.
Plan B:
- Plan B is for students who have a valid MSI card for the entire policy term (September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025).
- MSI covers much of the costs from hospital stays and hospital care, but not all. To learn more about MSI eligibility, visit this Government of Nova Scotia webpage. If you’d like to learn more about how you can apply for MSI coverage, please visit this Government of Nova Scotia webpage.
- International students who have a Nova Scotia Government health insurance (MSI) card, valid from September 1 2024 to August 31, 2025, have the option to opt-out from Plan A and remain only in Plan B. There will be no exceptions to this rule. Students may have the option to extend their MSI card if it is not valid for the time period outlined above.
- Note: New international students beginning their studies in January and May are not eligible for Plan B and must remain in Plan A.
About MSI
What is MSI?
The Medical Services Insurance (MSI) programs are administered by Medavie Blue Cross on behalf of the Nova Scotia government. MSI coverage will cover hospital costs ONLY.
How do I apply?
To register for a health card in Nova Scotia, you must contact the MSI Registration and Inquiry Department at 902-496-7008 or at 1-800-563-8880 (toll free within Canada), to start the application process.
When do I apply?
People coming to Nova Scotia from outside the country who hold a Study Permit that is valid for a minimum of 12 months can apply for coverage the first day of the thirteenth month following the date of arrival in Nova Scotia as a student. A student arriving in Nova Scotia in July cannot apply until August of the following year. For continuous coverage, a copy of each Study Permit must be submitted to MSI and a declaration must be signed each year.
Why do I need MSI?
MSI is important to have as it makes going to see a doctor in Nova Scotia easier. It is important to also retain guard.me insurance in addition to having MSI coverage as MSI coverage is limited. MSI alone is not enough coverage for an international student. For example, private insurance is required for prescription drug coverage, dental and repatriation among other services. Please refer to your policy documents to review coverage.
How to Access your Guard.me insurance
You will soon receive a welcome email from guard.me, your international health insurer. Inside, you will find instructions on how to create your account and obtain your electronic guard.me Healthcare Access Card.
If you have trouble activating your card, please follow the steps below:
- Visit https://guard.me/
- Under “account login” click Student.
- Enter your CBU email and click Continue.
- Select Forgot Password .
- Refer to your CBU email for the guard.me password reset email.
- After you reset your password, return to the main guard.me page and login with your CBU email and new password.
- After you log in, you will receive a message indicating that guard.me has sent you an authorization code (this is a security measure and will be required each time you log in). Copy the authorization code from your email and return to the guard.me login page to enter the code.
- After the code is entered you will then have access to download your guard.me insurance card. We strongly encourage you to print a copy of your insurance card and keep it in your wallet or take a picture with your phone so you will have access to it in case of an emergency.
GuardMe Student Support Program (GMSSP)
The GuardMe Student Support Program is a support service available to eligible International students that can help them with challenges faced when studying or living abroad. You can contact GMSSP anytime – day or night – to speak with a Counsellor who has experience supporting the unique challenges students face via telephone, chat, video or in-person. Learn more about GMSSP here.
Guard.me Mobile App
Students should download guard.me’s iCent app on your mobile device to make submitting receipts easier or they can submit a claim to the insurance company for consideration. The insurance company will reimburse them based on the eligibility of the service under the insurance policy.
Other health and wellbeing resources