As an international student at CBU, you will receive health insurance provided by Guard.Me while in Canada. Prior to your arrival in Nova Scotia, there are a number of health care precautions and routine processes you should take into consideration. We’ve put together this list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to provide further information relating to your health insurance coverage that will help you prepare for your arrival.
As a current International Student studying at Cape Breton University, you will automatically be enrolled in CBU’s Guard.Me Health Program as of September 1, 2020. These plans are mandatory for Students who are studying in Canada and a condition of studying at CBU.
1.) If you are not in Canada, the Guard.Me Health Program is not available to you and you MUST OPT OUT between September 1st-September 30th 2020 by completing the Out of Canada Waiver in order to receive a credit to your Student Account.
As an International Student studying at CBU, you are required to retain the keep.me SAFE program. The premium for this program is nonrefundable. Please watch for more information in the coming weeks regarding keep.me SAFE.
*Should you to travel to Canada, it is your responsibility to contact Donalda Johnston or Vanessa Viva in the International Student Office prior to your arrival in Canada.
2.) If you have valid coverage through the Nova Scotia Medical Service Insurance (MSI) Program you may opt out of the Guard.Me Health Program by demonstrating valid proof of MSI. This includes uploading a copy of your Nova Scotia MSI card that demonstrates your MSI coverage dates. In order for the opt out to be accepted, your MSI coverage must include the September 1, 2020 to December 31st 2020 coverage period or your opt out will be declined. The deadline to complete this opt out by demonstrating valid proof of MSI Coverage is September 30th, 2020 at https://www.guard.me/cbu.
As an International Student studying in Canada at CBU, you are required to retain the guard.me Annual Excursion Policy as well as the keep.me SAFE program. The premiums for these benefits and program are nonrefundable.
*Please note that charges for your Guard.Me plan will not be removed from your account until after the opt out period has closed.
YES. The intent of the CBU Guard.Me program is to cover emergency health conditions that first begin after you buy your insurance coverage, and does not provide coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Examples of pre-existing conditions include:
Please refer to the limitations and exclusions section of the policy for more details.
It is recommended that you bring enough medication from your country of origin to provide treatment until you return to your home country.
CBU provides support for all students dealing with mental illness. Mental illnesses are health conditions that disrupt a person’s thoughts, emotions, relationships and daily functioning.
CBU offers keep.me.SAFE, which provides 24/7 mental health services to all International Students. keep.meSAFE is an innovative Student Support Program (SSP) which helps students by promoting early intervention and 24/7 access to mental health support. The program helps students manage their mental health so they can fully participate in academic life and complete their studies.
keep.meSAFE is the first support program to use linguistically and culturally matched licensed clinicians, providing students a welcoming place where they are comfortable to seek help.
CBU also offers free and confidential services with Personal Counsellors. Appointments can be by phone or through email to discuss a variety of issues including anger, parenting, grief, depression and anxiety, relationship issues, family conflict, time management, stress, financial concerns and couples counselling.
Appointments are available Monday through Friday during office hours as well as Monday evenings. To book an appointment, contact Angela MacKinnon at angela_mackinnon@cbu.ca or 902-563-1639.
The CBU Guard.Me program commences on the earlier of September 1st or the date you arrive in Canada, to August 31st of the next year. Students who begin their in-Canada studies in January or May are enrolled in the coverage until August 31st of the same year.
The insurance fee is automatically charged to your student account when you register for classes.
Family members can be added to your plan for an additional fee. Please contact an International Student Advisor for more information.
Your guard.me insurance card and all policy information will arrive in your CBU email two weeks after the start date of classes with the subject line ‘TRAVEL INSURANCE.’
If you forget your insurance card, you will be required to pay for the associated costs out of pocket. It is important to keep all receipts to submit to Guard.Me to assess your eligibility for coverage. Download the Guard.Me app on your phone to make submitting receipts easier.
The quickest and easiest way to obtain a new insurance card is to log into your guard.me account. You will need your policy number in order to create an account which can be obtained by contacting an International Student Advisor. Once your account has been created you can login, download your ID card and print the card.
YES. You must show your insurance card whenever you visit a hospital or healthcare professional or you will be asked to pay out of pocket for the services. Whenever possible, students must call Guard.Me when being admitted to a hospital, or when you require major medical treatment or surgery.
Eligibility means those expenses that qualify for coverage under the Guard.Me insurance policy. An exclusion is something that does not qualify for coverage under your plan.
NO. The Guard.Me policy includes emergency travel coverage up to 30 days worldwide.
The Excursion program provides short-term travel up to 30 days worldwide, and 15 days to the USA.
Neither of these programs cover you while you are in your Home Country.
After residing in Nova Scotia for a full 12 months (without leaving the province for more than 30 days), you can apply for coverage with MSI by calling 1- 800-563-8880.
For minor issues such as cold, flu, headaches or minor injury, please visit your local clinic. For emergencies such as a serious accident, broken bones or serious injury, please visit the nearest emergency room.
The closest emergency room which is open 24/hours is located at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, 1482 George St., Sydney, NS. Other emergency rooms are located in the surrounding areas including Glace Bay, North Sydney and New Waterford but hours of operation are subject to change.
The Max Bell Health Centre is located on campus which can address minor non-emergency illnesses. The centre is staffed with a doctor, nurse and physiotherapist. Other clinics in the area are:
Sydney Family Practice
196 Kings Road, Sydney
(902) 567-0010
Lawtons Drugs
196 Bentick St
Sydney
(902)539-0078
Glace Bay Walk In Clinic
35 Sterling Road
Glace Bay, NS
(902) 849-4601
Dr. Virick Walk In Clinic
336 Kings Road
Sydney, NS
(902) 539 6049
You do not need to make an appointment at a clinic but it is recommended that you contact the clinic by phone before you go to confirm hours of operation. To avoid long wait times at a clinic, you can speak to a doctor within minutes from home through guard.me/mobiledoctor.
If you are not able to drive and do not need an ambulance, you can call a taxi and ask for a receipt. You can submit the receipt for assessment of coverage eligibility. If you need an ambulance, call 911 and one will be sent to your location immediately.
Ambulance charges are separate from hospital charges and the bill will be sent to you for payment. Eligible ambulance charges can be submitted to guard.me for reimbursement.
Department: Enrolment Services
Phone:
902-563-1278
Email: Donalda_Johnston@cbu.ca
Media Expert
Department: Enrolment Services
Phone:
902-563-1219
Email: Vanessa_Viva@cbu.ca
