Healthcare & Insurance
in Alberta
International Student Services
This information is current as of June 16,
2022. While this recording is a helpful
resource to get you started, due to the
evolving and unpredictable nature of the
COVID-19 pandemic, please ensure that you
are informed of updated regulations and
policies prior to travel to Canada.
Session Agenda
3
Visiting & Exchange Students (less than 12 months)
• Travel/emergency
• GSA & SU Health and Dental plans
• Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP)
Components of Health Insurance in Alberta
Healthcare Options & Wellness Services
Medical Insurance: You Need It.
4
• You need adequate insurance to cover any medical
care or accidents while you are in Canada.
• Without medical insurance, you will have to pay the
full cost of medical treatment which is very expensive
(thousands of dollars).
• With medical insurance, many of these possible
expenses are covered.
Exchange/Visiting
•Private
insurance
Degree-seeking
• AHCIP +
• SU or GSA
Health and
Dental Plan
Less than 12 months
12 months or more
Do You Have Insurance Coverage?
Exchange/Visiting (less than 12 months)
You are not typically eligible for the Alberta Health
Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP)
You need to purchase a private plan
• Possible options:
• Exchange students: through your home institution
• Typically, easier to purchase prior to travel/before leaving
home country
• Purchase together with your travel arrangements (like
flight + travel insurance package)
• ISS does have a list of Canadian options “visitor insurance”
• Alberta Blue Cross “Visitors to Canada”:
https://www.ab.bluecross.ca/travel/travel-insurance.php
Private Insurance
How Does it Work?
• Typically
1. You pay for a service
2. Submit a claim/receipts to your insurance
3. You are reimbursed according to your plan
• Check how much a service will cost BEFORE you
use that service
• Wellness Centre (403-210-9355)
• Health Link (811) – quick, free advice from a
registered nurse 24/7
Visiting Family Members (short-term)
8
Typically, not eligible for the Alberta Health Care
Insurance Plan (AHCIP)
Need to purchase a private plan
Coverage for Family Members (long-term)
9
• For Alberta Health Care
Insurance Plan, you must
register together:
• Spouses
• Children under age of 21
• For GSA or SU Health Plan,
you may add family
members within your first
month for additional fee
• Deadline available on
website
Coverage for Family Members (long-term)
10
• In some cases, an eligible resident’s spouse/partner or
dependent from another country may be eligible with a
stamp in the passport, but a Canada Travel Visa is not
an accepted document. The Canada Border Services
Agency may not automatically stamp passports;
therefore, you may need to request the stamp.
https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-eligibility.aspx#toc-0
Health Insurance Components
11
Travel/Emergency Health Insurance
Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP)
GSA or SU Health & Dental Plan
Travel Medical Insurance
-before you arrive
12
• Arrange for travel/emergency medical insurance to
cover you while you are travelling to Calgary
• Easiest to purchase from a company in your home
country; sometimes in combination with your flight
• You will want to purchase a plan that at least covers
doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription drugs,
vision care, and dental care
• Exchange and visiting—typically a part of the
insurance package you would purchase anyways
Travel Medical Insurance
-before you arrive
13
• Length of time depends on:
• when you are arriving in Calgary, (eg. is GSA/SU plan
active yet?)
• how long your travel route is
• If you are arriving in a Canadian city other than Calgary
and must quarantine there
• Does your plan provide immediate reimbursement or does
it take a long time to process a “claim”
• Typically recommend you purchase “buffer”
coverage (eg. two weeks), to give you peace of mind
while you are in transit and getting settled
Health Insurance (BA, Masters, PhD)
14
GSA or SU
Health and
Dental Plans
AHCIP
12 months or more
Part 1:
Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan
15
• AHCIP is free and
covers basic services:
• visits to the doctor
• lab costs
• hospital costs if you
are admitted
• AHCIP does not cover:
• Prescription drugs
• Rehabilitation needs
• Dental services
• Vision care
• Ambulance transport
https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-temporary-residents.aspx
https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-what-is-covered.aspx
https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-coverage-outside-
alberta.aspx
Part 1:
Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan
16
• As long as you meet eligibility requirements for
AHCIP, you are eligible for coverage the moment you
land in Alberta.
• If you require services that are covered through this plan
between when you arrive in Alberta and before you have
received your proof of insurance (your Alberta Healthcare
Card), you will still be able to be reimbursed once your
AHCIP card arrives.
https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-eligibility.aspx
https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-temporary-
residents.aspx
Part 1:
Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan
17
• Doctors will not deny you care if you are waiting for
your AHCIP card.
• However, you will be charged for the services and
will need to contact AHCIP to either confirm you’ve
received your card to have the charges removed or
may be required to pay up-front and request
reimbursement once approved
• Once you have AHCIP card, you show that to access
the services covered without payment.
Arrival in Alberta Apply for AHCIP card Connected to
study/work permit
https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-temporary-residents.aspx
Part 1:
Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan
18
• You must apply. You are not automatically added to
this plan. Two ways to apply currently:
• in-person (after completing any required quarantine)
• processing takes up to 5 business days
• cards will be mailed from AHCIP office
• by mail
• processing is expected to take up to 6 weeks
https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-how-to-apply.aspx
Part 1:
Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan
To register for AHCIP:
• Visit a registry office or by mail
• Bring:
1. Proof of Residency (name and current
address)
2. Government issued photo identification
(passport)
3. Canada entry document (study permit)
Part 1:
Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan
If you are under 18 (a minor):
• You are not able to register alone for the AHCIP (but you do
have coverage through the SU plan)
• You require a “custodian” (someone who is 18 or older, living in
Calgary) who can add you to their AHCIP
• Typically a family member or friend living in Alberta who is of legal age
• If you cannot find a custodian, you may consider purchasing a private
travel medical insurance plan to provide you with comparable coverage
until you are 18 and eligible to register independently through AHCIP
• If you’re turning 18 soon after your arrival to Alberta, you may also try
contacting the AHCIP office to determine if you can get your application
in early to expedite the process:
https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-
contact.aspx
.
• More information about custodians and AHCIP is available here:
https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-students.aspx.
AHCIP: Expiry Date & Extensions
21
Expiry date on your personal health card
• should be the same date as the "valid until" date noted on your Canada
entry document.
Expired Canada entry document
• When your Canada entry document expires, your AHCIP coverage will end.
• If your Canada entry document changes from a work or study permit to a
visitor record, you may not be eligible for AHCIP coverage.
• Must provide a document from IRCC such as a visitor record, work or study
permit or confirmation of Permanent Resident Status.
• If you intend to remain in Alberta and wish to maintain your AHCIP
coverage, contact IRCC to find out how long it takes to process your
application.
• https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-temporary-residents.aspx
AHCIP: Expiry Date & Extensions
22
Extensions
• Apply early for an extension of your Canada entry document even if you
have applied for permanent residency.
• If your AHCIP coverage is about to expire and you are waiting for an
extension of your Canada entry document, you may be eligible for a one-
time only temporary extension. Contact AHCIP office before the expiry date.
AHCIP coverage does not continue with IRCC “maintained” status
• A designation of “maintained” status by IRCC does not make you eligible to
maintain your AHCIP coverage.
Paying for health care while waiting for a new Canada entry document
• While you wait for your new entry documents from IRCC, you will not be
covered by AHCIP. This means you will have to pay for any health services
you need.
• You may be eligible for a reimbursement once you get your new document.
• https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-temporary-residents.aspx
Part 2:
SU Health & Dental Plan
This plan helps to cover things not covered through
the AHCIP, like:
• Prescription medication
• Dental services
• Vision services
• Managed by the Students Union or Graduate
Students' Association
• All full-time students are automatically enrolled
• Add family members (Opt In) or Opt out if you have
private insurance
• Change-of-Coverage Deadline: check websites!
Part 2:
SU Health & Dental Plan
• Student Union:
https://www.su.ucalgary.ca/programs-
services/student-services/health-dental/
• https://www.mystudentplan.ca/uofcalgary/en/home
• For eligible students starting in the fall term,
coverage begins Sept 1, 2022
• There is a validation period for 45-60 days from
September 1
st
. This just means that if you need to use the
plan between those dates, you will have to pay upfront
and make the claims after the validation period is over
• Please keep your receipts for eligible expenses incurred
during this time period for submission to the insurance
carrier upon completion of the enrolment process.
Part 2:
GSA Health & Dental Plan
• Graduate Student Association:
https://gsa.ucalgary.ca/health-dental-services/
• The GSA partners with Studentcare to provide
graduate students with extended H&D benefits.
• If you are from outside of Canada, you will need to
enroll in the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan as
you need a provincial plan to access the
GSA H&D Plan.
• Coverages starts: the first day of the first month of
the first term of your study
e.g. September students: September 1, 2022 - August 31,
2023
Part 2:
GSA Health & Dental Plan
27
CHANGE-OF-COVERAGE PERIOD IS BASED ON THE MONTH
OF YOUR FIRST TERM OF STUDY:
• Opt-in, Self-Enrolment (studentcare.ca)
• If you have dependents (spouse or child), you can opt them into the
plan for an additional fee.
• If you are a part-time, visiting, distance, or executive MBA student,
you can opt into the plan for a fee.
•
Opt Outs (studentcare.ca)
• If you already have additional insurance through a parent or spouse,
you can opt-out of the GSA plan.
• You will need to provide proof of the additional insurance.
Health Insurance Components Summary
28
Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP)
GSA or SU Health & Dental Plan
Travel/Emergency Health Insurance
You must register after completing quarantine! Once you have your card,
insured services are free. If you need to access services after arriving in
Alberta, but before you are registered, you pay for them. Then you can
apply for reimbursement/cancel expense if approved for AHCIP.
Full-time students are
automatically registered
(see on your tuition & fees).
If you start in Fall 2022,
your coverage starts
Sept 1, 2022.
Strongly encourage all students to purchase coverage to provide
insurance for period of time while you are travelling to Calgary,
Alberta, and for a buffer until the above two plans are active.
Understanding Your Medical Insurance
Do you
have
insurance
coverage?
What is
covered
and how
do I use it?
Who do I
contact if I
have
questions?
Travelling with Medication or
Planning if you have existing medical needs
30
• Talk to your doctor before you travel to plan ahead
for your specific needs
• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
• https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html
• Visitors to Canada and non-residents arriving from abroad are permitted to import
a single course of treatment or a 90-day supply of a prescription drug hand-carried
for their personal use or the use of a person under their care and with whom they
are travelling.
• Visitors and non-residents are allowed to import a single course of treatment or a
90 day supply of a prescription drug by mail or courier.
• All personal importations of prescription drugs must be packaged in the hospital,
pharmacy dispensing or retail packaging, or have the original label affixed to it
clearly indicating what the product is and what it contains.
4
Dentist
• Booking a dental appointment
• Walk-in or phone call
• Dental Choice on campus
• Remember to check if the clinic is partner with
UCalgary
• Payment and reimbursement
• Reimbursement from the insurance company
• Pay the remainder of service fees
4
Student Wellness Services
• Medical clinic
• The service is free if you have AHCIP
• Have the right expectation
• HPV vaccine
• Human Papillomavirus
• AHCIP covers vaccine fee. Only injection fee will
be charged
• Counselling services
• On campus counselling sessions are free
• Students with AHCIP can access the services as
many times as needed
4
How and where can I get medicine?
• In Alberta we have two ways to get medicine:
• For medicines that require a prescription:
• The doctor will give you the prescription after
the appointment, you need to show the
prescription to the pharmacist to receive the
medicines.
• Over-the-counter medicine:
• There are also medicines that are available at
the self selection area of a pharmacy or
grocery stores.
• Prescription from the doctor is not needed.
4
How and where can I find Family Doctor?
• To find a family doctor:
• Go to Find a Family Doctor. Can filter by location,
gender, and language.
• Ask family and friends if their family doctor is
taking new patients (Some family doctors will
accept members of the same family as patients).
• Make an appointment or call them prior to your
visit. Walk in options might not be available.
• Meet your new family doctor and talk about your
healthcare needs, especially if you have a
complex medical condition.
Scams- Newcomers
36
• Suspicious phone calls from
people posing as:
• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
• Immigration Officials
• Alberta Health Services
• Fake job postings
• Fake apartment/house rental
postings
• Police
• Aggressive language to
pressure you into a decision
• Demanding immediate
payment
• E-transfers, Bitcoin,
• Prepaid credit cards or gift
cards
• Protect yourself
• Do not share SIN unless
necessary
• Keep banking information
secure
• Use caution before clicking
links in texts, emails, or
answering phone calls
canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/sin/protect.html
canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/protect-fraud/newcomers.html
Examples: competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/04333.html
Staying Informed
• Key UCalgary websites:
• ISS Covid-19 FAQ
• UCalgary COVID-19 page
• External websites:
• https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid
• Checklist: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-
restrictions/entering-canada-checklist
You are responsible
for staying informed
and checking your
email for updates
from UCalgary
