Opting - Out

(Deadline: 4pm, September 15th, 2023)

For part-time students wanting to opt-out of the extended health and dental plan, please refer to the information posted below:

If you already have coverage for extended health and dental benefits, usually through an employer or family member, you can opt-out of the plan provided by the Students’ Union. For you to be able to opt-out, your existing coverage needs to be equivalent to the Students’ Union’s plan (basic provincial government medical coverage, travel insurance and emergency insurance do not count as equivalent coverage). To learn about opting out of the Students’ Union health and dental plan, please visit our opt-out site for more info.

Late requests to opt-out will not be accepted because those not opted out by the deadline will have already been enrolled in the Students’ Union’s plan. When you are ready to opt-out, you can do so online.

The next step after filling the form is to submit your proof of extended medical insurance to info@cncsu.ca. Doing both tasks are mandatory to complete the two-step opt-out process. Those wishing to opt-out of the service must do so prior to the deadline. The deadline to opt-out is 4pm, Friday, September 15th, 2023.

OPTING – IN

(DEADLINE: 4PM, SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2023)

For part-time students wanting to opt-in to the extended health and dental plan, please refer to the information posted below:

Please fill out the opt-in form here and send it to the email address mentioned below or hand it over at the Students’ union office with the plan fee.

Prince George Campus students only – info@cncsu.ca

Quesnel Campus students only – infoquesnel@cncsu.ca

After sending the form, either hand over the extended health and dental fee by visiting the Students’ Union office at Prince George campus or Quesnel campus, depending upon the campus you are registered in. If you cannot visit the Students’ Union office you can also mail a cheque or money order. Details will be mentioned in the form.  

Health and Dental Benefits Service

WHY HEALTH AND DENTAL?

Student extended health and dental plans are common to virtually every college and university in Canada, and just like at CNCSU, are provided by the Students’ Union. The CNCSU Students’ Union’s plan provides access to thousands of dollars in coverage for prescription medication, dental treatments, paramedical services and multiple other benefits for less than $23 per month, making it some of the least expensive extended medical coverage in the country.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The health and dental plan service is applied universally to eligible students, and eligibility criteria have been designed to include full-time students only. Full-time students who are taking the majority of their courses assessed on the Prince George and Quesnel campus will include:

STUDENTS WITH EQUIVALENT COVERAGE CAN OPT OUT OF THE SERVICE

If you already have coverage for extended health and dental benefits, usually through an employer or family member, you can opt-out of the plan provided by the Students’ Union. To be able to opt-out, your existing coverage needs to be equivalent to the Students’ Union’s plan (basic provincial government medical coverage, travel insurance and emergency insurance do not count as equivalent coverage). To learn about opting out of the Students’ Union health and dental plan, please visit our opt-out site.

LEARN ABOUT THE COVERAGE BEFORE OPTING OUT
Be sure to read through the existing coverage provided by the Students’ Union before you opt-out with your equivalent coverage. Once you opt-out, you may not opt back in. Find out about what the plan includes.

DO STATUS FIRST NATIONS STUDENTS NEED TO OPT-OUT?

No, First Nations students can absolutely participate in the health and dental service. While those who are status First Nations do receive extended health and dental coverage from the federal government, students have reported that this coverage compares poorly to comprehensive plans. Though sponsoring Nations might not provide financial support for the costs of the Students’ Union health and dental plan, First Nations students are certainly not required to opt-out. 

YOUR OPT-OUT MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE DEADLINE TO BE SUCCESSFUL
Those wishing to opt-out of the service must do so prior to the deadline. The deadline to opt-out is 4pm, Friday, September 15th, 2023. Late requests to opt-out will not be accepted because those not opted out by the deadline will have already been enrolled in the Students’ Union’s plan. When you are ready to opt-out, you can do so online.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR PLAN
Once the opt-out period has concluded and those students are removed, and once the associated fees are paid, the Students’ Union enrols remaining eligible students in the Plan for one year of coverage, beginning in the month of your program start date and ending twelve months later. Once you have been enrolled, you will receive an email notification with access to information about the plan details, how to make claims and how to add dependents to your plan.

WHAT IS THE TEMPORARY BLACKOUT PERIOD?

Are you a returning student or new to the health and dental plan?  You’ll be in a temporary “blackout” (aka inactive) period that begins on the first day of coverage and is generally around 45 days in duration. Don’t worry. You still are covered during this time, however, you will be unable to bill for services directly. Save any receipts for health or dental costs that are incurred during this period and you will be able to register for online services at GSC and submit your claims electronically after the black out period has ended.

HEALTH PLAN CARD AND NUMBER

After the end of the temporary blackout period you will be able to register for online services at GSC and download the GSC On The Go app. Your card will be displayed with your name and policy number. There is no physical card.

Your policy number is CAL followed by your six-digit student number-00.

Example:  CAL123456-00

As the primary insured person, you are assigned the code ‘00’ directly after your student number. If a spouse, partner, and /or other dependent(s) has been added to the plan, each dependent, in descending order of age, is assigned a dependent code starting with ‘01’. It is important to delineate between policy codes when making claims for each dependent.

WHAT’S COVERED?

The Students’ Union health and dental plan contains a huge range of benefits that helps students with medical and other issues. The plan costs less than $23 per month and provides access to thousands of dollars in benefits.

The following is a summary of the components of the coverage provided by the Students’ Union:

  • 80% coverage for prescription medications up to $3,500 per year;
  • Total coverage of up to $300 per year per type of treatment for paramedical services (physiotherapist, chiropractor, etc);
  • Up to $300 per year in coverage for counselling by a social worker or psychologist;
  • Vision coverage at $300 every two years ($100 every two years for eye exams plus $200 every two years for prescription glasses, contacts, etc);
  • Dental coverage of up to $700 per year for preventative and restorative work at 80% coverage;
  • Travel insurance for trips of up to 90 days;
  • A comprehensive Accidental death and dismemberment benefit plan;
  • legal advisory service that provides telephone legal assistance and access to legal representation at a discount;
  • Access to online medical treatment in the form of a free subscription to an online medical practice.

A full and detailed list of what’s covered can be found here. Please note that the benefit booklets of the respective providers are the official list of what’s covered, inclusive of their definitions and outlines.

CAN I ADD MY DEPENDENTS TO MY PLAN?

Yes. You are able to add dependants (spouse, common law partner or one child). Opting in a dependant costs $260 per person, and adding an entire immediate family costs $650. 

The process of adding a dependent occurs after you have been enrolled in the plan yourself as the principle, and received a link to your online health and dental plan portal. Through that portal, you can access the option to add dependents by filling in the necessary information and paying the fee online. An access link to this portal will be emailed once you are enrolled in the plan, and the deadline to add dependents is the last day of the month in which you were enrolled (for example, if you received notice of enrolment in October, you would need to add your dependents by October 31).

HOW DO I MAKE A CLAIM?

You have four options to submit claims:

  • Provider-submitted claims (preferred) – There is an extensive network of health care professionals who invoice Green Shield Canada (GSC) directly. All you have to do is ask your health care professionals to submit your claims directly to GSC by providing your health plan card/number. Yes, it’s that easy!
  • Online claims (next best thing) – Once you’ve registered for online services you can fill out personalized claim forms, submit claims electronically, search your claims history and more. Sign up for direct deposit and you should get your money back in approximately 72 hours. Skip the mailing time and postage costs with online claiming.
  • Mobile app – GSC On The Go (very convenient) – That’s right, you can even submit claims right from your mobile device.
    GSC on the Go® is a free mobile app and offers 24/7 access to your benefits from your mobile devices. There’s no need to re-register – simply use your log in details for Online Services.
  • Do-it-yourself paper claims (not so preferred) – You’ll need a claim form, a printer (to print the claim form), a pen (to fill in the claim form), a photocopier (to take a copy for your records), and a stamp to put on the envelope. Convenient, pre-filled and personalized claim forms are available via Plan Member Online Services. You really should register. Note: snail mail usually takes 3-4 weeks to get reimbursed.

All students in the plan may inquire into the status of their claims or the extent of their coverage by contacting GSC directly at 1-888-711-1119 (except during the black out period).

All claims must be received by GSC no later than 12 months from the date the eligible benefit was incurred.

PLEASE NOTE IF YOUR PAYMENT IS MADE PAST THE DUE DATE YOU MUST EMAIL TO NOTIFY OF PAYMENT AS YOU MAY NOT OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR BENEFITS.