The Canadian model for health care is a mixed public/private system; approximately 30 to 40 per cent of normal annual health care expenses are covered through our public healthcare system. The balance is paid directly by individuals (out-of-pocket expenses) or through private health insurance plans, usually through an employer.

These costs can be extremely high and may pose a very real barrier to obtaining necessary health and dental care.

The UBCSUO extended Health & Dental plan does not replace the British Columbia Medical Services Plan (MSP) or an equivalent plan (such as other provincial health care plans or a private basic plan).   It offers you extra coverage in addition to basic medical covered by MSP.   You must have basic medical coverage in order to be eligible to use the extended coverage provided through the UBCSUO plan.

The UBCSUO plan covers many other services that basic MSP does not, including dental benefits, private tutorial benefits, travel health coverage, and more.

For more information on the Medical Services Plan for British Columbia, you can visit the B.C. Medical Services Plan website

Students in good standing with the University, who are members of the UBCSUO, and who are taking at least one course per term, are automatically enrolled in the UBCSUO extended Health & Dental Plan.

To confirm that your are enrolled in the extended Health and Dental plan, contact StudentCare directly at 1-877-795-4427 and provide your UBC student id number.

Although coverage begins Sept. 1, 2018, there is a Fall blackout period (approximately Sept. 1 - Oct. 31), as student enrolment is being finalized.
Students who were covered by the plan up-to the end of the previous policy year are not affected by the Fall Blackout Period​.
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Your Plan includes the following health, dental, vision, and travel benefits:

• Up to 80% for prescription drugs (including most oral contraceptives)
• Up to 80% for vaccinations, up to $150 per calendar year
• $3,000 for health practitioners (psychologists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, etc...)
• $325 in vision care (eye exams, eyeglasses and contact lenses,laser eye surgery)
• $800 in dental care (checkups, cleanings, fillings, extractions, endodontics, periodontics, etc...)
• $5,000,000 in travel health coverage per incident and 120 days per trip 
• $5,000 for trip interruption and $1,500 for trip cancellation in the event of a medical emergency
• Ambulances, dental accidents, medical equipment, and more! 

Visit www.studentcare.ca for complete details.

You can also further enhance your benefits by visiting health professionals who are members of the Dental, Vision, Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Doctor, Psychology, Massage Therapy Networks, and Mental Health Resources.  You are covered for the insured portion regardless of the health professional you choose. 

By consulting a Network member, you will get additional coverage.  For example, by visiting a Dental Network member, you will receive an additional 20% off dental services, enabling you to get up to 100% coverage.

Visit www.studentcare.ca for complete details.

2018-19

If you are covered by another extended health and/or dental plan (i.e. parent's or spouses employee plan, not B.C. M.S.P.), you can combine both plans to maximize your overall coverage and reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket costs.

Alternatively, if you have other equivalent coverage, you can opt out of the health portion, the dental portion, or the Plan in its entirety during the Change-of-Coverage Period from Sept. 4 - 25, 2018 for students starting in September, or from Jan. 3 - 24, 2019 for students starting in January.  The fee will be reversed from your student account shortly after the end of the Change-of-Coverage Period.

If you are eligible, the Change-of-Coverage Period is also when you can enrol yourself, your spouse and/or dependent children in the Plan.

The B.C. government introduced Fair PharmaCare to replace the PharmaCare program and improve the health status of residents across the province.

The new income-based program is designed to provide fair access to coverage for prescription drugs — the lower your income, the more assistance the government will provide toward your eligible drug costs. For example, if your net income from two years ago was less than $15,000, and you have registered for Fair PharmaCare, you will have 70 percent of your eligible prescription drug costs covered immediately, with no deductible.

All permanent B.C. residents are eligible for Fair PharmaCare and all eligible UBCSUO Plan members must register for the program.

Register for PharmaCare

Claim forms and procedures can be found online at www.studentcare.ca

To offer students more comprehensive coverage, www.studentcare.ca has set up networks of health-care professionals.

These professionals offer an additional reduction over and above any amount covered by your students' union extended Health & Dental Plan.  There are dental, vision, physiotherapy, massage therapy, chiropractic, mental health and psychology networks.  We recommend you visit www.studentcare.ca for updated lists of network members and a detailed explanation of the reductions they offer.