International Student Health Insurance in Canada

When traveling it is important to have travel insurance to be protected. And if you are also about to become an international student in Canada, it is essential that you have health insurance that covers you throughout your stay in the country.

But which health insurance is best for international students? You will see that there are several very good insurance companies that offer different plans for Canada. So, to help you a bit with the search, today we talk about:

1. How healthcare works in Canada.
2. What should a good health insurance cover?
3. Bupa Global Travel insurance company.
4. Other insurance companies.

We believe that it is important that you take out health insurance with good coverage so that you can enjoy the experience of studying and living in Canada without having to worry about anything.

How does healthcare work in Canada?

To understand how the health system works in Canada you have to stay with these three concepts:

• Health is not at the state level, but each province manages its own health system.
• Health care is universal for all its citizens and permanent residents.
• Health care is expensive.

Therefore, when you are temporarily in Canada, as a student it is necessary that you take out health insurance. Also, when you arrive in Canada with your student visa, at the border they will ask you for proof that you have contracted health insurance. And it is important that it covers you as much as possible throughout your stay so that you do not have to pay additional costs if you have to go to the doctor.

In some Canadian provinces, international students are eligible for provincial health insurance. This is apart from having previous insurance, but it is a good option if you want to have better health coverage. Each region that offers this option has its own requirements; in some provinces, they ask you to be taking a course of more than 6 months to be able to apply for health insurance. But here we leave you a couple of examples so that you can see it more clearly:

• Ontario: if you are going to study in Toronto, as a student you will not be able to access the health card in this province.
• British Columbia (BC): if you are going to study in Vancouver, after 3 months of residing in BC, you can apply for the Medical Services Plan (MSP), but it costs $75 (Canadian dollars) per month.

What should a good health insurance cover?

You will find many companies that offer travel insurance, but it may be good to look at those that are specific to international students. You will soon realize that not all plans are the same, so when you are comparing, you should also take coverage and franchises into account.

Here we leave you some information so you can see what good health insurance should have:

• The ideal is a 24/7 plan, to be covered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Things as basic as a stay in the hospital, visits to the doctor, medications, or dental emergencies are included.
• Some companies work a little differently and don’t respond right away, instead, you have to take care of the bill and then request a refund. Ideally, they should take care of all the bills from the start.
• It is convenient that you have coverage for all your sporting adventures; If you are going to ski, it is convenient that it is included in your policy.

Remember that you have the option of contracting the health insurance offered by the Canadian school where you are going to study, or you can choose one on your own. Whether you decide on one or the other, take out health insurance from the day you travel to Canada until the day your study program ends. Although if you decide to do a bit of tourism before returning home, or if you are going to continue studying, surely you can extend your health insurance without problems.

Bupa Global Health Insurance Company

And now that you know a little more about healthcare in Canada, and you have an idea of ​​the coverage that your health insurance should have, we present one of our preferred insurance companies, Bupa Global Travel!

Bupa Global Travel is a recognized insurance company with unlimited coverage. It offers 2 types of plans for international students, to give you the best coverage according to your needs.

• Bupa Medical: this plan encompasses everything related to the medical part. What amounts to total and unlimited medical coverage? You will have free choice of doctor, medications, hospitalization, and even evacuation and repatriation. It also includes rescue in case of an accident in national parks and ski resorts, which is very good if you are going to ski or hike in Canada. And most importantly, they cover all medical expenses from the beginning, so you don’t have to worry about anything.
• Medical Bupa + Non-Medical Bupa: with this plan, you will have the maximum coverage. It includes all the medical parts plus other additional services, such as baggage insurance, passport theft, civil liability insurance, or travel delay.

Other Health Insurance companies

Although we believe that you will like Bupa Global Travel so much that you will want to contract its services right away, here is a list of other health companies because it never hurts to compare a little.

Travelfine – Health Insurance

Travelfine is a company that offers insurance for different types of travelers. In the “Modality” section you will see that they have plans for long stays, Working Holidays, and even have specific medical insurance for students.

The best? They have a customer service team that responds to you through their App, Online Chat, WhatsApp, RRSS and by Email, they also have international telephone assistance. You do not have to advance money, since they cover everything, assistance is in your own language and coverage is 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Guard.me – Health Insurance

Guard.me offers health insurance for students. It is a very popular insurance among international students; many schools, Colleges, and Universities in Canada recommend their services.

The best? On their website you can find direct payment clinics in Canada, this means that if you visit the doctor in one of these medical centers you do not have to pay in advance. They also show you the available doctors to avoid waiting and you can easily manage the reimbursement of your medical bills since if you have to go to a hospital that is not in their network of clinics you have to pay in advance.

World Nomads – Health Insurance

In World, Nomads support you in everything you need so that your trips are safe from unforeseen events. They are also endorsed by Lonely Planet, one of the most important travel companies in the world, surely you have one of their travel guides at home.

The best? They help you manage your health and other things too, like lost luggage. On their website, you will find a lot of things, such as travel experiences, and travel guides and they also have a lot of information about Canada.

Truetraveler – Health Insurance

True Traveler is a company for authentic adventurers that offers insurance for different areas of the world. When you’re looking at their plans, remember to select the specific health insurance for Canada.

The best? Being a company aimed at travelers, they offer very good plans to cover a lot of sports activities, such as trekking or ice climbing.

In summary

As you can see, when it comes to choosing health insurance for Canada, there are a lot of options. But it is always important that you keep the following things in mind:

• Pay more attention to the insurance indicated for international students in Canada.
• It is always better to take out insurance without excesses and with maximum health coverage. That includes all your doctor visits and hospital stay.
• Choose the health insurance that best suits your needs and lifestyle. If you are into sports like skiing, it is good that you have coverage for this type of activity in case of an accident.

We hope we have helped you, but if you have questions about how to take out health insurance or how to study in Canada, just ask us.