guard.me@UVic plan (MTMI)

Enrolment

Most new international students are automatically enrolled in the guard.me@UVic plan (also known as the Mandatory Temporary Medical Insurance, or MTMI) when they register in a course at UVic.

If you are automatically enrolled, you will receive an email from guard.me to access your ID card and policy information online. You will not receive a physical ID card; you can print a copy from your account. Your coverage will be valid for your first four months at UVic, and is meant to cover you during the waiting period while you apply for BC MSP.

Research students: You will not be automatically enrolled. You can purchase comparable coverage at guard.me/uvic. We recommend this option for research students who do not already have emergency medical coverage.

Family

Once you have received an email with your policy information, you can purchase emergency medical coverage for family members who will join you in Canada.

Coverage

This plan covers required medical services to address new and unexpected illness or injury. It does not cover chronic conditions.

Fees

If you are automatically enrolled in the guard.me@UVic plan, you will need to pay a Mandatory Temporary Medical Insurance (MTMI) fee of $265. You can find this fee in your UVic student account with your tuition and other fees.

Exchange students: You can pay the MTMI fee using the instructions under Paying your tuition fees.

Dates

Your coverage is determined by the date you will begin your program of study at UVic.

All students who are automatically enrolled in the plan receive a 14-day grace period. This provides students with emergency medical coverage while travelling to Canada, settling in and attending orientation events.

• if your program starts during the first term of winter session (September-December), your coverage will be effective August 18 through December 31
• if your program starts during the second term of winter session (January-April), your coverage will be effective December 18 through April 30
• if your program starts during summer session (May-August), your coverage will be effective April 17 through August 31

Extending your coverage

You should only purchase emergency medical coverage that extends beyond the policy end date of your guard.me@UVic plan if you are not eligible to enrol in the British Columbia (BC) Medical Services Plan (MSP).

If you are not eligible to enrol in the BC MSP, visit the guard.me@UVic website and follow the instructions to purchase additional emergency medical coverage.

Opting out

You must enrol in the guard.me@UVic plan unless you are covered by one of the following plans:

• BC Medical Services Plan (BC MSP)
• Canadian provincial or territorial public health plan
• Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau-sponsored plan
• Libyan-North American Scholarship Program-sponsored plan
• African Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship Program-sponsored plan
• Corbett British Columbia-Washington International Exchange & Fellowship Program

You must be covered for your entire first term at UVic:

• September 1 - December 31
• January 1 - April 30
• May 1 - August 31

If you are already covered by one of these plans, visit the guard.me@UVic website and follow the opt-out instructions.

Studying outside Canada

If you will be outside of Canada for the full length of your first term at UVic (May 1-August 31, September 1-December 31, or January 1-April 30), you are eligible to opt out regardless of whether you are currently covered by a similar health plan. In this case, you must apply to opt out before the 100% opt-out deadline.

You can find opt-out deadlines and account information below.

Proof of coverage

To show proof of coverage by one of these plans, you must provide a copy of each side of your ID card. Copies of your passport, UVic ONECard, etc. will not be accepted as proof of coverage.

You can only submit the opt-out form after you receive your ID card and policy information. Your opt-out request will only be approved if you have not used the guard.me@UVic plan.

Note: If your BC MSP coverage expires during your first term at UVic, please contact the International Centre for Students for the opt-out procedure and criteria.

Opting out for a 100% refund

The opt-out deadlines are as follows:

• September 22 for the first term of winter session (September - December)
• January 22 for the second term of winter session (January - April)
• May 22 for the summer session (May - August)

If you submit the form before your opt-out deadline and your request is approved, the MTMI fee will be removed from your UVic student account.

Opting out after the 100% opt-out deadline (for students with eligible plans only)

If you opt out after the deadlines noted above, you may be eligible for a partial reimbursement of the unused portion of your insurance.

You must meet all of the following requirements:

• you have not used the guard.me@UVic plan
• you have active coverage with one of the eligible plans noted above
• you have at least one month of coverage remaining under the guard.me@UVic plan when your opt-out request is received.

If your application for a partial reimbursement is approved, guard.me will deposit the refund amount to your bank account in Canada within 3-4 weeks.

Opting out due to a chronic condition

You may be eligible to opt out of the guard.me@UVic plan if you have a chronic condition and proof of alternative coverage.

To request to opt out due to a chronic condition, you must complete an appeal form and submit it along with supporting documentation to the International Centre for Students (ICS) at UVic on or before the 100% opt-out deadline for your first term at UVic.

If your appeal is approved, the MTMI fee will be removed from your UVic student account.

For more information on this process, contact the ICS at icsinfo@uvic.ca.

Need help?

Learn how to pay tuition and student fees.

Fee deadlines are available in the UVic Calendar.

Contact guard.me

For non-emergency assistance, email guard.me.

For emergency assistance, call guard.me:

• 1-888-756-8428 (toll-free in North America)
• 1-905-731-8291 (collect call outside North America)

Multi-lingual help is available by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Visit guard.me@UVic for more information.