UHIP

Welcome to UHIP 

 

For the CHANGE TO COVERAGE REQUEST FORM please click here
Print your UHIP card – watch your Queen’s email for a message from Cowan/Manulife

UHIP stands for the University Health Insurance Plan, a mandatory primary health insurance plan for all international students and their dependents (if residing in Ontario for more than 3 weeks).  See the Enrollment Process links to learn when your UHIP documentation will be ready for printing.

Call the UHIP Support 1-866-500-8447 Monday to Friday 8am-8pm EST for questions related to:

• Understanding what is covered and what is not covered
• How to submit a claim form
• Tracking your mailed UHIP claim submission
• How to obtain your UHIP card
• How to add dependents to coverage
• Understanding the plan and preferred providers

*You will need to have your UHIP card accessible (from Manulife email) as you will need to verify the Policy # and your Member ID.

Other Resources:

• UHIP website
• Student Wellness Services
• Understanding Health Care – A Health Care Road Map
• Eligibility for OHIP – the Ontario Health Insurance Plan
• UHIP for non-students: Queen’s Human Resources

Enrollment Process:
International Students and Dependents

International Students

Are automatically enrolled/renewed in UHIP (fee called International Health Care on SOLUS) based on the level of study as noted below:

 

Dependents (spouse/children) of international students

Must be manually added/renewed in coverage within the first 30 days of each new enrollment period (fees apply).  Failing to do so, can result in a $500 late enrollment penalty + retroactive UHIP fees.

To add your dependents to coverage, see link titled: Requesting a Change to Coverage (and the Dependent Coverage Request option). 

Enrollment Process (Limited):
Domestic Students

Having a valid primary health plan while studying in Ontario is a requirement.  If you do not yet have valid health coverage from a Canadian provincial or territorial health plan (such as OHIP – the Ontario Health Insurance Plan), you are eligible by request, to enroll in short-term UHIP during the OHIP waiting period.

To learn more about OHIP including: eligibility, the application process, what documents are required to apply, and the standard 3 month waiting period see: OHIP

Requesting a Change to Coverage 

For all Change to Coverage Requests please click here.
Since UHIP is mandatory at Ontario universities, there are very limited circumstances that will allow you to change your automated UHIP coverage, but circumstances that include:

Exemption Request

Exemptions requests are only accepted within the first 45 days of the term [Term deadlines are: Fall (Oct. 15), Winter (Feb. 15)  and Summer (June 15)].  To be eligible, you must have: 

• A current UHIP fee on SOLUS (fee titled: International Health Care) 
  • AND have coverage in an alternate pre-approved health plan
    Acceptable pre-approved plans include:
    – OHIP – the Ontario Health Insurance Plan
    – Any other Canadian provincial or territorial health plan (ie from BC, Alberta, etc)
    – Interim Federal Health Care Plan
    – Embassy of the State of Kuwait GHIP Replacement
    – Embassy of Botswana – Student Program (Cowan contract G0020376)
    – Ciencia sem Fronteiras (Csf)
    – Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau (SACB-HDP) Policy # 06614A
    – Libyan Embassy and Scholarship Program – Canada Policy # G0068002
     
  • OR you have diplomatic status + coverage in an alternate health plan
  • OR you are a sponsored student (education paid by home government) + coverage in an alternate health plan
  • OR you will not be in Ontario for your studies

If eligible to apply, proof of eligibility is required: Obtain electronic proof of your alternate coverage (with start/end dates) or departmental confirmation that your studies do not require you to be in Ontario, and click here to submit your Exemption Request.

Cost

How to Pay for UHIP

UHIP fees can be paid in the same method as all other payments to the university and do not need to be identified as such.

For acceptable payment options, please visit the Queen’s Office of the University Registrar.
Questions pertaining to fees, please email fees@queensu.ca.

What is Covered?

UHIP has been designed to offer similar primary health coverage to that of the provincial plan called OHIP, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.   For this reason, UHIP will provide coverage for similar services and to a maximum of 125% of OHIP Procedure Codes/Rates.  Should a provider bill more than this rate, you will be responsible to pay the difference.

Note: UHIP Claims can be reimbursed for 12 months from the Service Date (date the care was provided at the clinic/hospital).  However, claims for the 2021-2022 academic year to Aug. 31/2022 must be submitted before Oct. 31/2022 to be accepted by Sun Life.

UHIP covers up to $1,000,000 a year per member for the cost of eligible medically necessary health services and medical treatments. 

What is NOT Covered by UHIP?

As a primary health plan, UHIP does NOT cover the costs of:

• prescription medicine,
• vision care (exams/glasses),
• dental care,
• physiotherapy
• and only very limited travel coverage (outside of CAD)

However, if you are enrolled in the Queen’s supplementary health plan from your student government office, this additional health plan will have a specific level of coverage for these needs/services.

Contact your student government office within your first few weeks on campus to learn more about enrollment and coverage (AMS office for undergrads/exchange students and the SGPS office for grad students).

For details specific to each health plan, please watch the QUIC instructional videos:

• Video 1: Health Insurance – Introduction to Ontario Health Care system
• Video 2: Introduction to UHIP
• Video 3: AMS Supplemental Plan
• Video 4: SGPS Supplemental Plan

 

 

Preferred Providers (clinics and hospitals)

In Kingston preferred providers and resources include the following:

If you visit other clinics/hospitals or cannot provide your printed proof of coverage card, you will be billed at the time of the appointment and may not be reimbursed the full amount, based on the billing practices of the provider (if rates are greater than 125% of OHIP Procedure/Codes).
See the Claims section for directions on how to be reimbursed for costs incurred.

 

To find ‘preferred providers’ in other Ontario locations, see: 
https://www.sunlife.ca/studenthealth/uhip where you can enter an address or city to find clinics or hospitals (to suit the level of urgency) in a specific location.  

Claim Support

Typically, when you visit a Preferred Provider and can show your printed UHIP card, the clinic or hospital can bill the insurance company directly on your behalf.  However, the billing practices are dictated independently by each clinic and hospital. 

The plan allows for coverage to 125% of regular OHIP Procedure Codes/Rates.  Should the clinic or hospital bill higher than this rate for services, you will be responsible to pay the difference. 

Note: UHIP Claims can only be reimbursed for 12 months from the Service Date (date of your visit to the clinic/hospital).

Be sure to make a full copy of all for your records before submitting the documents. 

A tutorial is available to assist you in completing the claim form.

Plan on travelling outside of Ontario?

Questions about your supplementary health (travel) plan should be directed to your student government office.

Completing your studies

Since your renewal in UHIP for the new academic year occurs automatically in July, your UHIP coverage may not end automatically if you are nearing the end of your program and your feedback will be required (to cancel or extend coverage – limited options apply).

 

To apply to change your UHIP coverage (after completing your studies),  see link titled: Requesting a Change to Coverage (and the Adjustment Request option).

If your planning to stay in Ontario after completing your studies, visit the Service Ontario website to review eligibility for: OHIP.

 

Refunds (limited options)

Refunds/adjustments cannot be processed after March 1^st. 

If your registration status changes, you may be eligible to apply for a change to your UHIP coverage.  To apply, see link titled: Requesting a Change to Coverage (and the Adjustment Request option).

If eligible, refund amounts are based on the request date, can take 2-3 weeks for processing, and once finalized the credit will be applied directly to your SOLUS account. 

Overpayments made to the university can be returned after you make a request to the Registrar’s Office.

Contacts and Resources

*You will need to have your UHIP card accessible (from Manulife email) as you will need to verify the Policy # and your Member ID.

Other Resources

• UHIP website
• Student Wellness Services
• Understanding Health Care – A Health Care Road Map
• Eligibility for OHIP – the Ontario Health Insurance Plan
• UHIP for non-students: Please contact Queen’s University Human Resources