ISS is available virtually and in-person Mondays-Fridays during business hours.
From August 1 for returning and newly-admitted students in the Fall semester
From December 1 for newly-admitted students in the Winter semester
From April 1 for newly-admitted students in the Summer semester
Important contract disclaimers - see below
​To activate your International Health Insurance Plan:
- The student must be registered for classes for at least 24 hours.
- Access ⇒ Student⇒ International Student Health Insurance Coverage Form and select Confirm coverage from the drop-down menu.
Activation enables the student to make claims and get access to the ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û's Wellness Hub. There is a delay of 7 business days following activation to register for Medavie Blue Cross and Maple ²¹±è±è²õ.Ìý
The print button will appear immediately upon activation. You can save and show the electronic version of the ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û's IHI card on your mobile device when accessing the Student Wellness Hub and Hospitals in Montreal.Ìý
Exchange students who require a reassessment of the international health insurance fee must activate their coverage.
Students who meet certain criteria may be eligible for an exemption.
GOOD TO KNOW!ÌýDefault IHI coverage is for 12 months a time, from September 1 to August 31 the following year. New students get 2 complimentary weeks of coverage prior to the start date of the IHI contract,Ìýin case they need to seek urgent medical care before the start of the academic term. For example, a new studentÌý startingÌý theirÌý programÌý in the Fall will begin their two complimentaryÌý weeks of coverage on August 15th.
Note: If you do not have an existing travel plan in Canada and you have arrived in Canada earlier than 2 weeks before the start of your IHI contract, we strongly recommend having private medical health insurance coverage. You may choose to buy a visitor’s health insurance plan from Ìý(partner organization with Medavie Blue Cross). Their hours of operation are from 8h to 18h, Monday to Friday. You may obtain a or by calling 1-888-822-5383.
You can add your dependent(s) at the same time when you are activating your IHI contract. There are more details on our websiteÌýBefore requesting to add your child(ren) to the IHI plan, please note, all accompanying children (less than 18 years old) of international students, including minor students are eligible for Quebec’s Health Insurance Plan -Ìý.ÌýIf your child is covered under the RAMQ plan, you do not need to add them to IHI coverage.ÌýYou are still eligible keep or add your children to the IHI plan as your dependents.
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***IMPORTANT***Please review the following IHI contract disclaimers:
End of Coverage as a result of student's registration changes
- In order to be eligible to use the International Health Insurance contract and make claims, you must be a student registered (an actively/currently enrolled student) at ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û and you must pay* for the coverage.
- Any changes that affect your registration status at ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û, such as Admission Deferral, University Withdrawal, Registration Gap or Leave of Absence in any given term or any other kind of absence of registration, may result in the automatic cancellation of your ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û’s International Health Insurance plan.
- It is your responsibility to notify ISS immediately of any changes in your registration status, in order to comprehend the impact this change might have on your eligibility to use the ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û’s International Health Insurance contract.
- It is your responsibility to reimburse Medavie Blue Cross any refund for claims made after the change to your registration status.
Maternity benefits disclaimer:
Maternity benefits extend to you and your spouse if you re-register and were already covered under the Insurance Plan for ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û International Students or if you or your spouse were previously insured by a benefit from a group insurance plan offered by a recognized Canadian education during the previous academic year.
If you or your spouse were not insured during the previous academic year, maternity benefits are insured if normal delivery takes place during the first 30 weeks following initial registration in the plan up to a maximum of $20,000. The 30-week limitation does not apply in case of a miscarriage or early delivery, as long as conception occurred during the first 6 weeks immediately prior to or subsequent to registration.
Dependent disclaimer:
Please note that:
- If you are a returning student, it is your responsibility to add your dependents to your IHI plan every year when activating your coverage. If you do not activate your coverage on Minerva at the beginning of each academic year,Ìýyour coverage will automatically be activated to SINGLE, therefore leaving your dependents without coverage.Ìý
- It is your responsibility to make necessary changes to your health coverage as dependents join you in Canada.
- Your dependent children (under 18 years old) are eligible to be covered under the RAMQ plan, whether they were born inside or outside of Canada.
For any questions about the above disclaimers, please do not hesitate to international.health [at] mcgill.ca (contact us).Ìý