As an international student, a number of things here in Canada are mandatory for your well-being.
Health insurance is one of them.
Even before coming to Canada, I had heard of the global praise the Canadian health care system gets. However, as an international student, while you’ll be able to indulge in some of the health care benefits, it won’t be entirely the same as actual Canadian citizens, who will have access to a wider variety of health care benefits, and free ones on top of that.
Rather, a number of benefits as an International student are limited, or come with out-of-pocket or co-pay costs.
Unfortunately, that's the reality of being an immigrant in another country.
From my time at York University, I learned that there are two branches of health insurance offered, (unless you have family in Canada who can let you opt into their health insurance plan).
The first is the student health and dental insurance plan provided to every York student made available by the York Federation of Students, whether you were an international or domestic student.
The second branch of insurance, is UHIP - the University Health Insurance Plan, which is usually offered by most public universities in Canada, and is also mandatory unless you opt out.
UHIP is basically the international, not-so-equivalent insurance coverage to what majority of Ontarians have, which is OHIP - Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
Colleges and private universities may have different insurance plans for international students not necessarily labelled as UHIP, (Such as Morcare) but their insurance coverage still differs from that of OHIP and carries similar limitations as UHIP.
As a York Student who has had UHIP during their undergrad, I can touch more on this than any of the other insurance programs offered to international students in Canada, but I do believe they carry numerous similarities.
There are a number of benefits that fall under UHIP, but a primary factor I have always had to consider for the past 4 years; Before going into any doctor, clinic or medical professional's office, I had to figure out whether that location will accept UHIP, because unfortunately not everywhere does.
I think this is one of the biggest differences between any other insurance plan and OHIP, is that regional acceptance in doctors offices, hospitals, clinics and other medical offices.
I learned the hard way, that UHIP is not universally accepted in Ontario.
For example, I go to the Glendon campus, York’s second campus. All through orientation back when I was in first year, even during the international student orientation, they praised the fact that the campus is located right next to a hospital.
Literally the next building after campus, right there, was a hospital.
So in the initial orientation I was like "wow, in case I ever required medical assistance, I have the comfort of knowing our next door neighbour is a hospital."
The thing is, that hospital does not accept UHIP.
So in case of an emergency, of course there’s that convenience of a hospital within walking distance, but it comes with the unsettling fact that anything you do there, you will have to pay out of pocket, and who knows how much that final bill will be.
Likely hundreds of dollars, and on an international student bank account, that can be a heavy hit.
For the locations that do accept UHIP, rest assured that aspects like general check ups are covered under it, so ideally you can have a free (or almost free) doctor’s visit.
For example if you’re going to get a birth control prescription from a doctor, your UHIP covers that visit.
If you need to go in to see a doctor about some stomach pain you're experiencing, that visit will essentially be covered by UHIP.
Things like prescription drugs however, are not covered under UHIP.
For a more detailed list of what exactly is covered under UHIP (and by extension, what isn't, check this link out. Tap here.
Also please bookmark this following link as well. It works as a guide to all the medical offices, whether it be a doctor's office, clinic, lab and more within Toronto and the GTA which accept UHIP.
If you didn't have this link saved already, it'll save you a headache in the future, trust me. Tap here.
Just plug in your location to find all those medical offices nearby who will accept your UHIP insurance.
If you live on campus, or you know where you currently reside will be your home for more than say a month or two, also try and make note of the closest doctor offices and hospitals and have those numbers saved in case of an emergency.
Please also note the link for searching for nearby doctor offices and clinics and more is mainly for cases of needing to see a doctor for a non-medical emergency.
In the case of a real medical emergency, please dial 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room for immediate medical attention.
As I mentioned earlier, besides UHIP, I believe most universities and colleges also have some kind of health insurance plan set up for their full-time students whether international or domestic.
In general actually, most benefits offered by universities and colleges are primarily set up for full time students.
At York, a full-time student is someone who is doing 9 or more credits per semester. (Make sure to consult your university or college's academic office to understand what type of student you're considered as, whether full time or part time, and how certain benefits may differ).
The health and dental plan offered by the York Federation of Students provides benefits like up to $600 off particular dental work, offers a co-pay system with certain clinics like AppleTree Medical (conveniently located on the located on Keele Campus) where you pay a $15 co-pay fee for an appointment and more.
Your university/college would have a more detailed breakdown of what exactly their health plan for their students is, what benefits it includes and what it covers.
Please everyone, take advantage of all these health care benefits.
For York Students, check out the following link for a simple breakdown of what insurance the York Federation of Students (YFS) plan provides: Tap here.
The YFS plan goes into effect from September (the beginning of the academic year) and expires on August 31st the following year.
Once you're still in school, haven't dropped out or graduated, the plan will automatically 'reset' from September 1st for the following academic year and so on, and you'll see the fees for both YFS and UHIP Plans show up on your September Student Account Statement ideally. (Unless you have your own family members whose insurance you can opt into and not pay any of the university's insurance fees).
The total price per year for both insurance plans for me was roughly between $800-$900CAD if I remember correctly, and this is a one time payment I would make at the beginning of every academic year in addition to those dreadfully inflated international student tuition fees.
In general, university, or just life as an international student in a post-secondary institution in general can have a serious physical toll on your body in addition to the mental, which some people don’t even realize, or fail to acknowledge because they aren’t too familiar with the benefits or coverages provided by their health insurance plans.
The prices when you have to pay out of pocket for medical services are also a big factor, as they can really scare people away from not wanting to seek out proper health care at all sometimes.
I've been there, done that - tried convincing myself during a medical episode that I was okay because I was afraid of what the bill would be to go see a doctor, and preferred to cripple up in a corner and suffer instead.
However, think of it like this: You’re paying all these additional fees for insurance, put the money to the best use possible. Even if it’s just a check up once a semester, it’s important to remain on top of your health.
Trust me, you won’t regret it. For many of us in university, and especially as International students, we don't really have anyone keeping track of our health.
You're responsible for you, both the good and the bad, so please take care of your body, especially while being a student, an immigrant, in a foreign country.
I have had MANY a health scare up here, and some pretty serious ones too, ranging from some gall bladder issues, (which was initially believed by the doctor to have been appendicitis) where I had to go to the hospital here in Canada for the first time, to food poisoning and more.
The hospital experience for me was terrible. I was stuck in a day long panic attack from the time I got there in the morning to the late hour at night I was finally allowed to leave because the base fee to be admitted was roughly $400, which I considered a HIGH expense.
When I tried contacting UHIP, they could not even provide me with a clear answer as to whether general hospital admittance was covered or not under the insurance plan. (After much back and forth I learned that it was covered, so I'm here to share this information with you because that day back in October 2019 will go down in the top 10 most stressful days in my life in Canada to date.)
It was also just an uncomfortable experience to have to go to the emergency room all on my own, no family or friends with me, fearing for the worst, fearing something was seriously wrong with me, thinking I might have to get surgery, if I could even afford the surgery, if I'd have to drop out of school and go back home.
I spiraled a lot that day, more than normal.
Earlier this year, I had another heath scare, where I went to the doctor for some serious pain in my side to the point that I couldn't even exhale comfortably without being in extreme pain at a point.
Once again I was filled with the same paranoid thoughts. I knew that time which hospital would accept my UHIP insurance if I needed to go (Humber River Hospital to those located in the North York region who may need this information) but what if I needed some serious procedure and I can't afford it.
The following day, I went to the doctor, where I was told the pain was probably just gas pain, and I should take some Gravol and Gatorade and it'll be fine. (I probably didn't sell it well enough as to just how much pain I was in).
The next day, I felt no better after taking my magical Gravol and Gatorade concoction; In fact I felt worse, and I had to muster the strength to return to the doctor's office again.
However that time I went back for a second opinion from a different doctor, because I could not for the life of me believe that all that mind-numbing pain was solely from gas.
LOW AND BEHOLD the second doctor (who also did a way more thorough check up) told me I likely had a kidney infection and needed to be prescribed antibiotics as soon as possible. (I'm fully recovered now THANK GOD)
I just remember looking at the doctor in shock that day, because if I didn't go with my gut and get a second opinion, who knows what health state I could've been in today.
In this COVID-19 environment, it is especially difficult to go in to see the doctor for anything outside of COVID related care and concerns.
It is also increasingly difficult as an international student.
I had the pleasure of needing to go to the hospital for my second time since being in Canada this year for another pain related emergency.
My main piece of advice, especially if you need to go to the hospital while we still maneuver through these COVID times - pack a bag, have some snacks, and don't forget your charger(s) whether it's for your phone, iPad, laptop, whatever it is.
The wait times are ridiculous.
I checked in just before 2:30pm, and I didn't leave till minutes to midnight that night.
It was also a little uncomfortable being in the hospital again in general, but an extra dose of concern came from having to be in the hospital in the heights of COVID times.
Everyone goes to the hospital for different reasons, however if you'll need to go to the emergency room, be prepared for a minimum of a 6 hour wait roughly.
This is just based on my experience from the two times I've been, and since COVID I'm pretty sure wait times have worsened. That plus never knowing who else is in the emergency room on any given day, it's probably one of life's most unpredictable areas ever.
The only food item I had with me in my bag was a waffle, because I didn't even plan on going to the hospital that day, I'd just planned on going to the doctor to find out what could've been causing my pain. So by the time I'd left the hospital, I was STARVING.
Coming here as a Black International female student, I've always, and continue to feel like all odds are against me when addressing anything health related.
Also paired with that unfortunate and ridiculous assumption that black women can bear pain better than anyone, it has not been easy.
I've had to tough out symptoms from different health scares over the years because my experiences with addressing anything outside of needing a prescription have been just a smidge traumatizing to say the least.
I don't want to scare anyone or make them doubt the health care system, these are just my own experiences.
What I will say, is that at the end of the day - you know your body better than anyone else. Listen to it.
Don't tough out the pain, don't wait it out for fear of the expenses, because especially as an international student, if your situation is similar to mine in terms of having no immediate family here in Canada, you NEED to take care of yourself.
No one else will really do that for you.
Many a times I've stressed my parents out unintentionally, when the 'simplest' solution would've been to just go to the doctor. So please, again, listen to your body.
A lot of my health scares were stress induced to say the least, and post-secondary education in itself is extremely stressful, no matter what school you attend, no matter what you study.
Factor in being an international student and there are a number of additional stressors, such as not even knowing how the health system works in its entirety, what is covered by your insurance, what isn't, where accepts it etc.
It's a lot to take on as one person.
But one thing you should never have to second guess, is your health, and this includes your Mental health. Both physical and mental health are of the utmost importance!
Never be afraid to ask questions.
And listen to your gut.
If it's telling you get a second opinion, GET A SECOND OPINION.
I cannot stress this enough!