Health Insurance

Sunlife Health Insurance is mandatory for all International and Exchange Students.
Quebec Government regulations require all International and Exchange Students to purchase the Sunlife Health Insurance Plan to study at Bishop’s University.

Bishop’s University will not accept any other health insurance policies. The only exception accepted is if you are eligible and covered by the RAMQ.

• Sunlife Health Insurance  ↓
• Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ)  ↓
• Studentcare (ASEQ)  ↓

Sunlife Health Insurance

As soon as you register to your courses at Bishop’s, a health insurance fee (Sunlife) is automatically billed for international students per semester. Here are the fees according to your registration:

You don’t need to apply for it.

The dates of coverage for this insurance are as follows:

• Fall = August 16th to December 31st
• Winter = January 1st to April 30th
• Summer = May 1st to August 15th

You can view the terms of the health coverage in the:

• Sunlife’s booklet
  • English Version
  • French Version
• My Sunlife – Flyer
  • English Version

* Please note that this insurance is a health and hospitalization insurance and does not cover dental care. You will find dental coverage with the Studentcare offered by the SRC. For more information, please visit their website or contact the SRC.

How to start?

As soon as you are register in your courses (courses selection) at Bishop’s, you will need to create your Sun Life account. Wait around a week between the time you register in your courses and the time you create your Sun Life account.

1. When you will be in Canada, call 1 800 361 6212 Monday or Tuesday from 8am to 8pm EDT
2. After choosing services in English or French, it will ask you to stay connected to the line or press 9. Stay on the line and wait for the next automated message.
3. It will first ask you for the contract code with Bishop’s: 050658#
4. Then it will ask for your student ID followed by “#”
5. Explain that you are a Bishop’s student and you need an access code. They will ask you for a security question and its answer. Note both information!
6. With your access code, go to www.mysunlife.ca  and choose I forgot my password.
7. Enter your date of birth and your access code and click on next. It will then ask you for the answer of your security question (from step 5). If answered correctly, you will be prompted to choose your password.

Then you will be able to connect to your account using your access code and your new password.  

On your account you will have access to the coverage, but also your insurance card. If you use the app, you will be able to use an electronic insurance card. However, please do not forget to print your insurance card and keep it with you just in case.   

*Don’t forget to print your insurance card and keep it with you.

To create your Sunlife online account, follow the steps contained in the following PDF:

• Guide to create a Sun Life online account and print your health insurance card
• Getting Started with my Sun Life Mobile

Claims

You can make your claims online through your Sun Life online account. By making your claims online, you should receive your refund within 24-48 hours.

It is also possible to make your claim in paper format. To do so, you will need to complete and sign the following claim form and mail it to the address indicated at the bottom of the form.

• Claim form – English
• Claim form – French

Pay your tuition fees

Deadline:

• Fall (First semester): September 30
• Winter (Second semester): January 30
• Spring / Summer (Third semester): May 31

* Please note that if you need to see a doctor before you receive your card, you will need to pay the fee, keep your receipt, and you can claim a refund when you have your card.

International Insurance Waiver Request

Students registered for this current semester and taking classes remotely, may exceptionally opt-out to the mandatory International Student Health Insurance during the time outside of Canada. To do so, you will need to fill out the form found on your myBU portal under the “Registrar’s Office” section, in the “Student Financial Information”:

Then click on “International Insurance Waiver Request”:

Then send it to the email listed on the form.

Please note: If you revoke your insurance policy for any given semester (if you are taking your courses online and you are not physically in Canada), you take the risk of being refused coverage for any health problem that could be considered pre-existing should you return the following semester.

Family

The mandatory insurance for international students is an individual insurance. Please note that if you are coming to study at Bishop’s and you are bringing your family (spouse, children) with you, you will need to take out a private insurance for your spouse. To help guide you in your search, Sunlife recommends that you check out this insurance for student dependents in Canada: https://www.securiglobe.com/en/our-products/travel-insurance-for-visitors-to-canada/

Children of international students:

If an international student is accompanied to Canada by his/her children, please note that as of 2021, children of foreign workers or international students may be covered by Quebec health insurance (RAMQ), as well as by the prescription drug insurance. (https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/news/2021-09-20/changes-healthcare-coverage-certain-children)

To know more about the eligibility conditions for the RAMQ health insurance, click here.

To know more about the eligibility conditions for the Quebec prescription drug insurance, click here.

Methods of Payment

For more information on how to pay for your insurance, please see the Tuition and Fees web page.

Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ)

If you are a citizen and a resident of Denmark, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Belgium, Romania or Greece, you may qualify for the Quebec Health Insurance Plan Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). Students who are nationals of a country that has signed an agreement with Québec must obtain the Social Security affiliation form before leaving their country of origin.

To know the eligibility conditions for health insurance as an international student, visit the RAMQ website.

COVID-19 update: Please note that the Québec Health Insurance coverage (RAMQ) offices will be closed to international students. If you need to apply for, or renew your Québec health insurance coverage, you will need to do so online.

You must apply online to the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) by following this link Register for health insurance and by submitting the following documents in PDF format: (Social Security affiliation form, Verification of Enrolment, CAQ for students other than exchange students for 1 semester, study permit and/or passport). Exchange students from France do not need to provide proof of enrolment in their application to the RAMQ.

The procedure will be the same for extending your health insurance coverage. However, students accompanied by family members will still need to use a paper form, which can be obtained by calling the RAMQ.

For more information: RAMQ 1-800-561-9749

Forms you must obtain before arriving in Montreal

Belgium: Form BE/QUE 128-QUE/BE 128
Denmark: Form QUE-DAN 4 “Guide sygesikrings” issued by the Copenhagen Health Service
Finland: Form SF/Q 4 issued by the social security institution
France*: Form SE 401 Q 102 or 106 issued by the Caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (CPAM).
*Exchange students do not need to provide a Verification of Enrolment.
Greece: Form Qué / Gr 6 issued by the Social Security
Luxembourg: Form LUX-QUE4 issued by the Luxembourg Health Insurance Fund
Norway: Certificate from the National Social Security Office for social security abroad
Portugal: “Declaraçao Segurança Social” form issued by the Social Insurance Office
Romania: Form ROU/QUE 106
Sweden: Certificate of social insurance in Sweden issued by the National Social Insurance Office

Refund from Sunlife insurance process

Note that all international and exchange students are still required to buy coverage with Sunlife. 

If you choose to apply for a RAMQ card, you will be eligible for a refund from Sunlife upon receipt of the RAMQ card and providing there have been no claims with Sunlife.

To be eligible for the refund you will also be required to send a copy of your RAMQ card with the letter from RAMQ indicating the coverage dates.

Please send PDF copies of the card and letter to acctrec@ubishops.ca.

Fall 2022 refund deadline: December 22, 2022 / Winter 2023 refund deadline: April 27, 2023.

Studentcare (ASEQ)

This is a supplementary insurance, which means that it is not mandatory. However, it could be a good complement to the Sun Life or RAMQ coverage! This insurance is coordinated by the SRC. For more information, please visit their website or contact the SRC (src@ubishops.ca ).

In their fees, international students also pay for the SRC Enhanced Dental insurance (studentacre)(https://studentcare.ca/rte/en/IHaveAPlan_BishopsUniversitySRC_WhosCovered_WhosCovered  ) which include a Dental Insurance as well as a travel insurance, access to legal services and the services of Empower Me (https://studentcare.ca/rte/en/IHaveAPlan_BishopsUniversitySRC_EmpowerMe_EmpowerMe ).

Students can opt-out from it once a year. Please, check the deadline: https://studentcare.ca/rte/en/IHaveAPlan_BishopsUniversitySRC_ChangeofCoverage_OptOuts

Students can also apply for their spouse or their children to be covered: https://studentcare.ca/rte/en/IHaveAPlan_BishopsUniversitySRC_WhosCovered_WhosCovered

International students covered by RAMQ may request a change and upgrade their coverage: https://studentcare.ca/rte/en/IHaveAPlan_BishopsUniversitySRC_Whoscovered_WhosCovered_InternationalStudents

For your information, Empower Me is a mental health and wellness service available 24/7, 365 days a year from 22 countries outside of Canada and in multiple languages: English, French, Mandarin, Spanish, Russian, German and Italian. ​