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    Health Insurance

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    COWAN Health Insurance is mandatory for all International and Exchange Students.

    Quebec Government regulations require that all International and Exchange Students be covered by the health insurance coverage offered by their institution. 

    International students at Bishop’s University are covered by the COWAN health insurance plan. Bishop’s will not accept any other health insurance policies. The only exception is for students who are eligible for and covered by the Quebec public health insurance plan (RAMQ).

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

    COWAN Health Insurance

    As soon as you register for your courses at Bishop’s, a health insurance fee (COWAN) will be automatically billed to your invoice for the semester. Other than being registered for your courses, no additional steps are required on your part to be enrolled in COWAN insurance.

    Fees for the 2023-2024 academic year are as follows:

    • From August 16 to December 31 (FALL): $396
    • From January to August 15 (WINTER+SUMMER): $315
    • From January to August 15 (WINTER+SUMMER): $469 New students in Winter
    • From May 1st to August 15 (SUMMER): $290 for the students admitted in Spring

    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 these booklets:

    * Please note that COWAN insurance is health and hospitalization coverage and does not cover dental care. International students, with the exception of exchange students, can have access to dental coverage thanks to the StudentCare plan offered by the Students Representative Council (SRC). For more information, please visit the StudentCare website or contact the SRC.

    How to start?

    As soon as you will be registered for your courses at Bishop’s, your contact information will be sent to COWAN.

    You will receive a welcome email from COWAN Insurance at the start of the semester telling you how to proceed to open your account and access your insurance card.

    Please note that this email will be written in both French and English; be on the lookout! Keep this email and follow its instructions carefully in order to access the online insurance portal. We recommend that you access your insurance portal at the start of the semester rather than waiting until you actually need to access health care services. You must present your health insurance card when accessing healthcare in order to avoid up-front payment.

    On your portal you will have access to the coverage, a list of providers, and 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.

    Claims

    You can make your claims online through your COWAN 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 (French Claim Form / English Claim Form) and mail it to the address indicated at the bottom of the form. You will receive your refund by cheque.

    Pay your Tuition Fees

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

    * Please note that if you need to see a doctor before you receive your health insurance card, you will need to pay any associated fees and keep your receipt. You will be able to claim a refund when you have your card.

    International Insurance Waiver Request

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

    1. Login to myBU.
    2. Click on Registrar’s Office.
    3. Click on International Insurance Waiver Request.
    4. 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.

    Dual Citizens


    Students with dual citizenship and whose file at Bishop’s reflects their Canadian citizenship are not enrolled in COWAN insurance. Please note that when you take up residence in Quebec, even if you are a Canadian citizen, there is generally a 3-month wait period before you become eligible for the Quebec public health care plan (RAMQ). If you incur healthcare expenses during this time, they will not be reimbursed. If you wish to be covered by COWAN during this waiting period to protect yourself, it is your responsibility to contact Ms. Hassina Bitam (hassina.bitam@ubishops.ca) and request to be registered and billed. To learn more about eligibility requirements for the RAMQ, please visit their website: Know the Eligibility Conditions | Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) (gouv.qc.ca)

    Accompanying Family Members

    The mandatory COWAN health insurance for international students is individual coverage for the enrolled student only. 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 health and hospitalization insurance policy for your spouse in order to comply with the conditions of your CAQ. Required conditions to study in Québec | Gouvernement du Québec (quebec.ca)

    Children of international students:

    If an international student is accompanied in Canada by his/her minor 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.

    See the eligibility conditions for the RAMQ health insurance for more information.
    See the eligibility conditions for the Quebec prescription drug insurance for more information.

    Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ)

    If you are a citizen and a resident of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia or Sweden, 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.

    After arriving in Quebec, you must apply online on the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) website, and submit the following documents in PDF format:

    • Social security affiliation form from your country of origin. Make sure that you have the most up-to-date version of the form.
    • Verification of enrolment, available on the MyBU portal free of charge. Exception: Exchange students from France do not need to provide proof of enrolment with their RAMQ application.
    • CAQ and study permit. Exception: one-semester exchange students.
    • Passport.

    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, call the RAMQ at 1-800-561-9749.

    Forms you must obtain before arriving in Quebec

    Please ensure that you receive the most up-to-date version of the form. Exemples de documents | Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) (gouv.qc.ca)

    Belgium: Form BE/QUE 128-QUE/BE 128.
    Denmark: Valid Danish health card, obtained before you leave for Québec.
    Finland: Form SF/Q 4 issued by the social security institution.
    France: The appropriate form issued by the Caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (CPAM):
    * Form SE-401-Q-102 for degree-seeking students.
    * Form SE-401-Q-106 for exchange students, dual-degree students.
    Greece: Form GR/QUE 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: Form POR/QUE 4.
    Romania: Form ROU/QUE 106.
    Serbia:  Form SRB/QUE 14).
    Sweden: Certificate of social insurance in Sweden issued by the National Social Insurance Office.

    Refund from COWAN insurance

    Note that all international and exchange students, including those who may be eligible for the RAMQ provincial coverage, are still enrolled in and required to purchase coverage with COWAN. 

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

    To be eligible for a refund, you must send a copy of your RAMQ card with the letter from the RAMQ indicating the coverage dates prior to the Bishop’s deadline. Please send PDF copies of the card and letter to acctrec@ubishops.ca and copy hbitam@ubishops.ca on the email.

    Refund Deadline (last day of the semester):

    Winter 2024 refund deadline: April 25, 2024.
    Fall 2024 refund deadline: December 20, 2024

    StudentCare (ASEQ)

    StudentCare (ASEQ) is supplementary insurance, which means that it is not mandatory. However, it could be a good complement to the COWAN or RAMQ coverage! This insurance is coordinated by the Bishop’s University Students Representative Council (SRC). For more information, please visit their website or contact the SRC: src@ubishops.ca.

    In your fees, international students pay for the SRC Enhanced Dental insurance (StudentCare) which includes dental insurance as well as travel insurance, access to legal services and the services of Empower Me. Please note that exchange students are not eligible for this insurance coverage.  Empower Me is a mental health and wellness virtual service available 24/7, 365 days a year, in English and French. If you are outside of Canada, the service is available for a maximum of 90 days.

    Students can opt-out from the StudentCare dental insurance once a year. Please, check the deadline. However, prior to opting out of this coverage, you should be aware that in Quebec even routine dental work such as cleanings can be very costly.

    Students can also apply for their spouse or their children to be covered.

    International students covered by the RAMQ may request a change and upgrade their coverage.