Disclaimer: This is meant to help UCalgary undergraduate students navigate how to use their insurance plan. The information here may become outdated and readers should always confirm this information online and by contacting the relevant parties. I'm not an insurance specialist, this is just from my experience and yours may vary.
Do I need/have student insurance?
All full time undergraduate students are automatically enrolled in the plan and you will see the fee in your student portal ($211.12 a year at the time of this writing). You can only opt out by submitting an online form if you already have comparable health insurance coverage (you can also choose not to opt out in this case, and combine multiple plans).
You are covered for the full 12 months, not just the ones during which you are studying.
More info here: https://www.mystudentplan.ca/uofcalgary/en/am-i-covered.
Generally (if you start school in Fall), your coverage will start September 1, meaning your annual maximums will be reset each September (very important). For example, if someone used up all their $750 dental coverage during the school year they may want to wait until September to do further dental work if it's not urgent. If you're not sure about this, please reach out to the relevant parties on the student plan website.
What's covered?
How do I use my insurance for vision?
Your plan covers $50 per 24 months for eye exams and $150 per 24 months for glasses. If you are 18 or younger with an Alberta Health Card, just show that card and you are totally covered for your yearly eye exam without having to use your student insurance.
If the optometrist you're visiting offers direct billing and you want your insurance to be directly billed for these benefits (so you don't have to go online and submit a claim which is detailed in a lower section), register and enter your address with the instructions here: https://campusvision.com/insurance/student-insurance/university-calgary/. This takes 48 hours to come into effect so do it in advance.
Then, when you're paying at the front desk you can show them your myBenefits card which you can get here: https://www.mystudentplan.ca/uofcalgary/en/card-generator and you'll pay the uninsured part.
How do I use my insurance for prescriptions?
It's recommended to advise your doctor and pharmacist that you are on the National Formulary so that they know what is and isn't covered by your plan. The student plan website also includes a search where you can check if your prescription is covered. In rare cases, you can also fill out a form to get an exception (for example if you've tried covered medications to no avail).
Just show your pharmacy the same myBenefits card mentioned above in the vision section before you pay for your prescription!
How do I use my insurance for dental benefits?
IMPORTANT: UCalgary dental benefits only work at certain dental service providers managed by Dental Choice! One of them is on campus, you can check all locations under "Dental Coverage" on the left here: https://www.mystudentplan.ca/uofcalgary/en/mybenefits .
At one of these offices, let them know your student insurance information and they will directly bill eligible expenses to your insurance. The MyBenefits card says "This card will not work for Dental Providers" but the Dental Choice offices will ask you for basically the same information on the card. Take care of your teeth! You get 100% coverage for one standard diagnostic and preventative dental exam each year.
Dental can be more complicated than the others, due to the various expenses you may rack up. If you are confused at all, you can try asking the front desk for help in-person or over the phone and they will email or print you estimates and explain the costs.
Making claims
In some situations your insurance cannot be directly billed. For example, if you buy glasses usually you will get a receipt and will be told to make a claim. The easiest way to do this is by registering online as outlined here: https://www.mystudentplan.ca/uofcalgary/en/making-a-claim. After registering, you can submit your receipts for eligible expenses and set up direct deposit to get the appropriate amount reimbursed.
In one case, I showed the myBenefits card to my pharmacy and the info was incorrectly entered. I got my receipt and I noticed it showed $0 coverage when I got home. I contacted the insurance company to check if my pharmacy entered the correct information. The insurance company didn't receive any requests about covering my prescription so I made an online claim and also called my pharmacy who confirmed and corrected the mistake for next time.
I have a doubts or a question
If you have any doubts always contact your insurance or the pharmacy/dentist/optometrist/etc! There are many points of contact available to you outlined here: https://www.mystudentplan.ca/uofcalgary/en/assistance. Don't be afraid or worry that you're asking bad/stupid questions, it's always good to ask :). Feel free to reach out in the comments as well.
Insurance can be overwhelming! I hope this guide helps to remove some doubts from your mind and give you the confidence to use your benefits :D
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