University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP)

You are eligible for UHIP if you are:

• a full-time student with a valid study permit or temporary resident visa issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, registered in a degree program at an accredited and participating Ontario university or affiliated college and pursuing an undergraduate, graduate or post graduate degree; 
• a part-time student who was previously enrolled as a full-time student and who has a valid study permit or temporary resident visa issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The part-time student must be registered in a degree program at an accredited and participating Ontario university or affiliated college and pursuing an undergraduate, graduate or post graduate degree.  The student may be enrolled as part-time student for a maximum of six semesters. 
• Note #1: You are eligible for UHIP coverage during a maximum of six part-time terms.
• Note #2: You are eligible for UHIP coverage during one four-month medical leave of absence during any twelve-month period.
• Note #3: You are eligible for a maximum parental leave of twelve months. 

International undergraduate students will be automatically charged for coverage under the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) for the first time once they have enrolled in more than two .5-credit on-campus courses. Continuous coverage must be maintained throughout your academic career at the University unless/until you can provide proof of having obtained OHIP coverage. So, your student account will continue to be charged for UHIP during every academic term you are taking at least one .5-credit on-campus course after that.

International Undergraduate Students

Regular Undergraduate students are charged a higher amount in the Winter term to ensure continuous health coverage to the end of August. Co-op Undergraduate students are charged the higher amount during every academic term to ensure continuous coverage during work terms.

International Graduate Students

Graduate students are charged the UHIP fee during every term, including Inactive terms, to ensure continuous coverage for the duration of your program.

Canadian or Permanent Resident Students Not Otherwise Covered

For most students coming to Waterloo from other provinces, your provincial health care plan can be used in Ontario.  Prior to leaving your province, contact your Provincial Health Plan office directly or view their website for the steps you must take to maintain your coverage while studying outside your province. Some provinces require you to fill out a form.

Canadians moving from one province to another are not eligible for UHIP coverage.  If your provincial health plan should expire before or during your studies in Ontario, you will need to apply for OHIP coverage.  You will need to purchase your own private health insurance plan to cover any gap in coverage that might occur.

If you have applied for Permanent Resident status in Canada and have received your "Approval in Principle" letter from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, you may be eligible for OHIP coverage. Please see the OHIP website to determine your eligibility.

UHIP coverage is compulsory for dependants. Your dependants must be enrolled in the plan within thirty days after they become eligible for coverage (i.e. the date of their arrival in Canada, the date of your marriage in Canada or the date of expiry of comparable coverage under another pre-approved plan), to avoid having a $500.00 penalty fee and premiums retroactive to the date they became eligible charged to your student account. Eligible dependants include

• a spouse
• a common-law partner
• children

How do I enrol my dependents?

You will need to visit The Centre in Needles Hall with original passports for each dependant, to enrol them. The additional charge for enrolling dependants will be posted to your student account:

Changes affecting UHIP coverage require you to submit a new form outlining the change:

• by e-mail to Student Financial Services or
• in person at The Centre in Needles Hall.

If you receive a letter from OHIP indicating you qualify for OHIP coverage, you need to provide a copy of the letter before the OHIP coverage becomes effective so adjustments can be made to your UHIP coverage.:

• take the letter to The Centre in Needles Hall or
• e-mail a scanned copy of the letter to Student Financial Services

If we receive your letter confirming OHIP coverage after it's effective, you will only be entitled to request a refund of UHIP premiums as of the first of the month following the date Sun Life receives the Request for Refund Form.

UHIP provides a web and mobile version of the UHIP card.

Once you have become “Fees Arranged”, you will be included on the next UHIP enrolment list. Sun Life will email your UHIP coverage card to you at your uWaterloo email address within two weeks after that. You can access the Sun Life member website for more services. If you're accessing the Sun Life website for the first time, please review the Sun Life Member Website UHIP registration

Note:  The password on file is your University of Waterloo Quest e-mail address. The certificate/member ID is UW0 (zero) followed by your eight-digit student ID number.

• you must apply for your extension while your UHIP coverage is still in effect (except in the case of emergency hospitalization).
• Extensions are continuous from the day after your UHIP coverage would have terminated.
• You must enroll your eligible dependents for the same extension period, even if they have not had UHIP coverage previously.
• Maximum extension will depend on the type of extension you require. Please see details below.  Once you select the number of months, you cannot change it.
• Extension requests are not accepted after the submission deadline each term (no exceptions), even if you didn't think you'd need an extension at that time. Deadlines are:
  • Fall term - December 31
  • Winter term - April 30
  • Spring term - August 31
• you must meet the eligibility criteria outlined on the UHIP website
• You can extend your coverage only once
• Proof of payment is required with your application for an extension.
• You can extend your coverage for one of the following reasons:
   
  • Graduation/convocation--Your coverage ends on the last day of the month you graduate/convocate  (up to the four-month maximum).  You must reside in Ontario during your extension. (see below for details)
  • Travel in Canada--You may extend your UHIP coverage up to two months effective the day after your UHIP coverage would have ended.  If you are travelling outside of Ontario, UHIP coverage is emergency care only and therefore travel insurance should also be considered.

Special note about applying for an extension when you have met your degree requirements:

• if you complete your degree effective April 30 or August 31, the maximum extension is two months, ie to allow you to attend convocation
• if you complete your degree effective December 31, the maximim extension is four months, after which you will need to purchase private insurance coverage to allow you to stay for your Spring convocation
• if you complete your degree effective some time during the first three weeks of the next term, regardless of whether you become Fees Arranged for that term, your UHIP coverage will be terminated as of the end of the previous term; so, you will need to apply for your UHIP extension by the deadline for the previous term. If it turns out you are not able to complete the degree requirements in the first three weeks of the next term, contact Student Financial Services to have the UHIP extension charge removed from your student account.

For more information about UHIP, please visit the UHIP website. You may also find these answers to Frequently asked UHIP questions helpful.

You can access the Sun Life member website for services such as checking claims and setting up for direct deposit. If you're accessing the Sun Life website for the first time, please review the Sun Life Member Website UHIP registration

Sun Life's Customer Care Centre can be reached at 1-866-500-8447 any business day from 8 a.m to 8 p.m. E.T.