Can I be exempted?
If you are a member of one of the plans below, you do not have to join UHIP. You must, however, complete the Application Form in full and sign it, and provide proof of coverage under one of these pre-approved plans.
- Canadian International Development Agency Health Care Plan
- Canadian Bureau for International Education Health Care Plan
- Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan
- International Council for Canadian Studies Plan
- National Insurance Office for Social Insurance Abroad (Norway)
- World University Service of Canada Plan
- Embassy of Kuwait
- Interim Federal Health Care Plan
Certain of these plans may provide coverage for you, but not for your family members, in which case, you will have to indicate on the Application Form that you will not join UHIP, but your family will.
If you are a member of a plan other than those listed above please review the Non-approved insurance plans. Many requests for exemption recognition have already been evaluated and judged as not providing protection equal to UHIP. If your plan is on the Non-approved insurance plans list please proceed with application for UHIP. If your plan is not on the Non-approved insurance plans list, once you have completed the Application form and joined UHIP, complete a Certification for UHIP Exemption Form to apply for recognition of that plan by the UHIP insurer. You must submit an application for recognition each year that you are attending a participating university, since the coverage provided by the plan of which you are a member may change over time. While waiting for the decision of the UHIP insurer, you must pay the required UHIP premium. If your plan is subsequently recognized, you may apply for a refund of the premium.
To apply for recognition of the plan you are in, you must forward the Certification for UHIP Exemption Form to the organization that sponsors your plan, if there is one, and the insurer of the plan you are a member of. You must also send a copy to the UHIP insurer. You must complete these forms no more than 45 days after you join UHIP.
To be considered for recognition, the sponsor and insurer of the plan must send full plan details (in English or French) and sign the Certification for UHIP Exemption Form, confirming that:
- the plan provides benefits for members and their family, at home and abroad, at least equal to those provided under UHIP
- coverage will remain in effect during the term for which the member is applying for recognition (members must re-apply for recognition each year, since plan provisions may change), and
- the insurer or plan sponsor guarantees that the university will have no financial liability for the person in their plan for expenses that would have been paid under UHIP