Navigating Concordia’s Health Insurance Plan
Featuring a mix of students’ experiences and technical information, this article is the guide for anyone looking for an accessible overview of Concordia’s health insurance plan. Graphic Joey Bruce
Though it has its flaws, here is a guide on utilizing your student health insurance.
When Concordia student Anthony Issa was in need of new glasses, he assumed the total cost would be covered by his insurance. “My eye exam cost me about $100, and the actual senses and glasses cost me $450, which was already a huge discount. In total, I paid over $500 - I got $120 back from my Concordia insurance.”
Students' experiences with the university’s healthcare system have varied in success. Although the Concordia Student Union’s Health Plan has seemed complicated to various students, its benefits can be crucial in certain circumstances.
Here is a concrete guide to this plan, as well as first-hand accounts from students who have needed it.
On average, Concordia students pay hundreds of dollars in fees towards their student health insurance. Running the information, for example, of an Arts and Science undergraduate taking five classes through Concordia’s tuition calculator, many differences arise based on the student’s particular circumstances.
If the student is a Quebec resident, they will pay approximately $75 in fees during the Fall semester (September to December) and $150 in fees during the Winter semester (January to August).
If a student is Canadian but from outside Quebec, the number stays the same. However, coverage for services not guaranteed by the union’s plan entirely depends on the student’s home province’s health insurance. Costs jump to around 900$ for international students. The numbers also vary depending on the students’ programs and course load, but the biggest factor is where students are from.
For Quebec residents, health insurance not only encompasses any service offered by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), but also additional coverage provided via the CSU’s Health Plan, paid for when students pay their tuition at the start of the semester.
For students with their own healthcare plans, either provided by a place of employment or a parent, there is an option to opt out of the union’s plan. Students who pull out of their plans will be reimbursed by the university, as stated on the CSU’s website. The current deadline to opt out of the plan for the Winter 2022 semester is Jan. 24. Students may head to that website for additional information on potentially withdrawing from their plan.
Canadian students from provinces other than Quebec can access the CSU’s health insurance plan as well, but they need to meet certain criteria. These include paying their tuition and taking at least three credits during the semester, although students who are not taking classes, but are still enrolled at Concordia, can still receive some reduced benefits via Maple, a virtual telehealth service.
Once these criteria are met, the insurance covers the following: 80 per cent coverage for vaccinations, 80 per cent for psychologist services (max. $750 annually), $75 for eyeglasses and contacts, $30 for eye exams, $150 for lasik eye surgery, $20 for every trip to a physiotherapist, dietitian, chiropractor, or osteopath (max. $400 annually), 50 per cent coverage for basic dental services and up to 70 per cent for preventive dental services (max. $750 annually), financial compensation for health-related travel incidents, as well as coverage for ambulances and medical equipment.
“This is a lot of people’s first insurance alone, so the school for sure benefits from people’s lack of experience. It’s much cheaper than typical insurance, but it’s almost like a supplementary insurance plan.” — Tristan Wilkins
Fourth-year student Rose Tavormina has had relatively positive experiences with the health insurance plan, “I use it every month for my prescription. I find it pretty simple. I pick up my prescription at the pharmacy and they deduct the amount the RAMQ covers, I pay the rest which is about $20. Then I just upload my receipt and submit the claim through the student care app and it takes about two weeks for them to refund. So my prescription is 100 per cent covered.”
“The (Virtual Care at Concordia) app was a little dated and hard to get to work properly but getting the claim paid was very easy,” said Wayne Huras, a fourth-year student. When Huras needed a prescription refunded, he filed his claim and was given the money two days later.
There are, however, some issues that arise for certain demographics. Out-of-province students may be left paying more if their insurance covers less than Quebec’s. The students who bear the brunt of coverage issues, though, are international students. For non-Canadian students, the CSU’s plan does not apply. Instead of paying for the CSU’s healthcare plan, these students pay for a different plan. They must go through the Medavie Blue Cross plan in order to get their medical expenses covered, but cannot opt out.
The Blue Cross’s plan is offered by the university uniquely for international students. They can are covered for some healthcare procedures, but pay a much higher fee and have less coverage overall than Canadian students.
The plan covers the following services for international students: $500 annually for psychologists or psychiatrists, no coverage for vaccinations, $35 for two years’ worth of eye exams, $50 for every trip to a physiotherapist, dietitian, chiropractor, or osteopath (max. $750 annually), coverage for dental care only if medically necessary or mandated by a doctor (max. $250 annually), and some additional benefits.
When trying to find out more about Concordia’s policy on wisdom teeth removal, second-year student Tristan Wilkins encountered several roadblocks. “There was a whole process for submitting a claim, [and]trying to get an estimate takes forever. I only found out how much it would cost me much later. Imagine a student waking up from a procedure, not knowing how much they would have to pay.” Wilkins continued, “this is a lot of people’s first insurance alone, so the school for sure benefits from people’s lack of experience. It’s much cheaper than typical insurance, but it’s almost like a supplementary insurance plan.”
“I had a nightmare experience with [Concordia’s insurance plan] that was so negative, drawn-out, and frustrating that I almost gave up. Only when I got the CSU involved to help me chase it all down did I get any results.” — Mark Hamilton
Grad student Mark Hamilton, who needed the coverage for therapy sessions, had an even more challenging time. “I had a nightmare experience with them that was so negative, drawn-out, and frustrating that I almost gave up. Only when I got the CSU involved to help me chase it all down did I get any results,” he said.
“They phoned me more than once, and also emailed me more than once to both keep me posted and see how I was doing. It felt like it was being made so complicated and frustrating that my giving up was their hope,” he added.
When students need to use their university health insurance, they need to go through the Concordia healthcare website. On it, they are instructed to download an app called “Virtual Care at Concordia.” Once on the app, they can submit claims to the school so they may be reimbursed.
The app, however, has gained a reputation for not running too smoothly. When trying to get the money back for his glasses, Issa struggled with the app. “The user interface is just ugly. There are glitches, [and] the information deletes itself. I needed to input my banking info, so as my phone went on standby while I was looking for my information, everything got deleted and I had to start again.”
The app currently has a rating of 2.3 stars out of 5 on Apple’s App Store, a demonstration that Issa’s frustration is not an isolated incident.
Medical expenses can be quite burdensome for students, which is why Concordia’s health insurance efficiency is vital. Although it has problems surrounding coverage and accessibility, there are a lot of ways for students to utilize the insurance for which they are paying.
