FAQs on IHI Coverage

1. Yes, if you remain in Canada during your LOA, you must be covered by health insurance.
2. You can opt-in to the International Health Insurance (IHI) plan while on an LOA. Please, contact us through the IHI Portal.

1. Yes: New students get 2 complimentary weeks of coverage prior to the start of their first term at McGill.
2. To obtain the complimentary coverage please activate your IHI coverage on Minerva.

1. If you are an international student and/or your dependants who is/are arriving in Canada more than 2 weeks before the start of your first term and require health insurance coverage, you may purchase a plan for visitors.
2. This plan can be purchased from Québec Blue Cross website.

You may add your dependants upon arrival in Canada by contacting ISS.

1. Yes, but coverage is limited. 
2. If you or your spouse were not insured by the Medavie Blue Cross International Health Insurance plan or by a similar benefit from a group insurance plan offered by a recognized Canadian educational institution during the previous academic year, maternity benefits - including delivery - are insured if normal delivery takes place during the first 30 weeks following initial registration in the plan up to a maximum of $20,000. 
3. Please be aware that medical and hospital costs are extremely high for non-residents of Canada and financial plans should be made prior to your arrival to Canada.

1. YES. Most prenatal-related expenses and delivery, including midwife services, are covered under the international health insurance plan if the normal delivery takes place after the first 30 weeks of the initial registration to the international health insurance plan.
2. For more details on the coverage related to pregnancy, please refer to page 10 of the Medavie Blue Cross Handbook.
3. Please take note it has become a common practice in Québec that hospitals, clinics and birthing centre to request upfront fees for maternity care and deposit for delivery.

1. YES. Any expenses directly or indirectly related to a pre-existing condition are payable to a lifetime maximum of $20,000 for each pre-existing condition.
2. Please refer to the Medavie Blue Cross Handbook page 6 for more details.

1. Yes, undergraduate international students are automatically covered by the SSMU Dental Plan or, for students enrolled in a program at the Macdonald Campus, the MCSS Dental Plan.
2. Graduate international students have the PGSS Dental plan.
3. Students wishing to opt out of the dental plan may do so at studentcare.ca. International Student Services is not involved in the administration of Student Societies dental plans. 
4. Please note that exchange students are not eligible to opt-in to McGill's dental plan.

1. Medavie Blue Cross (insurance company) reimburses students’ medical expenses according to the Québec rate meaning that if you use a “public” hospital or the Student Wellness Hub, Medavie Blue Cross will reimburse that expense according to the Québec rate.
2. If you go to a private clinic or off-campus clinic the rates tend to be higher than what a “public” institution would charge therefore you will not get full reimbursement for your medical expenses. We recommend always checking your coverage limitations with the Medavie Blue Cross insurance provider before setting up your visit at an off-campus clinic.
3. Medavie Blue Cross customer service can be reached at 1-888-873-9200.
4. Please note, that hospitals in the Montreal area and the Student Wellness Hub invoice Medavie Blue Cross directly.

1. YES. A pre-authorization is mandatory in order to confirm coverage and validate the terms of payment.
2. A Pre-Authorization Request form must be filled out prior to any planned hospitalizations or surgeries and sent to Medavie Blue Cross. Failure to submit this form will automatically result in a denial of the claim.

1. If you are a Canadian citizen you do not need to be covered by the International Health Insurance plan, regardless of your place of residence.
2. However, non-resident Canadian students who are not eligible for a Canadian health plan and have no insurance coverage or whose private insurance is not sufficient, have the option of enrolling on McGill's International Student Health Insurance Plan.
3. To do so, they must complete an online registration form no later than September 30 (Fall Term) or January 30 (Winter Term) or May 31 (Summer term).

1. It is a requirement from Immigration Québec that all international students maintain health and hospitalization insurance in Québec during the entire validity period of your CAQ.
2. All undergraduate students maintain active student status during the summer term, regardless of whether they are registered in courses or not during the summer term.

1. All claims must be received by Medavie Blue Cross Insurance no later than 90 days after the end of the policy year in which the claims were incurred or 90 days after the end of your coverage, whichever is sooner.
2. Full-year coverage ends Aug. 31 of the current academic year.
3. If you are submitting claims for services incurred before Sept. 1, your claims must be received by Medavie Blue Cross Insurance by Nov. 29 of the same year.
4. If you are submitting claims for services incurred on Sept. 1, and onwards, your claims must be received by Medavie Blue Cross Insurance by Nov. 29 of the following year.
5. For more information, please see page 19 of the Medavie Blue Cross Handbook. For information on how to submit a claim, please see our eClaims page.  
6. If you no longer have access to your Medavie Blue Cross app/portal, please use the Health Insurance Claim Form and mail it to the address: C. P. 3300, SUCCURSALE B, MONTRÉAL (QUÉBEC) H3B 4Y5.: