Office Hours:

Monday and Thursday, 9 am - 3 pm (in person)

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 9 am - 3 pm (virtual)

Contact health@gsumun.ca.

General Information & Forms

  • Domestic students don’t have to opt in as it is automatic.

  • OPT-IN FORM

  • If you opt out of Guard Me, you automatically enroll in Green Shield unless you want to add a dependent.

    1. It is the student's responsibility to read and be aware of the important information and dates related to health and dental insurance. This involves reading the information on the GSU website, handbooks and communication emails.

    2. It is the student's responsibility to let the health and dental team know of unexpected changes to their circumstances related to their health and dental insurance as soon as possible.

    3. All decisions made on any health and dental care will be according to the information on this website (with consultation from Green Sheild) and any circumstances not outlined will be discussed with the health and dental committee.

Note: Payment is accepted using e-transfers to gsugm@gsumun.ca.
We no longer take payments through PayPal.

Health & Dental Rate Card

Brochure

Health & Dental Opt-In

  • Students and their dependents need to have a valid MCP card or other provincial coverage for opting in.

    Domestic graduate students automatically enrolled in GSC Health and Dental insurance plan starting their first semester.

    International students initially enrolled in Foreign Health Insurance (GuardMe), and once they get MCP, they are eligible to Opt-Out from Guard Me. Once they opt out, students are automatically enrolled in GSC (Green Shield Canada) Health and Dental plan.

    Students who OPT-IN in the Fall semester will automatically be opted in again in the following Winter and Spring semesters. OPT-IN statuses are reset every September, so students need to OPT-IN at least every September.

    For Couple and/or Family enrollment, the student has to enroll for 1 year in September however, if their dependent meet below mentioned criteria, GSU can assess the case and OPT-IN in the winter and spring term as well.

  • An individual OPT-IN is defined as a full-time graduate student member of the GSU.

    The individuals need to have a valid MCP card or other provincial coverage for opting in.

    Students who have opted out before and wish to return to the plan need to contact us, and we will instruct them to refer to the GSU website.

    New full-time graduate students are automatically added to the plan (Foreign Health Insurance/GuardMe) by the Cashier’s office. Those wishing to opt back in need to do so online.

    International students are automatically enrolled in the Foreign Health Insurance (Guard. me). Suppose they wish to OPT-IN to our GSU insurance (Green Shield Canada) instead (as it is more comprehensive). In that case, they will need to contact the IO, and we will need to provide them with an exemption (an email confirmation of the exemption will suffice).

  • A dependent OPT-IN is defined as any GSU full-time graduate student member who wishes to extend coverage to themselves and any dependent (spouse or child).

    The dependents must also have a valid MCP card or other provincial coverage for opting in.

    The coverage must be renewed every fall semester by registering and paying. It does not happen automatically.

    Students wishing to add dependent members to the plan in the Winter or Spring term must get permission from the plan administrator to do so and, without extenuating circumstances, must pay the fee for the full year regardless of when they joined.

    Note to the student that the student’s insurance is separate from the dependent OPT-IN and that, while they are charged each semester on their student account, the dependent payment will have to be paid in full.

  • A dependent OPT-IN is defined as any GSU full-time graduate student member who wishes to extend coverage to themselves and all dependents (spouse, child, etc.).

    The dependents must also have a valid MCP card or other provincial coverage for opting in.

    The coverage needs to be renewed every fall semester by contacting the H&D office and making payment. It does not happen automatically.

    Family OPT-IN are strongly advised to be conducted at the beginning of the academic year (Fall Semester).

    Students wishing to add family members to the plan in the Winter or Spring terms must get permission from the plan administrator to do so and, without extenuating circumstances, must pay the fee for the full year regardless of when they joined.

    Note to the student that the student’s insurance is separate from the family and that, while they are charged each semester on their student account, the family payment must be paid in total upfront.

  • Remember to check your preferred package while filling in the opt-in form: Health only, Dental only or Both.

    Please keep a copy of your payment receipt in the form of a screenshot or a transaction statement.

    All graduate students are required to keep track of their MUN student financial accounts. You can access your MUN financial account by logging in to the MUN self-service page. We strongly advise students to check their accounts at least twice a semester, once before the deadline for fee payments and again about 6-7 weeks into a semester, and to report any unexpected charges. The student is responsible for ensuring all charges are correct and that all procedures are followed appropriately before the deadline. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our office as soon as possible so that we can assist you.

  • Click on the OPT-IN form before the opt-in deadline for the semester.

    • Fill in all the details carefully as the student will be solely responsible for any mistakes on the form. Please contact our office if you made any mistake while filling out the form.

    • The rate card for all plans is attached in the form for the convenience of the student.

    • Once the form is complete, you will have to make payment to GSU via online transfer. The detailed payment process is mentioned on the opt-in form. Once the form is filled please send evidence of the payment tohealth@gsumun.ca. Make the Subject of the email “Health and Dental Couple/Family payment”.

Health & Dental Opt-Out

  • Students who opt out in the Fall semester will automatically be opted out again in the following Winter and Spring semesters. Opt-out statuses are reset every September, so students must opt out at least every September.

    Students can either pay their full tuition minus the H&D fees (they shouldn’t be charged the late payment fee) or pay everything (their accounts will be credited for the next semester by the cashier’s office).

    An opt-out application will be declined if

    Students only have emergency travel coverage, such as foreign health insurance.

    Another country provides health insurance.

    Only has MCP or other provincial health cards.

    Not a distant student.

    If a student has used some of their coverage during the academic year.

    Students can only opt out in Fall unless their case falls into one of the following exceptional circumstances. If they call into one of the categories, the student needs to opt out at the start of the affected semester.

    The student goes from part-time to full-time and has alternative insurance coverage.

    The student has started working with an employer and receives alternative insurance coverage from the employer within the academic year.

    The student is a distant student and is not in Canada.

    If there is a demise of a student who had coverage at the time, reach out to Green Shield for death-related coverage. If the student is covered, the insurance Company will provide a form to be filled out by a family member. Ensure to include H&D general manager, SGS@mun.ca, and student wellness in the email.

    Once students have opted out, they cannot opt back in during that same academic year unless their alternate insurance has been terminated. We would then need proof of this transaction before proceeding.

  • Students can only opt out of the FALL semester unless there is a valid reason for the delayed opt-out. The opt-out period approximations are as follows:

    Fall: Sept 6 to Oct 10

    Winter: Jan 6 to Feb 1

    Spring: May 6 to June 1

    Students can opt out of any alternative insurance as long as it's a Canadian provider which provides coverage in Canada. Please note that MCP on its own is not an acceptable form of alternative coverage.

    ALL Students must have MSP or Provincial Emergency coverage that covers things like Emergency Hospital Visits, Doctor Visits or anything else that is typically covered through the province with no out of pocket to the member.

    Foreign coverage, such as coverage held in another country, is not valid for opting out of the GSU plan.

    If a Student provides proof of alternative health & dental coverage with another plan (individual or employer) or insurer (within Canada), it has never been our intent nor have we enforced that this coverage must be comparable down to the individual benefit and maximum levels.

    International students who live outside of Canada are not eligible for Green Shield coverage and must opt-out from both Green Shield Canada health and dental insurance before 10 Oct, 2023.

  • To opt-out of the foreign health insurance (Guard Me) plan and opt into the Green Shield Canada health insurance plan, visit the Internationalization Office website and follow the opt-out process before October 10, 2023.

    PLEASE SELECT GRADUATE STUDENT UNION (GSU). Incorrectly selecting the MUNSU Health and Dental Plan will not opt you out of the GSU Health and Dental plan, and the insurance charges will remain on your account.

    Opt-out confirmation email (acknowledge email)

    When a student completes the online form, a confirmation email with a code will be sent as ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of your opt-out application. This means the application was received and will be processed in a timely manner. The application can still either be approved or rejected.

    This is an ACKNOWLEDGEMENT email and NOT A CONFIRMATION FOR SUCCESSFUL OPT-OUT.

  • For international students who are outside Canada: You can use GSU’s address for completing the form: 216 Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s, NL, A1B 3R5, CANADA; and the office number: (709) 864-4395. Please remember to fill ‘DISTANT STUDENT’ in the fields where they ask for insurance-related details like policy numbers. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the GSU Health & Dental office immediately by email.