Medical insurance requirement
Medical insurance is a requirement for international students at BCIT.
If you already have BC Medical Services Plan, submit your proof of MSP enrolment to BCIT.
If you have not provided BCIT with proof of adequate medical insurance by your program start date, then you may be charged an International Health Insurance fee to your BCIT account and enrolled in Guard.me temporary emergency medical insurance.
Option to purchase Guard.me
If you are not yet in Canada, then you have the option to purchase temporary medical insurance coverage directly through the Guard.me medical insurance portal. The advantage of purchasing your own Guard.me policy is that you can customize the exact coverage dates. Be sure to purchase the insurance policy starting from your date of travel to Canada and through the end of your MSP coverage wait period. Guard.me will notify BCIT directly of any policy purchased.
Note that when using the Guard.me portal linked above, you must use your myBCIT student email address.
Apply for MSP
Once you are arrive in BC, you should BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) and then submit your proof of MSP enrolment to BCIT. MSP is mandatory for all residents living in BC for at least 6 months.
Understand that there is a coverage wait period for new residents of BC. Note that time spent in BC as a visitor does not count towards your MSP coverage wait period.
Adding dependents
If you will be traveling with dependents such as your spouse or children it is possible to add them to your Guard.me private medical insurance policy. Dependents of current BCIT students are eligible for the discounted rate of $2 per day.
Do-it-yourself on Guard.me’s website:
This option allows you to quickly add your dependents online 24/7 for your convenience, and to choose exact dates of coverage within your own coverage period. Note that you can only add dependents via this option AFTER your Guard.me medical insurance has been activated and and you have received your Policy #, which would typically happen at least one week before your planned arrival in Canada.
Follow the steps below:
- Check your myBCIT email inbox for your confirmation email from Guard.me, and make note of your Policy #.
- Visit the Guard.me portal for BCIT students and click the Dependents button, then enter your Policy # and date of birth.
- Enter the information required for each of your dependents and pay the fee online (by credit card) directly to Guard.me.