International Student Health Insurance

1. International Student Health Insurance Understanding Your Insurance

2. What’s Covered?? • Visiting the Doctor • When you are sick with a non-urgent condition – ie. flu, you may visit the doctors on-campus. • Hospitalization • The hospital will need to see your foreign health cardso they can bill the company directly for your visit • Prescription Medicines • You may purchase medicine from a pharmacist with a prescription – pay first, and keep the receipt. Mail it with a claim form to receive your reimbursement. • Physical and Eye Exams once a year

3. What’s Covered?? (cont.) • Emergency dental treatment (if you are in pain you can visit a dentist to have your teeth fixed – max $300) • Going on vacation anywhere in the world • Going on a work-term anywhere in the world (home country included)

4. Tip #1 • You get one complete physical exam and one eye exam every year! • You do not need to have a medical problem for these visits – “check-up”

5. Making a doctor’s appointment skit Double click on the video image to view skit, and turn up the volume on your computer

6. Tip #2 • If you buy medicine from a Pharmacy using a prescription you can get ALL of your money back. • Fill out a claim form & attach your receipt, send it to the insurance company • They will send you a cheque in the mail • Claim forms are at Corte Real office or http://www.mun.ca/isa/health/index.php

7. What’s NOT Covered • Dental treatment or procedures • Undergraduate and ESL students do not have dental coverage. Graduate students should contact the GSU for information. • Pregnancy/Contraceptives (except morning after pill) • Glasses/lenses, hearing aids, etc. • Elective surgery or tests not required by a doctor. • Vaccines, non-essential or esthetic medicines • Injury during dangerous sports

8. What’s NOT Covered (cont.) • Doctor’s visits for prescription medication refills, regular checks for ongoing, chronic or non-emergent conditions • Going home or to the USA for longer than 30 days

9. Before you see the doctor… • Bring a claim form and your health insurance card with you so that the doctor will not charge you for your visit. • Read and understand your policy. If you have questions, ask the ISA office or call Student Guard. The policy is translated into several languages.

10. Student Guard Website: • http://www.studentguard.com/

11. How much does it cost? • Your insurance costs $237.25 per individual per semester. • You have to pay for your own prescriptions and wait for a refund

12. If you are leaving MUN… • When you finish your program, or if you leave MUN before you’re finished – let our office know. • We can only cancel your insurance for you if you ask us before the opt out date and only if you have not seen any doctors (made a claim) • If you are registered, you will be charged for health insurance. If you take a semester off, but still need insurance, contact us to find out how to purchase private health.

13. If you need help… • Come to our office and ask one of us • Call the insurance company (the toll-free number is on the back of your card) • Visit our website for a copy of the policy and downloadable claim forms

14. How does the Canadian Health System work? • Canada has a government funded health care system. • All people are provided with equal treatment. • First come, first serve basis

15. Three levels of care in Canada • General practitioner family doctors at their clinics. • Specialist doctors who are trained in specific areas of medicine. People can only see these doctors if they are referred to them through their general practitioner family doctor. • Emergency services at the hospital. People only visit these rooms when they are in crisis and need immediate care.

16. Going to see Specialist Skit Double click on the video image to view skit, and turn up the volume on your computer

17. Going to Emergency Room skit Double click on the video image to view skit, and turn up the volume on your computer

18. What are the first steps I have to take when first arriving in Newfoundland? • Apply for you Student Guard Insurance Card • You need to go to the International Student Advising Office • Locate the Student Health Office (4th floor of the University Center). This is the office where the University’s GP family doctors are located. Talk with the secretary about becoming a patient of one of these family doctors.

19. What does a General Practitioner (GP) Family Doctor do? • General practitioner family doctors are a person’s main doctor in the Canadian healthcare system. • Take care of the majority of health issues • Monitor all other services their patients have with other doctors by requesting the results of these services. • Main health file is kept with your family doctor.

20. List of services family doctors perform with their patients: • Diagnose and treat people's health issues • Give advice and support • Consult with other health professionals and referring people to specialized care. • Interview and examine patients • Order lab tests, x-rays and other tests to assess their health and diagnose health problems • Recommend care and treatment, which may include prescription medications or treatments, nutritional advice. • Make referrals to specialist physicians or other healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists or massage therapists • Give vaccinations, and in the case of some family doctors, deliver babies and provide healthcare before and after birth

21. Where can I find a General Practitioner (GP) Family Doctor • NOTE: It is VERY DIFFICULT to find a GP Family Doctor in Newfoundland •  MUN has three of these doctors on staff full-time at the Student Health Office (4th Floor of the University Center). • Make an appointment by calling (709) 737-7597. • As a student of Memorial, you will automatically be accepted as a patient at this clinic.

22. Cancellation Skit Double click on the video image to view skit, and turn up the volume on your computer

23. If you want to see a GP family doctor outside this office, you need to call (709) 729-4984 and press #1 to get a list of GP family doctors who are taking new patients. • This list will be broken into three sections: St. John’s East, St. John’s Center, and St. John’s West. You can get to all three of these areas using public transit, however, St. John’s East and St. John’s Center is the closest to the university.

24. What do I do if I am sick? • General Sickness • Call the secretary of your (GP) Family Doctor and ask for an appointment * Student Health Office (737-7597) • Ask to be notified if there are any cancellations/asked to be squeezed in* • Doctor will determine if you need to see a specialist* • At Student Health, there is a nurse who is also available who can be seen for some issues • Emergency Sickness • For urgent care, go to the emergency room in one of the two hospitals **

25. Science experiment skit Double click on the video image to view skit, and turn up the volume on your computer

26. Pharmacy • In Canada, patients need prescriptions for medication • Examples of pharmacies are: • Campus Pharmacy (3rd Floor University Center), • Shopper’s Drugmart • Lawton’s Drugs • Walmart Pharmacy • Pass the prescription to the Pharmacist and he/she will give you your prescription

27. Pharmacy skit Double click on the video image to view skit, and turn up the volume on your computer

28. What are the names of the hospitals in St. John’s and where are they located? • St. Claire’s Mercy Hospital is located downtown on St. Claire’s Avenue. • The Health Sciences (General) Hospital is located on the university campus, Prince Phillip Drive • The Janeway Hospital is a part of the Health Sciences Hospital. This is Newfoundland’s children’s hospital. People under the age of 12 • The Waterford Hospital is the mental health hospital in St. John’s located on Waterford Bridge

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