Guard.me@SFU is a short term primary medical insurance coverage for your first term at SFU. The goal of guard.me@SFU is to help you transition while you are waiting for your BC MSP. If you plan to live in BC for more than 6 months, under the Medicare Protection Act, you must enrol with the mandatory BC Medical Services Plan.

You will receive a welcome email from guard.me@SFU at the beginning of semester. This email will include a link to log into your account to view your policy details. You can view and download your Healthcare Access Card (HAC) which is your proof of insurance and will have your name, student number, policy number, and policy start and end date. You can also log in via Guard.me@SFU website.

This card can be used for direct billing at some pharmacies, medical clinics, and dental offices. Make sure to keep this for future reference as you will need it for direct billing or to submit a claim.  If you have not received an email from guard.me@SFU, please contact them at customercare@guard.me.

You are only enrolled in guard.me@SFU plan for your first term at SFU. If you already have valid coverage through BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) or another Canadian provincial or territorial public health coverage, are studying at SFU under a government sponsored scholarship program, or you are outside of Canada you may be able to opt out of the guard.me@SFU Plan.

If you are opting out with another Canadian provincial or territorial public health coverage,ensure you contact your Provincial or Territorial health plan provider to inquire about coverage while in British Columbia (BC). Please note that SFU and guard.me will not review your home insurance plan. 

To opt out of guard.me@SFU medical insurance plan, please visit the opt out website. Select your appropriate student category and follow the opt out instructions. For opt out deadlines click here.

Note: changes may not be reflected right away.

In order to successfully opt-out from guard.me with BC MSP, you must submit proof of MSP which must include a photo of your MSP card plus one of the following additional documents:

• Letter that was issued with the MSP card showing the effective date of your MSP coverage: click here to see a sample letter
• Current MSP bill showing effective coverage
• Health Insurance BC confirmation of MSP enrolment letter

Please note the following:

• Your BC MSP card must be valid the day you opt-out from the guard.me plan. Expired BC MSP card will not be accepted as a proof of coverage
• A Collections Notice cannot be used to opt-out
• The name and date of birth on your BC MSP card must match SFU records.
• If your MSP card is issued more than 3 months prior to the start of the semester, no additional document is required. You only need to submit a photo of your MSP card to opt out. 

When visiting any of the SFU Health Clinics, print out a copy of your Healthcare Access Card (HAC) from guard.me@SFU website. The HAC is your proof of insurance containing your coverage information. They will collect a copy for each visit and will directly bill guard.me@SFU on your behalf. No additional claim is required. You can search Guard.me preferred clinics near your location here. These clinics will allow direct billing.

For clinics that do not allow direct billing, you will need to pay upfront for the visit. Keep copies of all your payment receipts. To submit a claim, please visit guard.me@SFU to create an online account and upload copies of your receipts.

You may be eligible for a refund of the unused portion of your insurance if you have not made a claim and there is more than 1 month of coverage remaining when you apply through guard.me@SFU. Your application for a partial reimbursement must be received by guard.me@SFU before the last month of the term (that is, before April 1, August 1 and December 1). If approved, your partial refund will be applied to your SFU account.

If you are a TSSU member, in addition to the above, SFU HR will reimburse you a portion of the Guard.me@SFU fees you paid for the months while you waited for your MSP to become effective. For example, if your BC MSP becomes effective on November 1, SFU HR will reimburse you for September and October. This is a separate process from the cancellation of your Guard.me@SFU coverage. Please contact tssubens@sfu.ca for further questions.

Students staying in BC for 6 months or longer are required to enrol in the British Columbia Medical Services Plan under the Medicare Protection Act. There is a wait period of 2-3 months for new residents. In order to be covered during the wait period you may purchase a private medical insurance plan or please contact International Services for Students to learn about medical insurance options.

If you are a new international student at SFU, you will be automatically enrolled in guard.me@sfu plan for your first term while you wait for your BC MSP.

BC MSP provides primary medical coverage such as:

• services provided by a doctor
• X-rays, lab tests (as required by a doctor) 
• emergency dental and oral surgery in hospital

To apply for BC MSP, complete the MSP Application online at this website.

You may also complete the MSP Application Enrolment form by mail and mail it directly to BC MSP.

If you are eligible, you can apply as soon as you arrive in BC. Please note there is a wait period of 2-3 months for new residents before your coverage begins. If you are a new international student at SFU, you will be automatically enrolled in guard.me@sfu plan for your first term while you wait for your BC MSP. 

If you are a returning student travelling back to BC, in order to be covered during the wait period you may purchase a private medical insurance plan. Please contact International Services for Students about temporary medical insurance options to cover the MSP waiting period. 

If you are currently in BC, do apply for BC MSP right away. Primary medical insurance is legally required for all residents of British Columbia (including international students) and is provided through the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP). 

Effective January 1, 2020, the BC MSP premium has been eliminated; however, each study permit holder is required to pay International Student Health Fee of $75 per month.

If you are a full-time SFU student, you can purchase an interim coverage through guard.me while you wait for your study permit. The guard.me plan is available at $2.30 per person per day. Please visit their website.

Note that all British Columbia residents (including study permit holders) are required to enrol with the British Columbia Medical Services Plan (BC MSP), BC’s provincial primary medical insurance plan. Once you have received your new study permit, apply for MSP right away. Please visit the MSP website to apply.

Once you have received your new study permit you can notify BC MSP by completing an online form and uploading a copy of your new study permit. Please visit the MSP website for more information.

Once enrolled, BC MSP will mail you a BC Services Card along with an invoice to pay. Payments may be made monthly or in advance. Payments are made directly to BC MSP, not through SFU.

When visiting a health clinic or hospital, you will be asked to show your BC Services Card as proof of enrolment. You will not be required to pay for the visit, they will bill BC MSP directly. 

The Graduate Student Society (GSS) health and dental plan is in place to complement primary medical coverage (ie. BC MSP). Services not included by primary coverage (ie. vision and dental care) are included in the GSS plan.

Eligible students are automatically covered by and billed for applicable portions of the student plan (except if entering in summer term). Note that plan benefits are only accessible within Canada.

You may opt out of the GSS extended health plan if you have existing secondary coverage in BC. To opt out, you will be required to upload proof of coverage on the GSS Health and Dental website during the Change-of-Coverage Period.  

Please visit their website for more information. 

You can claim online, through a mobile app, or by mail.

Please allow up to two weeks for claims to be processed. 

For claim forms and more information, please visit the GSS Health and Dental website. 

Your plan gives you the option to enrol your family (spouse and/or dependent children) by completing an enrolment process and by paying an additional fee, over and above your individual fee as a Plan member during the Change-of-Coverage Period. Common law couples are eligible.

The Change-of-Coverage Period is the period at the beginning of the semester when you can make changes to your plan, opt out, or enrol your spouse and/or dependent children in the Plan. 

Students who are eligible to enrol themselves and who wish to cover their spouse and/or dependent children have to pay the appropriate couple or family fee in addition to their own enrolment fee.

You can reach a representative by calling the Care Centre at 236-427-8123, Mon. - Fri. from 9 am to 5 pm. Or you can visit Studentcare Care Office in-person which is located at the Student Union Building (SUB) 2301 on SFU Burnaby campus, Mon. - Fri. from 9 am to 5 pm.