International Students
Travel health insurance for international students studying in Canada
Maple syrup, extreme politeness, ice hockey, scenery, and whatnot! All this is already enough to decide to study abroad. Canada is one of the most-preferred choices to study for many international students. Even during the pandemic there are hundreds and thousands of students who choose to study in Canada.
Canada is consistently ranked in the top 10 countries to live in. Many international students are lured to study in Canada because of the quality of education, fair chances to earn income, high-standards of living, and ofcourse the scenic beauty. Additionally, the education fees, and the cost of living in Canada is comparatively lesser than the United States, and the United Kingdom, which is also why Canada is on the top of most of the students who want to study overseas.
Healthcare and Managed Care in Canada
As Canada’s universal healthcare is paid for through taxes, most of the healthcare services are for free, or relatively few. The healthcare system is managed at the provincial level, and every province works differently. There are 13 different provincial and territorial health care. plans to choose from. Owning a provincial health care card means you do not have to pay for most of the medicare and managed facilities or services.
Every territory or province provides health insurance cards to its residents. Based on where you live, the wait time for applying for the insurance may vary. For instance, the wait time for British Columbia is three months, only after that, you are eligible to apply for a Medical Services Plan. But in Alberta, there is no wait time to apply for a health insurance card.
There are provinces and territories – Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, and Saskatchewan that offer health coverage for international students.
Also, all provinces and territories cover the cost of essential medical services for residents who are registered in their respective healthcare insurance systems. This may include a visit to the doctor or a physician, medical tests (such as blood tests, x-ray), and standard hospital admission. Needless to say, healthcare services available under the insurances may vary depending upon the province or territory you are living in.
However, international students living in provinces and territories that do not offer healthcare coverage need to get healthcare insurance privately.
Why Is It Important for International Students to Get Healthcare Insurance?
Additionally, the university or college you enrol in may also have its healthcare insurance plan. Depending upon the course or institution, these insurance plans may or may not be compulsory. The healthcare coverage plan will depend upon the insurance company the college or institute is associated with. However, most healthcare coverage includes doctor visits, hospital admissions, ambulances, medical tests, and emergency medical care.
If you do not have healthcare insurance or if you are not eligible for it, you will have to pay a handful for healthcare facilities and medical care. While choosing the insurance plan as an international student, do consider premium costs, deductibles, and medical coverage.
The cost of private healthcare insurance may differ based upon pre-medical conditions and at-threat problems like smoking.
And mostly the medical care and facilities can be very costly. That is why, as an international student it is always a great plan to enrol in a healthcare insurance plan, especially during the pandemic it is a must.