Guide for international students · Updated June 2026
What UHIP and college plans like Guard.me really cover, why having insurance isn't the same as getting an appointment, and how to claim your money back — step by step.
In this guide
UHIP — the University Health Insurance Plan — is mandatory health insurance for international students at Ontario universities. Because international students aren't eligible for OHIP (Ontario's public health plan), universities enrol you in UHIP automatically when you register, and the premium is added to your student account. For the 2025–26 year, UHIP costs about $792 CAD per year (roughly $66/month) for a single student; you can add a spouse and children for additional premiums.
UHIP is insured by Manulife and administered by Cowan Insurance Group (it was Sun Life before September 2022, so you may still see old references). Your proof of coverage is a UHIP coverage card, which you can download from uhip.ca — carry a copy, because clinics will ask for it.
Opting out is only possible in narrow cases, such as having coverage under a Canadian government program or a spouse's employer plan that matches UHIP's benefits. For almost everyone, UHIP is simply part of being an international student in Ontario.
UHIP is designed to give you roughly what OHIP gives Ontario residents, with a limit of $1,000,000 per policy year. In practical terms it covers:
Just as important is what UHIP doesn't cover, because this surprises students every year:
UHIP is a university plan. If you're at an Ontario college (or a language school or some private institutions), you'll have a private plan instead — Guard.me is the most common, and others include morcare and We Speak Student. The structure is similar: mandatory enrolment, premiums in your fees, coverage for doctor visits, hospital care, and diagnostics.
The details differ plan to plan — coverage limits, claim portals, whether mental health visits are included, and which clinics bill the insurer directly. The principles in this guide apply to all of them, but always check your specific policy document or your international student office. Everything below about the coverage-vs-access gap applies to college plans just as much as UHIP.
Here's the thing your enrolment letter doesn't say: UHIP pays bills — it doesn't get you appointments. Having UHIP doesn't give you a family doctor (most students never get one), doesn't shorten the multi-hour wait at a walk-in clinic, and doesn't help at 9 p.m. when campus health services are closed. Some clinics don't accept UHIP billing at all, which means paying upfront and claiming back later.
So the real question for a sick international student isn't "am I covered?" — it's "who will actually see me, today, and how does the paperwork work?" That's next.
Most universities have a student health clinic that bills UHIP directly — no money changes hands. This is your cheapest option when it works. The limitation is capacity: appointments can book out days ahead, hours are weekday-centric, and they close over breaks.
Cowan maintains a Preferred Provider Network — clinics and hospitals that bill Cowan directly at UHIP rates, so you don't pay out of pocket. Search the network at uhip-providernetwork.cowangroup.ca and keep your coverage card with you. The catch: network clinics aren't everywhere, and like all walk-ins, waits can be long.
Outside the network, many walk-ins will see you if you pay the uninsured rate — typically $50–$150 per visit. Get an itemized receipt and claim reimbursement from Cowan afterwards (steps below). Remember UHIP reimburses up to OHIP-equivalent rates, so a clinic charging premium prices may leave you with a gap.
When you're sick at midnight, between classes, or nowhere near a network clinic, a telemedicine visit is often the fastest route to an actual doctor. With Doctor Fran, you download the app, describe what you need, and pay a flat $82 CAD — the same price for every appointment type except insurance forms, with no hidden fees, no subscription, and documents like sick notes included — by credit, debit, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. A physician licensed in Ontario calls you, in as little as 10 minutes from booking. No OHIP, no health card, no referral. You get a receipt for every visit that you can submit to UHIP or your plan for reimbursement (subject to your plan's terms and OHIP-equivalent rates).
And if a phone call isn't enough: Doctor Fran is administered by a physical clinic — Sheppard Victoria Medical Clinic, 2040 Sheppard Ave E, Suite A202, North York — where walk-in patients are welcome if your concern needs an in-person exam.
For chest pain, trouble breathing, severe injuries, or anything life-threatening: call 911 or go straight to the ER. UHIP covers emergency hospital care. For non-emergencies, the ER is the slowest option and, if anything in your paperwork goes wrong, the most expensive — uninsured hospital fees start around $300 per visit before tests. See our full cost guide for the numbers.
College students: the steps are the same shape — pay, get a receipt, submit through your insurer's portal (e.g., Guard.me's) — but check your plan's deadlines. Many plans require claims within 30–90 days of the visit.
Two situations catch students out the most. The first is after-hours illness — campus clinics are closed evenings, weekends, and breaks, exactly when you're most likely to need a sick note for tomorrow's exam or care for an illness that can't wait until Monday. Telemedicine fills this gap well: a sick note or general consultation by phone, typically the same day.
The second is mental health. Anxiety, depression, homesickness, and academic stress are extremely common among international students, and the support system is patchwork: campus counselling (free but often waitlisted), UHIP-covered psychiatry (needs a referral), and limited psychology coverage under some plans. A phone consultation with a physician is a legitimate first step — physicians on Doctor Fran can assess mental health concerns and write referrals where appropriate. If you're in crisis, call or text 988 (Canada's suicide crisis helpline) or 911 — don't wait for an appointment.
Yes — at OHIP-equivalent rates. Clinics in Cowan's Preferred Provider Network bill UHIP directly so you pay nothing upfront; at other clinics you pay and claim reimbursement, and any amount above the OHIP-equivalent rate is your responsibility.
UHIP covers eligible physician services at OHIP-equivalent rates, and you can submit receipts from paid telemedicine visits for reimbursement. Whether and how much is reimbursed depends on your plan's current terms — submit the receipt and check with Cowan.
No. Dental and vision are typically covered (partially) by your student union's supplementary plan, which is separate from UHIP. Sick notes are an uninsured service in Ontario and are generally out of pocket under any plan.
The principles, yes: your insurance pays bills but doesn't create appointments, receipts are everything, and claims go through your insurer's portal. Specific coverage limits and deadlines vary, so check your Guard.me (or other insurer's) policy document.
For phone-solvable problems — sick notes, referrals, mental health — a telemedicine visit is usually fastest: through Doctor Fran a licensed Ontario physician could call you in as little as 10 minutes, for a flat $82 you can claim against your insurance. For problems needing a physical exam, campus health or a preferred-provider clinic is the better first stop. More on how Doctor Fran works for students.
Figures (UHIP premium ~$792/year, $1M policy limit, claim processes) are current as of June 2026 and can change each policy year — verify details at uhip.ca or with your institution. This guide is general information, not insurance or medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.
Flat $82 for every appointment (except insurance forms), a doctor could call in as little as 10 minutes, and you get a receipt for your insurance claim.
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