YUGSA offers a medical insurance plan designed to be relatively comprehensive and low cost. The plan is offered through the National Student Health Network, a not-for-profit broker that helps us to achieve discounts through volume purchasing, and provided by Greenshield Canada.

The plan is compulsory for all full-time students without comparable coverage for drugs AND dental and is optional for those registered part-time (i.e. part-time students can opt-in). Students also have the ability to opt-in spouses (including common-law and same sex partners) and children. Those students with equivalent or greater coverage with another plan can opt-out. Please see below for instructions on how to either opt-out or opt-in to YUGSA's plan.

COST

The cost of the plan is $355 for a single person, and an additional $355 to add one dependant. The cost to add 2 or more dependants is $553, on top of the single cost.

CARD

Head to the FORMS section to download a copy of your YUGSA Health Plan card, which can be used at participating pharmacies across Canada. Please note that most dentists' offices do not offer direct billing for our plan; be sure to keep your receipts and fill out a claims form, also found under the FORMS section.

Health Plan ID #

Your Greenshield ID # is 'YGS + your student number'. If the claimant is a graduate student there is a '00' following the number. If the claimant is a dependent of a graduate student the number is the same (YGS + graduate student number) followed by '01,' for a spouse or partner, and then '02, 03..." for children or other dependents.

CONTACT

YUGSA is responsible for the administration of the GSA Drug and Dental Insurance Plan. As such, please feel free to contact our health plan office at (416)736-5213 or health@yugsa.ca if you have any questions. A detailed information booklet is available HERE.

PLEASE NOTE: TAs and GAs who start their CUPE 3903 contract in January 2011 will be automatically charged for the GSA Health Plan. However, if you wish to opt-out in January you will be reimbursed 50% of the Health Plan fee provided that you HAVE NOT made any claims.

IMPORTANT: According to the CUPE Collective Agreement the employer agrees to continue to pay the administrative cost and cost of eligible claims for each individual enrolled in the plan for four months after the expiration of the TA or GA ship.

This means if you are covered by CUPE for eight months or more during the academic year you are NOT required to be on the GSA Health Plan. If you were charged for the GSA Health Plan on your student account and are covered by the CUPE Plan for eight months or more you can have the charge reversed by providing verification of your status.

Follow the link below to find the forms you need to opt in to the GSA Health Plan

The Opt In deadline is December 10, 2010.

Follow the link below to opt out of the GSA Health Plan online.

Once there click the "Opt Out" option on the left side of the page.

The Opt Out deadline is November 30, 2010

Please be advised that your application is pending until the National Student Health Network confirmst that your opt-out information is valid. This process of approval takes about a month, after which you will see a reversal in your student account online (transaction page).

The Health and Dental Plan runs from September 1st, 2010 to August 31st, 2011, independently of when you opt-in.

Although you are covered, you won't be able to make claims until mid to late October or until a week after you are charged in your York student account. Please check your student account transaction page through the York University website to make sure that you have been charged for the Plan before making any claims.

All claims are done through GreenShield directly and NOT through the GSA Office. You can download claim forms through this website or through GreenShield's website.

Follow the link below to the GreenShield website. 

We would like to encourage students to register in Plan Member Online Services to have access to:

     Claim Information
     View Statements
     Benefit eligibility
     Direct deposit
     Personalized claim forms
     Health Care spending account

Want a dental discount?
Go to https://onlineservices.greenshield.ca/studentcentre/DentalOffices.aspx for information about The Student Dental Discount Network.

How does it work?

• The student dental discount applies to most dental procedures and  may be up to 30%.
• Our system automatically calculates the applicable discount when you visit a dental provider in this network. The applicable discount depends on your particular college or university's plan design, and is subtracted from your co-pay, or share of the cost.
• Eligible dental claims are electronically processed; therefore, you must first be enrolled on Green Shield’s system to be eligible for the discount. Green Shield pays your dentist directly so you only have to pay your share of the cost (if any) for services provided.
• You will receive professional dental services while incurring lower out-of-pocket expenses and maintain ongoing oral health.

By asking your current dentist to join this network, they will have the advantage of a potential increase in business. Your dentist can call our Customer Service Centre at 1.888.711.1119 for more information.