December 31, 2014

Health & Dental Plans

About the APUS Health and Dental Plans

APUS provides affordable health and dental to you the members – part time students. As members of your student union, you have the collective power of securing the best possible coverage at low rates.  

Green Shield Canada, the only national not-for-profit insurance provider in Canada, is the plan provider.

Browse your plan here: Brochure 2023-2024

It’s a quick guide to submitting claims and using benefits.

*The full Benefits Plan booklet will be uploaded shortly. Thank you for your patience.  

And to help make sense of it all – see what you need below. 

If you are a part-time student registered in Fall and/or Winter terms – you’re an APUS member – you’re covered.  

Part-time student status is based on enrollment credits. Your quick way to tell if you’re enrolled part-time is to check your University of Toronto ACORN invoice. If you see “APUS“ you’re an APUS member. 

Coverage is annual, and runs for one academic year only (September 1 to August 31). APUS does not collect health and dental fees from students who are only part-time in summer term; so there is no APUS health and dental plan for summer students. 

2023-2024

I’M STUDYING PART-TIME IN…PLAN COVERAGE
Both Fall and Winter termsSeptember 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024
Fall term onlySeptember 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Winter term onlyJanuary 1 2024 – August 31, 2024
Summer term onlyIneligible

Full-time students and part-time grad students have different health and dental plans through their respective student unions:

University of Toronto (full-time) see UTSU website (utsu.ca/health-and-dental)

University of Toronto Mississauga (full-time) see UTMSU website (utmsu.ca/service/health-dental-plan) and email health@utmsu.ca

University of Toronto Scarborough (full-time) see UTSU website (scsu.ca/health-dental) and email health@scsu.caUniversity of Toronto Graduate Students (all) see UTGSU website (utgsu.ca/health-and-dental)

Your health and dental plans offer comprehensive benefits, ranging from drug, paramedical, dental, and more.

The full Benefits Plan booklet will be uploaded shortly. In the meantime, check out the 2023-2024 Brochure

Always low-cost and affordable. 

2023-2024 premium rates:

Health plan = $85.88 per term

Dental plan = $66.26 per term

Both Health & Dental plans = $152.14 per term*All APUS health and dental plan fees are automatically charged through your University of Toronto incidental fees.

To use your APUS health and dental plans, you need your Green Shield ID Number (also known as your insurance policy number). 

The number follows this format: APU[your student number]-00. For additional family members and dependents added on the plan, the suffix may be “-01” or “-02”.

The number is all you’ll need. And you can print it out here. Ready to make a claim?

Direct billing is when a health and dental provider submits electronically on your behalf at the time you’re charged. You provide your policy number, they confirm the amount covered. Then, you only pay any remaining balance. Direct billing is convenient for you, and relieves the stress of having to pay for an entire bill upfront. Caution, direct billing isn’t offered by many health and dental providers. If looking for this option, ask your health or detail provider if they offer direct billing in advance of your treatment.  

When you pay for your health and dental treatments up-front, you can then submit eligible claims for reimbursement online via GSC either through the App or the web. 

GSC’s Mobile APP – GSC On The Go: Submit claims directly from your smartphone. 

GSC’s Self-Serve Website: In just a few clicks, get immediate confirmation of your reimbursement amount. 

Tip: Register for direct deposit with GSC and have your claim payments deposited directly securely – with speed.

It takes longer, but you can also mail in eligible claims for reimbursement to GSC:
Health / General Claim Submission Form
Dental Claim Submission Form

Get More From Your Plan – Opt-Ins & Discounts

Add your family to the plan. 

APUS members may enroll a spouse/partner and/or dependent children on the plans.

All family members enrolled must be residents of Canada.

You can only opt-in family/partner at the beginning of your first eligible study term. 

For instance, to enrol family members in January 2024 (winter term), you must not have been an APUS member in fall term. 

2023-2024

I’M STUDYING PART-TIME IN…OPT-IN PERIOD RUNSOPT-IN DEADLINE
Both Fall and Winter termsSeptember 1-30, 2023September 30, 2023
Fall term onlySeptember 1-30, 2023September 30, 2023
Winter term onlyJanuary 1-31, 2024January 31, 2024
Summer term onlyIneligibleIneligible

The rates per session for the 2023-2024 academic year are:2023-2024 family enrollment premium rates:
Health plan = $145.73 per term
Dental plan = $57.63 per term
Both Health & Dental plans = $203.36 per term

To opt-in complete and submit the APUS Health & Dental Opt-In Form

APUS members (aged 65-80) have the option to opt-in to APUS health and dental plan. Senior students study free, and so aren’t charged incidental fees by the University, and so aren’t automatically charged APUS fees.

To opt-in as a senior student, complete and submit the APUS Health & Dental Opt-In Form

Dental, Vision, and Hearing Discounts

Your plan includes access to the Student Dental Discount Network; a network of providers offering students up to 30% off services. See list here.

Or, Don’t Use Your Plan – Opt-out

APUS members may choose to opt-out of the APUS health and/or dental coverage to be refunded the fee. To opt-out you must demonstrate proof of alternative coverage (i.e. employer coverage, partner/spousal coverage, parental/guardian coverage). This proof includes the name of your insurer and policy number. 

You can apply to opt-out once per academic year in the session in which you are first registered. Opt-outs do not carry over year-over-year, or student union over student union (i.e. if you become full-time student see your full-time provider). There are no extensions to opt-out deadlines.

2023-2024

I’M STUDYING PART-TIME IN…OPT-OUT PERIOD RUNSOPT-OUT DEADLINEREFUNDS ISSUED
(approx)
Both Fall + Winter termsSeptember 1-30, 2023September 30, 2023January 2024
Fall term onlySeptember 1-30, 2023September 30, 2023January 2024
Winter term onlyJanuary 1-31, 2024January 31, 2024May 2024 July 2024
Summer term onlyN/AN/AN/A

The APUS Health & Dental Opt-Out form can be found here.

What happens next? Approved opt-outs receive a refund. 

Shortly after your opt-out request is received, GSC will send you a confirmation email with a transaction number. Do keep a copy of the email until your refund is issued (end of term). That confirmation email is your proof. 

It takes timeeeeeeeeeeeee. Why? In short, because opt-outs are validated against the University of Toronto’s student lists only after the final drop deadline dates of the term, and then arranged with GSC. APUS advocates for faster turnaround times, and we hope you see improvements. 

Issues? Check here first. 

Check: Black-out Period

At the beginning of Fall and Winter term, the insurance provider processes member information. Until the school’s information is processed you can’t register for an online account and they can’t process any claims. This is called a black-out period or inactive period. 

As a member, you are covered. Keep those receipts and you can submit once the inactive period is over. 

APUS is working with Green Shield Canada to shorten these periods.

Check: Contact GSC

Sometimes treatments are covered, but brand name prescriptions are not. Call GSC. 

Tip: Call in advance to see what options are covered.

Check: Your Insurance Number and Student Status

If you’ve become a full-time student, remember your insurance number changes. It will no longer start with APU[student number]. Re-register with your current student number and plan. 

Your plan is tied to your student status. If you are no longer a student, your plan ends. Contact: services@apus.ca

Check: Contact info on file & spam 

If you received confirmation for your opt-out but haven’t received your refund (either January or May), check that GSC account has your right email on file. And because they send refund details by email, check your spam folder.

If you still have issues, contact services@apus.ca for updates.

I Still Have Questions

Sure. We’ve got you covered.

Contact a Green Shield Canada Representative at 1-888-711-1119 for questions on:

  • what’s covered and what’s not 
  • remaining coverage/amounts available
  • status of claims

Contact the APUS Member Services Coordinator at services@apus.ca for questions on:

  • help needed with a denied claim
  • help needed with status/eligibility 
  • status of opt-ins and making payment
  • status of opt-out and refunds

Additional Resources:

Because you’re doing all the work to study and take care of your health, for any help making sense of your APUS Health & Dental Plan contact the Member Services Coordinator at services@apus.ca.