When does my coverage start and end?

Enrolment in the insurance plan is based on the duration of your program. Coverage does not begin until you arrive in Canada.

Your guard.me Healthcare Access Card will include your policy number, the start date and the end date of your coverage.

Guard.me will email students a reminder approximately 30 days before their coverage end date. Instructions for purchasing insurance directly through guard.me will also be included. Make sure your email address is updated in the Student Portal.

Notes:

*Exact coverage dates will be emailed to students prior to program start.

Students attending 2-year programs will pay for 13 months of coverage in Year 1, and will pay for their remaining coverage in Year 2.

Coverage periods will vary for students receiving program extensions or re-applying for admission in order to complete missing program requirements. Refer also to information about “gap coverage”.

For ELI students:

The coverage periods for English Language Institute students vary depending on the length of the program.

Coverage depends on the number of levels as indicated on the Letter of Acceptance (LOA).

**Exactly coverage dates and periods will vary, due to scheduled breaks (i.e. winter break, spring break) and/or gaps between an English Language Institute program and a MITT Academic program. This is to ensure continuous coverage in the international student health insurance plan.

We strive to provide continuous coverage during a student’s enrolment with MITT; however, it is a student’s responsibility to pay attention to coverage dates and purchase additional coverage during any breaks in coverage. Additional coverage can be purchased directly through guard.me (see Coverage - More Information, questions 2 & 3).

I am studying part or all of my program in my home country.

ELI students who study a minimum of 30 days in their home country can request a delayed enrolment in the international student health insurance plan. Submit a complete ELI Study Abroad - Opt Out Request Form [PDF]. Forms should be submitted at the start of your ELI program start date, and must be received no later than the advertised deadline.

The health insurance fee will be adjusted and you may receive a credit to your MITT student account. This will only happen when:

• Your travel date is received and your opt out request is approved
• Your program ends, and you have not travelled to Canada

If you are eligible for a refund, please complete one of the refund forms (link below) and email it to finance@mitt.ca. Refunds may take 6-10 weeks to process.

Refund forms are available at: Cancellation, Withdrawal and Refunds.

What is the cost for this plan?

The new guard.me @ MITT plan costs $2.75 per day of coverage.

The cost for students up to 64 years of age is $2.75 per day, and is non-refundable.

The cost for students up to 65 years of age to 69 years of age is $5.75 per day, and is non-refundable.

MITT is automatically charging all international students who are up to and including 69 years of age for an individual-coverage plan. Students 70 years of age or older should purchase individual insurance on their own.

The total cost is viewable on the Tuition & Fees page and in the Student Portal.

How can I get insurance coverage for my family members and dependents?

You may buy the same insurance plan for your family members and dependents directly from guard me, by using your online guard.me account.

To do this, go to "My Account", and click on “Add a Dependent”.

You should buy coverage for your family members and dependents right away after you have access to your Healthcare Access Card.

If you do not yet have access to your online guard.me account, complete the Early Enrolment Request Form [PDF].

Please follow the instructions on the form and submit the form and required documents to international.health@mitt.ca.

Deadline to purchase family coverage:

If your family members or dependents are arriving in Canada at a later date, you must purchase this coverage within 30 days of their arrival. You will need to provide proof of travel dates.

What if I already have insurance?

If you have valid Manitoba Health coverage provided by the provincial government, please see below.

Alternative plans will not be considered, and cannot be used to request not to participate in this plan.

I have valid Manitoba Health coverage. Can I request not to participate in the international student health insurance plan at MITT?

Some students may have Manitoba Health coverage through a working spouse or family member. Students with valid Manitoba Health coverage may request not to participate in the international student health insurance plan at MITT.

To do this, students must submit:

1. a completed Opt Out Request Form [PDF]
2. when available, a copy of your Manitoba Health card, and the “pink slip” that shows the expiry date

Please follow the instructions on the form and submit the form and required documents (if available) to international.health@mitt.ca, by the required deadline.

Note that students attending 2-year programs must submit a request not to participate each year. Students attending EAP + Post-Secondary programs must submit a request for each program.

Once your request has been completed and approved, the health insurance fee may be adjusted and a credit to your MITT student account will be processed. If you are eligible for a refund, please complete one of the refund forms (link below) and email it to finance@mitt.ca. Refunds may take 6-10 weeks to process.

Refund forms are available at: Cancellation, Withdrawal and Refunds.

Important note: Students choosing not to participate in the international student health insurance plan at MITT are responsible for ensuring that their Manitoba Health coverage is valid for the entire duration of their studies at MITT. MITT is not liable in situations where a student does not have health coverage because they have chosen not to participate in this plan by using a Manitoba Health card that is or becomes expired. Once you choose not to participate, you cannot re-enrol.

When will I get my Healthcare Access Card?

MITT students are covered by the plan as of the first day indicated in the International Student Health Insurance email as long as they are in Canada. Post-secondary students will have their online guard.me account activated automatically approximately 3 weeks after the program start date.

After your account has been activated, guard.me will send an email with detailed instructions, including a link and a temporary password, to access your online guard.me account "My Account", your guard.me policy number and a PDF of your guard.me Healthcare Access Card/claim form. You may print the PDF of your Healthcare Access Card/claim form to keep in your wallet or purse, and/or download it and keep a copy of it on your phone or computer.

Important note: Guard.me will email you using the email address we have on record here at MITT, so it is important that this information is correct. Log in to your Student Portal to view the information we have on record and update it if needed. This should be done at the start of your classes and any time you change your email address.

Can I access my Healthcare Access Card early?

Students may request to access their policy early.

To do this, please complete an Early Enrolment Request Form [PDF].

Please follow the instructions on the form and submit the completed form to international.health@mitt.ca.

Also, students who need to seek medical attention of an urgent or emergent nature, can request to receive their Healthcare Access Card early by emailing international.health@mitt.ca. Please indicate full name, student number, birthdate and program of study.

I can't login to "My Account".

Visit My Account (https://www.guard.me/mitt/myaccount).

Log in with the email address that is in the Student Portal and reset your password.

I haven't received an email from guard.me but my classmates have.

Check to make sure your email is correct in the Student Portal.

Check your junk mail and trash folders, and do a search using "guard.me".

Email international.health@mitt.ca and provide your student #, first and last name, program, start date and your correct email address.

The information on my Healthcare Access Card is incorrect

Email international.health@mitt.ca and provide your student #, first and last name, program, start date and details.

How do I get paid back for services I use?

Students will be able to submit claims once they have received access to My Account and coverage is active. Many services providers will bill guard.me directly (see 'Will clinics bill guard.me directly?' below).

In some cases, students will have to pay for their service up front and submit a claim to guard.me to be paid back. Students may also request an invoice, which can be submitted to guard.me and paid at a later date.

How do I submit an insurance claim?

Insurance claims can be submitted via My Account on the guard.me/mitt website. This is also where you will find instructions for how to do this.

Will clinics bill guard.me directly?

The guard.me/mitt website provides a list of clinics and service providers that will bill them directly. Look for this information under FIND A CANADIAN CLINIC: Click on USE MY LOCATION or type in your address in Winnipeg and click SUBMIT.

I require urgent/emergency medical attention and have not yet received an email from guard.me. What do I do?

Your Healthcare Access Card is not required in order to receive urgent/emergency medical attention at a hospital.  You may ask the hospital for an invoice. You are not required to pay before receiving emergency treatment.

You may be required to sign a right of responsibilities document. By signing this document, you are agreeing to accept and pay the invoice the hospital gives you for the cost of your services. You can submit the invoice to guard.me once you have received your health insurance card.

If you have been invoiced for urgent/emergency medical services, email us at international.health@mitt.ca with your name, student number and birthdate. We will work to ensure you receive access to your Healthcare Access Card as soon as possible.

You must contact guard.me within 24 hours of being admitted to the hospital.

Emergency Contact (guard.me)

Please use the following guard.me Emergency Assistance contact information:

1-888-756-8428 (Toll-Free North America)

1-905 731-8291 (Collect)

Contact the 24 Hour Toll-Free or collect number within 24 hours of admission to Hospital, or if incapacitated, as soon as reasonably possible.

How do I access medical care?

There are a few ways to find the right service provider for you.

mobileDOCTOR (a guard.me service)

Students with guard.me have access to mobileDOCTOR to talk to a doctor/or nurse, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. The doctor or nurse has the knowledge to provide answers over the phone to health questions, guide students to the care they need, and if needed write prescriptions.

• Fast – nurses and doctors are available day and night
• Flexible – the right advice and care at the right time
• Friendly – our health care team ensures students feel at ease by providing expert advice and support
• Unsure about whether you should go to a clinic or Emergency?

How to use moblieDOCTOR

• Contact Assistance Line (number on back of guard.me card) or visit me/mobiledoctor to create your account
• Give your policy ID & a brief description of issue
• The Assistance professionals will determine if Mobile Doctor is right for you and how to direct your concern
• If necessary, a licensed Nurse or Doctor will call you back 20 min later

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority websites:

www.wrha.mb.ca/myrightcare/

Use this website to determine and find the right care, depending on your needs. You can also view Emergency Department and Urgent Care wait times, and find a family doctor.

guard.me website:

www.guard.me/mitt

Use this website to help you find a clinic based on your location. Some clinics bill directly to guard.me

What does this plan include/cover?

The international student health insurance plans are a comprehensive, and provide coverage that is very close to what all Manitobans receive through Manitoba Health.

Please carefully consider the following information as you make decisions about what level of care is best for your health and wellbeing.

Prior approval is required for certain benefits, and limitations and exclusions may apply.  For example, pregnancy coverage is limited to students who became pregnant 60 days or less prior to the program start date or while attending classes.

Full details are found in the guard.me@MITT policy available at www.guard.me.  We strongly recommend you review this information.

The guard.me@Manitoba and guard.me@MITT plans both provide access to medical services for:

• routine health care needs (annual exam/physical, cold, flu, pregnancy, etc.)
• existing, chronic or new illnesses (diabetes, etc.)
• serious illness (sudden and severe sickness, food poisoning, etc.)
• emergency incidents and accidents (broken bones, cuts needing stitches, heart attack, etc.)

New for students beginning July 2023 and later, the guard.me @ MITT plan also provides for:

• vaccination coverage (for vaccines required by MITT for student programs)
• non-emergency dental care (minimum 6 months enrolment required)
• non-emergency vision care
• additional non-emergency paramedical services
• prescription medication coverage (including contraception)

NOTE.

You can continue your routine care and monitoring of existing and chronic conditions by making appointments at a clinic or with your family doctor. You are also covered for new illness or injury and may visit a clinic, your family doctor, or hospital to receive care.

You may want to purchase additional coverage when travelling outside of Manitoba or Canada. This plan does not provide you coverage in your home country.

The information on MITT’s website highlights some of the benefits available under the guard.me@MITT policy, however it is not a comprehensive list. 

The full policy details about this plan are available by logging into “My Account”. Students may also request the documents by emailing international.health@mitt.ca. Students should refer to the information available from guard.me for a complete understanding of their coverage.

Important note: MITT is automatically charging all international students for an individual-coverage plan. You may buy the same insurance plan for your family members and dependents directly by emailing partnerservices@guard.me or by accessing your online guard.me account, “My Account”. Click on Add a Dependent. You are strongly encouraged to do this!

What if I arrive before this coverage begins?

You may buy additional coverage for you and your family members directly by emailing partnerservices@guard.me or by accessing your online guard.me account, “My Account”. Click on Early Arrivals to do this. You will need to have access to your policy number to help guard.me set up the right coverage period.

Note: This will be a different insurance plan than the one offered through MITT. Please indicate when your MITT coverage will start when purchasing this coverage.

What if I have a break in my studies where I am not covered by this plan?

You may buy additional coverage directly by emailing partnerservices@guard.me or by accessing your online guard.me account, “My Account”. Click on GAP Students to do this. Please be aware that breaks in studies may render some coverage invalid. Contact customercare@guard.me to ask specific questions about coverage.

Note: This will be a different insurance plan than the one offered through MITT.

How can I get insurance coverage for items not included in this plan?

You may buy supplemental health coverage privately through other insurance providers.

What personal information is MITT providing to guard.me?

MITT will only provide guard.me with information that is required to you in and to administer the insurance plan. This includes your:

• Student number
• Student status
• First and last names
• Date of birth
• Gender (male, female or other)
• Country of origin
• Start and end date
• Email address

Important note: It is very important that MITT has a valid direct email address on file for you. You may verify and update your email address using your Student Portal. This should be done at the start of your classes and any time you change your personal email address.

Will any other information about me be shared between MITT and guard.me?

In extremely limited cases, and upon your request, MITT may ask for your consent to discuss your care with guard.me.

Guard.me will share information with MITT about overall student use of this plan; no personal service-use information will be shared.

Important note: Your relationship and file with guard.me is personal and private. MITT will not advocate for your coverage or individual needs with guard.me.

I have questions that aren't answered here. Who should I talk to?

• You may contact guard.me at 1-877-873-8447, or email customercare@guard.me with your policy number and any specific questions about your health insurance plan. You can also access your online guard.me account, “My Account”.
• If you still have unanswered questions, please email international.health@mitt.ca with your full name, student number, program of study, start date and details.

Flu Shots

As per the Government of Manitoba Seasonal Flu website, “International students and out-of-province visitors continue to be eligible to receive the flu vaccine free-of-charge regardless of third party insurance and/or Manitoba Health coverage; an administration fee may be charged”.

This information can be found at: www.gov.mb.ca/health/flu/index.html

Please note that, flu shots (preventative vaccine) are not covered under guard.me.