Help & FAQ

No. Screening, vaccinations, and boosters are covered by the Ontario government for anyone living in Ontario, including UHIP members. You do not need an OHIP card for these services.

Yes. Medical emergencies related to COVID-19 are eligible. Screening, vaccinations, and boosters are covered by the Ontario government. You do not need an OHIP card for these services.

Yes. If your spouse or dependent children are living with you while you study or work in Ontario, they must get UHIP coverage. Parents or siblings are ineligible.

That depends on the number of people you are enrolling and how long you’ll need coverage. The UHIP Premium Table shows current premium rates.

Yes. UHIP’s primary healthcare coverage is mandatory. Students who are covered by diplomatic or government-bought plans may be exempt and can opt out.

Students: You must pay your premium as of the first day of your term.
Employees: You must pay your premium as of your employment start date.

Dependants: You will need to pay a $500 late application fee if you don’t enroll your dependants within 30 days of the date they’re eligible. You must pay premium back to the first day of your term (or date of employment), or the date your dependants became eligible for UHIP. There’s no discount for the time they had no coverage if you were late enrolling them

The policy year ends each August 31. If you have paid for UHIP past August 31, your University will re-enroll you in UHIP for September 1 and a new coverage card will be issued to you.

Please contact the UHIP plan administrator at your University to get it corrected. Cowan can’t make these changes.

UHIP covers health care services, similar to OHIP, such as doctor visits, hospitalization and lab services.  A complete list of OHIP services and fees for Ontario residents can be found in the OHIP Schedule of Benefits

Your university supplementary health and dental plan covers services such as prescription drugs, eye examinations, dental visits, and travel. These plans are separate from your UHIP coverage. Contact your University to learn about the supplementary health and dental insurance coverage.

UHIP has limited coverage for members age 19 and under or 65 and over. These members get one eye exam per year by a physician, ophthalmologist, or optometrist. Certain medical conditions require more frequent eye examinations. Contact case.mgmt@cowangroup.ca for pre-authorization.

Check if there is coverage under your university supplementary health and dental plan.

UHIP has coverage in rare medical instances, where this surgery can only be done in a hospital Please contact case.mgmt@cowangroup.ca  to see if you are eligible and for pre-authorization.

Check if there is coverage under your university supplementary health and dental plan.

No. Check if there is coverage under your university supplementary health and dental plan.

UHIP covers services related to pregnancy, including prenatal and postnatal care. Once enrolled in UHIP, you are covered even if the pregnancy began prior to your UHIP start date.

TIP: access the Preferred Provider Network to find labs and diagnostic centres that accept UHIP.

Keep in mind:

• UHIP covers physician charges up to 125% of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) Schedule of Benefits.
• We use Preferred Provider Network for covering genetic testing. This requires paperwork from a physician or genetics counselor. If your hospital asks for payment upfront, Cowan will reimburse eligible expenses. Please contact case.mgmt@cowangroup.ca if you have any questions about this expense.
• Your newborn baby may be eligible for OHIP, which is the primary, provincial insurance in Ontario. The hospital will provide you with forms to apply. Complete this application as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will receive a bill. Please contact your local ServiceOntario for more details about OHIP for your newborn baby.
• If your baby is not eligible for OHIP, add them as a dependant to your UHIP policy as soon as you can. Please contact your University Administrator to purchase UHIP for the baby. Once, your baby is enrolled in UHIP, give the UHIP member ID to the hospital billing office.

UHIP covers routine vaccines for infants and children. Find out about the recommended vaccine schedule for infants and children. UHIP doesn’t cover the HPV vaccine. However, UHIP will cover the cost of the administration of the vaccine at UHIP rates. Check if there is coverage under your university supplementary health and dental plan.

COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, and seasonal influenza vaccines at public health clinics or pharmacies are covered by the Ontario government.

Like OHIP, there is a service fee that the patient pays for ambulance in Ontario.  The coverage is for the same conditions, criteria and cost as OHIP. The conditions for coverage are:

• You have valid UHIP coverage at the time.
• A physician deems the ambulance service is medically necessary.
• Cowan considers the service reasonable (at Cowan’s discretion).
• Your ambulance trip starts and ends in Ontario.

The charge for one-way ambulance services in Ontario is currently $240. Cowan pays $195. You pay for the remaining $45. Check if there is coverage under your university supplementary health and dental plan for the remaining balance.

A Preferred Provider is a health care provider who will bill Cowan directly, at UHIP rates.

Yes. You will likely need to pay the doctor directly, and they may charge more than UHIP pays. Bring a UHIP claim form with you for the doctor to complete and sign. You then send the claim to Cowan for payment.

If you provided your UHIP card and had to pay for services please email case.mgmt@cowangroup.ca. Please include a copy of your bill, receipt of services and a copy of your UHIP card.

UHIP members and health care providers can submit via the online, secure portals at:

• Member: clients.cowangroup.ca
• Provider: provider.cowangroup.ca

If the health care provider charges more than what UHIP pays, or there are expenses that aren’t eligible, you will have to pay the difference.

Please complete a UHIP claim form for an unpaid bill and send it to Cowan.
Be sure to include:

• The diagnosis or reason for the visit.
• That Cowan should pay the hospital (under Section 3 on the form).

You must notify Cowan within 48 hours of your admission to hospital. You can email case.mgmt@cowangroup.ca or call toll free: 1-833-377-8447 (UHIP). Cowan will contact the hospital to ask them to bill Cowan directly at UHIP rates for your treatment.

If the hospital isn’t a Preferred Provider Network member, Cowan may move you to another hospital that is. You will only move if your attending physician approves. 

Keep in mind:

Hospitals and physicians bill separately. While there are hospitals in the Preferred Provider Network, physicians at the hospital may not bill at UHIP rates. Tell the hospital physician that you have UHIP insurance and show your coverage card.

Surgery or treatment that is not for a medical emergency (such as dialysis and cancer treatment), as well as semi-private and private room accommodation require Cowan’s pre-approval.

The hospital will ask you to sign a form when you are receiving any hospital services. It confirms your financial responsibility and allows them to release your medical information to Cowan.

If you don’t sign this form:

1. The hospital will not give any medical information to Cowan. If Cowan cannot get the information, we can’t process your claim. This means you have to pay the hospital.
2. You may have to pay to get your medical records/information from the hospital to send to Cowan. Cowan will not reimburse this cost.

Please visit the hospital billing office prior to leaving the hospital. Make sure they have your UHIP coverage card information and your signed consent form.

Your UHIP Plan Administrator at your University can help you apply for a refund.

If you have withdrawn from your studies, left your employment, or retired, contact us.

Contact your UHIP Plan Administrator before your UHIP coverage ends and pay the required premium. If you have dependants, you must also extend their coverage. If they arrive during your extension, you must apply for coverage for them.

In Ontario, many citizens and permanent residents have a private health insurance plan, not just OHIP (the Ontario provincial health plan). This private insurance gives them coverage for services OHIP or UHIP doesn’t cover (e.g. prescription drugs, dental care).

Many participating Universities offer supplementary health and dental insurance through its student or employee unions. These plans are separate from your UHIP coverage. Contact your University to learn about the supplementary health and dental insurance coverage.

A study or work permit, or other documentation providing temporary permission to live, work or study in Ontario. Document must be issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

A natural or legally adopted child, stepchild or child for whom the eligible student or employee is legal guardian. The child must be unmarried, live with the student or employee, and dependent on the student, employee, or visitor for support. Dependant children must be under age 22, or under age 25 if studying full-time at an accredited educational institution. Disabled dependants, as defined by UHIP, are covered beyond the limiting age. (proof of disability and its continuation may be required by Cowan) (See the sample below for the Eligibility of Disabled Child/Children)

A dependant is the spouse /or child(ren) of the member.

The intentional deception or misrepresentation that an individual knows to be false or does not believe to be true and makes, knowing that the deception could result in some unauthorized benefit to himself/herself or some other person.

A full-time regular and term student who:

• holds a valid study permit issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada,
• is registered in any given semester in an approved degree program, as defined by the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities,
• is a temporary resident who has been approved by an immigration officer to study in Canada, as defined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada,
• has paid a required tuition fee for the program,
• is in regular attendance, as defined by regulations of the participating University, and
• is actively pursuing an undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate degree.

UHIP is insured by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife) and administered by Cowan Insurance Ltd (Cowan) under policy number 150150.
Inquiries should be directed to Cowan at:
Phone: 1-833-377-8447 (UHIP)

Any undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate student (full-time or part-time), a short-term visitor associated with a participating University, or an employee of a participating University.

A person who does not normally live in Canada.

The provincial health care plan provided to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Ontario by the Ontario government.

Outside of the 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada.

The portion or entirety of an expense for services that is not eligible for reimbursement and that is the financial responsibility of the member. An out-of-pocket expense may result from a fee for service that exceeds the maximum eligible reimbursement amount or for a service that is not covered under UHIP.

Ontario Universities and affiliated colleges whose non-resident students and employees must enroll in UHIP:

A student who was previously enrolled as a full-time student and who:

• has been approved by a participating University to continue studies on a part-time basis,
• holds a valid study permit issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada,
• is registered in an approved degree program, as defined by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities,
• is registered in an English as a Second Language program and/or non-degree program at a participating University,
• has paid the required tuition fee for the program,
• is in attendance as defined by regulations of the participating University for a part-time student,
• is actively pursuing an undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate degree that the student will be able complete within the generally established timeframe for the program, as established by the participating University, and
• is enrolled as a part time student for a maximum of 6 semesters.

Plans that have been pre-approved by Cowan as offering coverage equal to UHIP. Members of a pre-approved plan are eligible for UHIP exemption.

A network of hospitals and clinics established by Cowan to assist members by limiting out-of-pocket exposure and providing health care providers with direct billing to Cowan.

The amount paid or to be paid by the member for coverage under UHIP.

Individuals who are at a participating University for a brief, defined period of time, not necessarily related to an academic term, including:

• visiting scholars
• international researchers
• conference participants
• other

Your spouse by marriage or under any other formal union recognized by law, or your partner of the opposite sex or of the same sex who has been publicly represented as your spouse for at least the last 12 months, is an eligible dependant. You can only cover one spouse at a time.

Insurance that provides additional coverage for services that are not covered under UHIP (e.g. prescription drugs, dental care). These plans are separate from your UHIP coverage.

The person or persons designated by each University to enroll eligible participants in the plan and perform related administrative duties