Enrollment
UBC requires that all international students have basic and extended health insurance for the duration of their studies, as the costs of hospital and doctor care in Canada are extremely high if you are not insured. As a condition of registering for classes, all New International Students are enrolled in iMED Health Insurance, which is provided through David Cummings Insurance Services Ltd. (DCIS).
How do I know if I have iMED?
New international students are automatically enrolled for iMED as a
result of registering for classes. After you register for your first
class at UBC, you will be able to see the iMED fee on your student
account at www.students.ubc.ca/ssc.
Have Questions for UBC about your iMED fee?
If you do not see an iMED fee on your account or if you have a
question about the fee please submit your inquiry to UBC. UBC
Vancouver students may use the ISD Web Form here. UBC Okanagan students, please contact
your International Student Advisor by email at geo.ubco@ubc.ca.
Important!
Students whose first ever UBC term is in the 2021-2022 or
2022-2023 academic year:
If you have been assessed the iMED fee, DCIS will AUTOMATICALLY
email your iMED Card to your email address on record at UBC,
approximately one month prior to the start of your first UBC
term—or later depending on when you register for your first
class. You do NOT need to complete the Arrival Date
Confirmation / Coverage Dates Change Form UNLESS you
arrive in Canada in a Calendar Month AFTER the effective date
shown on your iMED Card.
Students whose first UBC term (virtual or on campus) was in
the 2020-2021 academic year:
To obtain your iMED Card you MUST confirm your date of arrival in
CANADA by completing the Arrival
Date Confirmation / Coverage Dates Change Form up to three
weeks prior to your date of travel to Canada, or as soon as
possible after your date of arrival.
If you have a spouse/partner and/or dependent children who will
reside with, or visit you during your study term, you may purchase
iMED coverage for them.
See the Family Members page
Some students are eligible to Opt Out of the iMED Health
Insurance Plan. See the Opting Out page.
Some students will arrive in Canada before the start date for their iMED coverage. You may purchase the Advance Coverage you need for the gap between your arrival date and your iMED start date. If you are unsure of your iMED start date, visit the Coverage Dates page.
Some students may need to extend their iMED coverage. See the Extend iMED page.
Only New International Students are enrolled on the iMED Plan.
UBC students and non-student affiliates who are newly arrived in
Canada and who do not qualify for iMED may purchase other interim
medical coverage directly from David Cummings Insurance Services
(DCIS), such as:
For returning full time international students (those who
have been registered at UBC in previous calendar years) and for
newly arrived full time domestic students (Canadian students and
Landed Immigrants) DCIS offers the Global Campus Health Plan.
For part-time students, visiting scholars, post-doctorate
fellows and other non-students affiliates, DCIS offers a range of
non-student medical plan options.
For assistance please contact DCIS.