BY CORY MORRISON
Sheridan Student Union’s The Whole Tooth event has been providing students with information on the benefits of Sheridan Student Union’s health and dental plan coverage.
Jeremy Frith, a customer service representative at Sheridan Student Union in Trafalgar Campus, waits for students to attend The Whole Tooth information session. Photo by Cory Morrison from the Sheridan Sun.
“It is a plan with a lot of people,” said Wu Zhang, a customer service representative at Sheridan Student Union. “Usually, with a lot of people, you get better deals on the amount of coverage you get. All of us who pay full-time tuition are enrolled in the plan, so we have a better deal with inquiring the insurance from the individual basis.”
Amanda Bhajan, services manager at Sheridan Student Union who is hosting The Whole Tooth event at Davis Campus, said in an email interview that benefits to the health and dental plan include:
- The plan automatically bills students it as part of their tuition fee.
- The plan ensures students have health, dental, vision, and travel coverage.
- Students are able to combine coverage to maximize their coverage if they are covered by another plan, which allows them to save even more money.
- Students are able to be covered by the plan for summer vacation.
“When the coverage charges a student the full health and dental plan fee of $285, they are covered for the full period from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, even if they don’t enroll in school for the Spring to Summer term,” Bhajan said.
Bhajan adds that insurance providers cover more services this year.
Students do not always need pre-approval from insurance providers except sometimes for massage therapy clinics, Bhajan said.
However, on the health insurance provider’s website, studentcare.ca, students can check for a list of networks or partners who recognize the plan.
“Students can skip the step of having to pay full price and filing a claim as these clinics will process the insurance plan upfront, making it more convenient,” Bhajan said.
If students want to submit claims, however, they can bring receipts from health or dental offices to the Student Union office. Jeremy Frith, a customer service representative at the Student Union who has been hosting The Whole Tooth at the Trafalgar Campus this month, said, “Students can mail claims to clinics, but we do it for them and it is easier for them.”
The Student Union also offers pay direct cards for students to use with the plan.
“All students can come to the SSU offices and pick one up, put their student number on it and show it to dentists or pharmaceutical companies to get prescriptions,” Frith said.
Any student who did not get a chance to visit The Whole Tooth event earlier this month can visit it on Monday, Sept. 24 at either the Union Square in Davis Campus, the Clubs Room in Hazel McCallion Campus, or B wing in Trafalgar Campus between 11 a.m and 2 p.m.
