At the AMS Council meeting on September 25, Councillor Riley Huntley expressed concerns about delays in UBC Enrolment Services relaying health and dental data to Studentcare.
The AMS/GSS Health and Dental Plan, managed by Studentcare, provides students with extended health coverage in addition to British Columbia’s Medical Services Plan (MSP). This plan covers various services, including prescription drugs, dental care, psychologist visits, and travel health coverage. Eligible students are automatically enrolled but can opt-out or enroll family members during the Change-Of-Coverage Period, which runs from August 19 to October 4.
In a statement to The Ubyssey, VP Finance Gavin Fung-Quon, who oversees the AMS/GSS Health & Dental Plan, explained that the enrollment delays were due to issues with reporting from Workday and insufficient information provided to Pacific Blue Cross, the insurer.
“Some data involved in this delay were linked to Workday’s generation of reports that required additional cleanup and reformatting, as well as some personal information needed for the insurer,” Fung-Quon stated.
He noted that he would not know how many students were affected by these delays until later in the year but assured that the issues related to this year’s enrollment have been fixed.
“All current issues relating to this year’s enrollment have been resolved. We now require finalized information from Studentcare for all enrolled students to understand better how many experienced these issues.
This information will be available later this term,” Fung-Quon added.
Lack of Student Feedback
The Ubyssey also reached out to Huntley for insight on how these delays might have impacted students. As president of the Nursing Undergraduate Society (NUS), he stated that while there are ongoing issues he could discuss, healthcare delays were not among them.
“NUS constituents haven’t reported any problems with data delays,” Huntley said.
Fung-Quon mentioned that additional technical support requests have been made to ensure smoother processes for next year’s reporting with UBC.
“The formatting and relevant information for the Health and Dental plan have been clarified with the insurance company and flagged with UBC to implement IT changes that will help prevent further delays in the future,” he explained.
Background on Coverage Delays
Students have reported experiencing delays in accessing their AMS/GSS Health and Dental Plan benefits. Some students shared their frustrations at last month’s AMS Annual General Meeting (AGM). For instance, Colter Schmidt reported that his claim was denied after visiting a hygienist in September. He had his dentist resubmit the claim in October, but it was denied again.
Xaanja Free, a graduate student, also faced difficulties receiving coverage in September and October. “I’ve paid for almost two months for my family, and nobody has been able to see a dentist,” she said.
“Dentists told us they didn’t receive information from UBC until October 22.”
Free noted that she was informed by a pharmacist at the University Pharmacy IDA that family plan members must pay for their first prescription before coverage kicks in.
Understanding The Blackout Period
Sophia Haque, director of partnerships and development at Studentcare, explained that these delays might be tied to a period known as the Blackout Period. During this time—approximately September 1 to October 31—insurance companies may not confirm coverage for students. However, returning students who were covered in the previous policy year should not be affected. Any expenses incurred by new students during this period can be claimed after it ends.
“The Blackout Period protects the plan by ensuring no one takes advantage of it,” Haque said, referring to cases where students might use coverage but later opt-out during the Change-Of-Coverage Period.
Haque encouraged students with concerns about their health and dental plan to visit the AMS/GSS Health and Dental Plan office located in The Nest.
Moving Forward
The AMS VP Finance Mary Gan emphasized that student feedback is essential for improving the Health and Dental Plan.
Students are invited to participate in the ongoing Student Engagement Survey.
“The survey will allow students to express their needs, and we can explore ways to improve our collaboration with Studentcare,” Gan stated.
As Swindon Borough Council’s Director for Public Health Steve Maddern pointed out earlier this year regarding oral health initiatives: “Tackling oral health is a key part of our program.” Similarly, addressing these coverage delays is vital for ensuring all students receive necessary healthcare services without interruption.
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