Health Benefits service expand this year with addition of virtual clinics.

Students have new ways to stay healthy this year.

Those who are enrolled at George Brown College (GBC) have access to health benefits provided by the Student Association (SA).

There are three different plans, depending on the type of student you are. These include a domestic plan with health and dental coverage; a plan for English as a Second Language (ESL) students which offers basic Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage like visiting the hospital; and finally, an international student plan which offers basic OHIP coverage, or extended health and dental, similar to domestic student plans.

Students who have this coverage can use their benefits to get prescriptions, visit a dentist, get glasses, see a massage therapist, and more.

Students are able to opt out of this coverage if they can prove they have another means of health insurance. This year, the deadline to opt out of coverage is Oct. 3. It should be noted that Oct. 3 is also the deadline to opt in for health benefits, to add/remove family members from coverage, and to change your plan.

Yukiko Ito, coordinator of the health benefits service, notes that not everyone is able to opt out of these benefits.

“So basically, only if the student is qualified to cancel, they can apply for the opt out. So, let’s say for the domestic student, some of the students have an insurance from their employer, they have insurance from the parents those type of the student.

As long as their alternative plan is equivalent to the student plan, they can apply for the opt out and the online application is available for through the WeSpeakStudent website,” said Ito.

She adds that not all international students are able to opt out of coverage, and if they have questions about it they should contact the health benefits team.

In addition to the regular coverage, this year the health benefits service is introducing virtual clinics.

This service, offered by Cleveland Clinic, is a first of its kind for post-secondary institutions and GBC is the first school to take advantage of this.

When it launches in the coming weeks students will be able to connect directly with a nurse practitioner for all their health needs in both online and on-campus formats.

Virtual appointments online can be done anywhere, anytime for students within Canada, all they need to do is download the Express Care Online app and register with their information to receive medical information, diagnosis, prescriptions and referrals.

“Virtual clinic is our online platform, and students consult with their nursing practitioner, and then they can get prescriptions, medical advice and also referrals which means, if they need a specialist, they (nurses) can refer to the students,” she added.

The on-campus format will allow students to meet virtually with a nurse practitioner who will be able to help diagnose ailments with the help of the TytoClinic diagnostic tool. This device will allow students to share diagnostic information such as temperature, heart rate, as well as allow the nurse practitioner to see inside their ears and mouth.

Once setup, students will be able to visit any of the three major campuses – Casa Loma, St. James, & Waterfront – and step inside a soundproof booth to have their appointment. Students will sign in on the device and wait to meet with an available nurse practitioner. These medical experts will guide them through an examination and deem if it’s necessary to use the diagnostic tool for further examination.

Ito adds that students who have dependents added to their health plan will be able to bring them in to use the virtual clinics as well.

Ito believes this new addition to the service will greatly aid students as they will be able to avoid long wait times and get health information quicker.

“I think that many people are aware that they’re having the difficulty access to the walk in clinic. The clinic welcomes everybody, but the waiting time is a long time period that everyone has to wait in. This virtual clinic, as long as the booth space is available, they can connect right away, and they can get their consultation by the nurse practitioner. So it’s huge to remove and reduce for the waiting time, because the student is very busy for their life, for their study, and also they might have a part time job. So I think this is a very exciting news for the student.”

For those who may be worried about sanitation, the SA and health benefits team are currently working on solidifying the sanitation processes, to ensure equipment is hygienic and that things are not misused.

More information on the virtual clinics will be available online, at Health Benefits desks outside SA offices, and from SA Connect team members, when it becomes available.

Students are encouraged to read up on their health benefits by visiting www.StudentAssociation.ca/Health.

The Virtual Clinic initiative was made possible by the work of the board of directors in early 2024.