ESL International

ESL International Student Health Benefits Plan: covered by E.T.F.S. (Expert Travel Financial Security) Inc

All ESL International students will automatically be enrolled into the Student Association’s health insurance program. The charge for this service is $108.00 for your 8 weeks of program.

Opt-out Information

The Student Health Benefits Plan is a mandatory fee, as passed in a school-wide referendum and conferred by the Student Association Board of Directors and the George Brown College Board of Governors. The fee of one semester is $108.00. Students who are presently covered through another plan however, may apply for a refund. ESL International students are eligible for a refund of the  fee upon completion of the George Brown College Student Benefits Opt-Out Form. This form is available at any of the Student Association Office. Your alternate health insurance needs to offer the minimum required coverage to get a refund of the health insurance.

Deadline for Opt-out

Please contact the Health Benefits office regarding deadline.

• Casa Loma Campus: Room E100

ESL International Student Health Benefits Plan: covered by E.T.F.S. (Expert Travel Financial Security) Inc
This service is inclusive of a health services reimbursement program (the OHIP Replacement Plan) facilitated by E.T.F.S. In order to understand what services are eligible through your coverage, please refer to the E.T.F.S. Health brochure that you will receive. To get more information or another copy of the brochure, please visit your campus’ Health Benefits Office.

Using Your Health Benefits:
It is IMPORTANT that you pick up your health plan card and keep it with you at all times. Your E.T.F.S. Health card will be available by the fourth week of your program. Until E.T.F.S. Health cards arrive, you can use the claim forms to get refund for services used. For claim forms and/or details in general, please visit your campus Health Benefits Office for assistance.

Medical Attention & Emergency Medical Assistance:

Should you require immediate medical attention, please use any local walk-in clinic or hospital. To claim for eligible out-of-pocket expenses, you must complete a claim form and submit it to E.T.F.S. Health for consideration. If you need an arrangement of direct billing, please visit Student Association Office. There is the list of walk-in clinics that accept direct billing by ETFS.

If you are hospitalized, you must have someone arrange to contact E.T.F.S. in order to verify benefits coverage or payment. Have your George Brown College student card on you at all times! That way, your coverage through the school can always be verified. Failure to notify E.T.F.S. will delay payment and limit E.T.F.S. Health’s liability toward the situation.

Claims Procedure or Steps:
What to do when making a claim from E.T.F.S. (Expert Travel Financial Security) Inc for simple medical visits?
Should you require immediate medical attention, please use any local walk-in clinic or hospital if it’s an emergency.  All walk-in clinics and family doctor expenses will be out-of-pocket which means you have to pay first and then claim the reimbursement from ETFS Inc or you can choose one of clinics in the list which accepts the direct payment from ETFS.

Hospitals and Clinic List-Direct payment by E.T.F.S (download) PDF

To claim for eligible out-of-pocket expenses:

• You must complete a claim form
• Have the doctor fill-out the second section of the claim form
• Make sure you sign and date the claim form
• Attach original receipts  and mail to E.T.F.S. for consideration
  Important: You need keep the copy of receipt as you will submit the original to E.T.F.S.

It is highly recommended to always bring a claim form to any doctor’s visits you may have. Have the doctor fill out his/her portion of the form while during the visit, and you can just mail in your claim right away for reimbursement (refund of money spent).

If you have questions about filling out the form, there is a toll-free phone number listed on the front and top of the form. E.T.F.S. phone representatives are available in different languages.

Hospitalizations:
If you are hospitalized, please do the following:

• You or your representative must contact ETFS or GlobalExcel in order to verify benefits coverage or payment
• Have your George Brown College student card on you at all times! That way, your coverage through the college can always be verified (whether you have your E.T.F.S. Card yet or not). Failure to notify E.T.F.S. during an emergency will delay payment and limit E.T.F.S. liability toward the situation – whether payment will be made directly, or by claim form.

Serious hospital visits will always result in payment directly to the hospital by E.T.F.S. Your coverage will be verified either through your E.T.F.S. card or GBC ID card.
E.T.F.S. will either pay the hospital directly, or the hospital will mail the student their bill/invoice, which the student can then mail to E.T.F.S. using a claim form. These bills are taken care of directly because hospital expenses are typically more of what a student can afford out-of pocket. The school understands that and looks after these situations for the student.

Family Enrollment:

ESL International Students can purchase ETFS Coverage for family members. Please visit the Student Association Office for more details has soon as you start your program.