Background:
The Graduate Student Society (GSS) at Simon Fraser University is dedicated to supporting the personal, professional, and academic goals of graduate students. One of the key services provided to its members is the health and dental plan. According to the Fall 2024 Health & Dental Plan Survey, 90% of GSS members expressed a desire for the GSS to continue offering this health and dental plan. However, in recent years, there have been significant cuts to the coverage provided by the plan. GSS members should be able to select a comprehensive health plan that offers more extensive coverage than currently available.
The last referendum to increase the GSS Health and Dental (H&D) Plan fee cap occurred in 2012. In that referendum, GSS members voted to set the fee cap at $450 and linked it to annual inflation, establishing the fee cap for the 2025-26 academic year at $607. Unfortunately, due to rising plan costs and an increasing number of claims, even with coverage reductions and annual increases, the GSS has struggled to keep pace with these expenses. During the academic years 2023-24 and 2024-25, the GSS provided temporary subsidies in response to a sharp rise in inflation to cover costs associated with the plan.
This referendum intends to set the new fee cap at $675. It is important to note that this is a cap, not the total fee that would be charged to students. By passing this referendum, the GSS can continue offering a viable health and dental plan to SFU graduate students.
Additional background information can be found here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is being asked in this referendum?
Increase the GSS Health and Dental (H&D) Plan fee cap from $607 to $675 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Please note that the fee cap represents the “maximum fee” that could be charged. In practice, the actual fee will be lower than $675.
What is a two-tiered plan?
The GSS currently offers one Standard Plan. Members have expressed interest in more options. If this referendum passes, members will have additional choices for their plan.
- Standard Plan will offer less coverage for lower fees, based on the latest quotes from insurance providers, averaging $555
- Comprehensive Plan will provide more coverage for higher fees, based on the latest quotes from insurance providers, averaging $628
- The standard plan is estimated to be approximately $75 lower than that of a comprehensive plan
- Members can choose from the following combinations of options:
- Standard Health and Standard Dental
- Comprehensive Health and Comprehensive Dental
- Standard Health and Comprehensive Dental
- Comprehensive Health and Standard Dental
What will be the difference between the Comprehensive Plan and the Standard Plan?
The Comprehensive Plan will cover everything that the Standard Plan covers, plus the below additions:
| Comprehensive Plan Enhancements |
| Increase Eye Glasses & Contact Lenses by $150 (from $50 to $200) |
| Increase Eye Exams by $30 (from $40 to $70) |
| Increase Basic Dental Services by 10% (from 70% to 80%) |
| Increase Extractions of Impacted Teeth by 10% (from 70% to 80%) |
| Increase Dental Annual Maximum by $100 (from $600 to $700) |
Why does the Plan Fee Cap need to increase?
The increased plan fee cap will allow;
- GSS to offer a Comprehensive Plan that provides members with more coverage.
- Members to customize the plan based on their own needs
- GSS to prevent further benefit cuts over the next few years
Is increasing the fee cap the last resort?
Yes! The GSS has exhausted all other options to avoid having to increase the Plan Fee Cap before coming to a referendum, including:
- Subsidized the Plan Fees for members by over $400,000 for the past two years
- Reduced/Cut benefits to lower the costs
- Requesting new quotes from several insurance providers
Did the GSS consult members?
A Fall 2024 Health & Dental Plan Survey indicated:
- 90% of GSS members indicated that the GSS should continue to provide a Health & Dental Plan.
- 85% of GSS members indicated interest in a flexible Health & Dental Plan model.
How do the GSS H&D Plan Fees compare to other Student Societies?
The GSS has one of the lowest fees compared to its counterpart graduate student societies in BC and Canada. This lower fee can be a limiting factor in providing lasting coverage needs for members. The UBC Health and Dental plan fees are lower and not comparable because there is no independent graduate student society; the UBC Alma Mater Society represents both undergraduate and graduate students.
| Graduate Student Society | Premium |
| SFU | $500 |
| Univ of Calgary | $651 |
| Univ of Saskatchewan | $678.82 |
| McGill | $680 |
| Wilfrid Laurier | $689 |
| Univ of Alberta | $694.82 |
| Univ of Victoria | $799.45 |
| Univ of Waterloo | $609 |
| Univ of Toronto | $826.15 |
What if this referendum fails?
The GSS will not be able to offer a “two-tiered plan” and will not be able to provide more coverage next year. Further benefit cuts would likely be required soon to reduce the plan costs.