Insurance Comparison 2026
Manulife CoverMe Student Travel Insurancevs.GuardMe Canada
An independent side-by-side comparison covering benefits, costs, and coverage details.
✓ Based on official policy documents ✓ Updated April 2026 ✓ Independent comparison
| Feature | Manulife CoverMe Student Travel Insurance View Details | Most Popular GuardMe Canada View Details |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Monthly price | CAD $75 | CAD $58 |
| Annual price | CAD $900 (estimated for 24-year-old, 12-month policy in Ontario) | CAD $704 |
| Currency | CAD | CAD |
| Medical Coverage | ||
| Medical coverage Maximum payout for medical care | Up to CAD 2,000,000 in emergency and non-emergency medical benefits including hospital stays (up to 60 days for injury or illness, 30 days for psychiatric care), physician services, diagnostic tests, prescription drugs, and paramedical services. | Up to CAD 2,000,000 per 365-day period covering hospital services, physician fees, lab and diagnostic testing, and ambulance. |
| Deductible What you pay before insurance kicks in | CAD $0 — no deductible on any student plan. | CAD $0 — no deductible on the standard plan. |
| Prescription drugs | Prescription drugs covered as part of emergency medical benefits, up to a 30-day supply per prescription. | 30-day supply per prescription, with no annual cap. |
| Emergency repatriation | Up to CAD 100,000 for transportation home (emergency evacuation, repatriation of remains, family transportation). | Repatriation of remains up to CAD 15,000. Burial in host country up to CAD 5,000. Air evacuation and return home included up to policy limits. |
| Mental Health | ||
| Mental health coverage Therapy, counseling, psychiatric care | Up to 30 days hospital stay for psychiatric care. Trauma counselling and emergency psychiatric services covered as part of the CAD 2 million policy maximum. | Psychiatric hospitalization up to CAD 50,000 (lifetime limit). Outpatient psychotherapy up to CAD 1,000 and psychiatrist fees up to CAD 10,000 inpatient. Six trauma counselling sessions included. |
| Dental | ||
| Dental coverage What dental treatments are covered | Accidental dental injury covered up to CAD 2,500. Emergency dental treatment included. | Dental injury (accident) up to CAD 4,000. Emergency dental care up to CAD 600 when 6+ months of coverage is purchased. |
| Eligibility | ||
| Age limit | | |
| Who can apply Country and visa requirements | Full-time student under age 45 at a recognized Canadian institution with proof of admission, or post-doctoral researcher. Spouse and dependent children (30 days+) can be added. | International students enrolled at a Canadian designated learning institution (DLI). Distributed via 300+ partner universities — purchase through your school's GuardMe portal. |
| Pre-existing conditions | Pre-existing conditions are not covered if they were not stable in the 3 months before the policy effective date. Stability requires no medication changes, no new symptoms, no new tests or referrals. | Limited coverage. Stable pre-existing conditions may be covered — read your policy carefully. |
| Visa compliant | | |
| Service & Support | ||
| English support | | |
| Digital services App, online claims, telemedicine | | |
| VisitManulife CoverMe Student Travel Insurance → | VisitGuardMe Canada → | |
Manulife CoverMe Student Travel Insurance View Details
Pricing
Monthly price
CAD $75
CAD $58
Annual price
CAD $900 (estimated for 24-year-old, 12-month policy in Ontario)
CAD $704
Currency
CAD
CAD
Medical Coverage
Medical coverage
Maximum payout for medical care
Up to CAD 2,000,000 in emergency and non-emergency medical benefits including hospital stays (up to 60 days for injury or illness, 30 days for psychiatric care), physician services, diagnostic tests, prescription drugs, and paramedical services.
Up to CAD 2,000,000 per 365-day period covering hospital services, physician fees, lab and diagnostic testing, and ambulance.
Deductible
What you pay before insurance kicks in
CAD $0 — no deductible on any student plan.
CAD $0 — no deductible on the standard plan.
Prescription drugs
Prescription drugs covered as part of emergency medical benefits, up to a 30-day supply per prescription.
30-day supply per prescription, with no annual cap.
Emergency repatriation
Up to CAD 100,000 for transportation home (emergency evacuation, repatriation of remains, family transportation).
Repatriation of remains up to CAD 15,000. Burial in host country up to CAD 5,000. Air evacuation and return home included up to policy limits.
Mental Health
Mental health coverage
Therapy, counseling, psychiatric care
Up to 30 days hospital stay for psychiatric care. Trauma counselling and emergency psychiatric services covered as part of the CAD 2 million policy maximum.
Psychiatric hospitalization up to CAD 50,000 (lifetime limit). Outpatient psychotherapy up to CAD 1,000 and psychiatrist fees up to CAD 10,000 inpatient. Six trauma counselling sessions included.
Dental
Dental coverage
What dental treatments are covered
Accidental dental injury covered up to CAD 2,500. Emergency dental treatment included.
Dental injury (accident) up to CAD 4,000. Emergency dental care up to CAD 600 when 6+ months of coverage is purchased.
Eligibility
Age limit
Who can apply
Country and visa requirements
Full-time student under age 45 at a recognized Canadian institution with proof of admission, or post-doctoral researcher. Spouse and dependent children (30 days+) can be added.
International students enrolled at a Canadian designated learning institution (DLI). Distributed via 300+ partner universities — purchase through your school's GuardMe portal.
Pre-existing conditions
Pre-existing conditions are not covered if they were not stable in the 3 months before the policy effective date. Stability requires no medication changes, no new symptoms, no new tests or referrals.
Limited coverage. Stable pre-existing conditions may be covered — read your policy carefully.
Visa compliant
Service & Support
English support
Digital services
App, online claims, telemedicine
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Manulife uses age-based quote pricing rather than a flat daily rate. For a 24-year-old buying a 12-month policy in Ontario, expect roughly CAD $70-80 per month (CAD $850-950 per year). The exact premium depends on age, coverage period, and family members added. Get an instant quote at coverme.com.
Yes. The plan provides up to CAD 2 million in medical coverage, which exceeds the typical institution requirement of CAD 1 million. Most Canadian universities outside Ontario accept Manulife CoverMe as proof of insurance. Ontario universities require UHIP or a school-approved equivalent — confirm with your institution before purchasing.
If a covered medical event forces you to interrupt or cancel your studies, Manulife reimburses up to CAD $5,000 of non-refundable tuition. This is a unique benefit among Canadian student plans — GuardMe and TuGo do not offer it.
Only if they were stable for 3 months before the policy start date. Stable means no new medication, no symptom changes, no new tests, no specialist referrals, and no hospital admissions. If your condition does not meet all stability criteria, related claims will be denied.
Yes. Coverage is extendable up to a maximum of 365 days. You can also pause coverage for up to 21 days during a home visit (trip break benefit) without ending the policy.
GuardMe Canada costs CAD $1.93 per day for one person, which works out to roughly CAD $58 per month or CAD $704 for a full 365-day year. Family rates apply per person. Most universities pre-bundle the cost into their international student fee.
Over 300 Canadian colleges and universities have partnership agreements with GuardMe. The plan is comprehensive, integrates with school IT systems for instant enrollment, and covers the 3-month waiting period before provincial plans (OHIP in Ontario, MSP in BC) become effective. For these reasons, many institutions make GuardMe mandatory.
Yes. International students in Ontario are not eligible for OHIP at all, so GuardMe (or UHIP) is the primary coverage. In BC, there is a 3-month waiting period for MSP — GuardMe covers this gap. Most BC universities automatically enrol new students in GuardMe for the first 90 days for around CAD $170-190.
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