Letter from Studentcare

Dear UASU and GSA:

Thank you for your support and patience this week as we put together the following resources. Please feel free to share this with your University contacts as needed, and contact myself or Kristin at any time if you have any questions,

The entire Studentcare team is working diligently to adopt best practices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As your trusted partners in serving students, we would like to keep you informed of the proactive measures we are taking and how they may impact the administration and operation of the student Plans. We have attached for your reference the email communication being sent to enrolled students regarding impacts on coverage (travel in particular), as it relates to the insurer, and the FAQ posted on our website. However, we also wanted to share internal updates with you regarding member services, and Plan management.

As recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), Health Canada, and leading health outlets, steps taken to “flatten the curve” are crucial to limiting the spread and, subsequently, the impact of the virus. Social distancing (if you are able) is a key preemptive measures that can curb community spread and, perhaps most importantly, help offset peak loads on health-care systems to ensure that their services are available for those who truly need them. As such, Studentcare would like to confirm what steps we are taking and what impact can be expected by students:

1. Care Centre Operations & Member Services Impact: Our team has been exploring scenarios where our Care Centre staff may be impacted due to quarantine, isolation, or illness requiring staff to work from home. While service delays are to be expected in these scenarios, we want to assure you that Studentcare has in place a robust Emergency Measures Plan that we have begun to roll out as this situation has evolved. We are prepared to have the vast majority of our team (including service) continue to work remotely and securely from home. We have already started to have call centre agents follow the Emergency Measures Plan to test the system’s efficacy, and our goal is to limit the impact on service as much as possible while still ensuring the safety of our staff and communities.

2. Plan Management – In-Person Meetings and Daily Operations: We are closely monitoring campus protocols and airline/travel restrictions to ensure we are not jeopardizing the safety of our staff or our partner schools while attending any in-person meetings and/or commitments. Studentcare has suspended all non-essential air travel. With a large remote workforce, we already have significant experience with teleconferencing and video-conferencing tools, and should any additional restrictions be put in place, we are prepared to continue to keep you informed on key Plan financials and other reporting via telecommuting resources. Your Program Manager may also be in contact to present alternative options for business operational meetings and presentations.

3. Satellite, Regional & Campus Offices: We are closely monitoring campus protocols and restrictions to ensure we are not risking the well-being of our staff, colleagues, or partner associations, while taking the opportunity to positively impact the broader community. Given the continually evolving characteristics of this pandemic, we have enacted work-from-home protocols for our staff to make certain they can operate from home in unexpected circumstances or as a proactive measure.

Please note that our Emergency Measures Plan continues to prioritize the privacy and security of student data and is designed to mitigate risks. Our goal is to ensure the overall safety of our employees and communities while maintaining stability and continuity for our partners.

Lastly, we are aware of the additional burden of legal issues students may be struggling with in response to changing restrictions regarding the pandemic. For associations and institutions that have our Legal Protection Program, we have noticed an increase in questions about student visas, employment, and academic ramifications of the COVID-19 response. Should you be interested in speaking with us about the broader service, please do not hesitate to ask.

We are actively monitoring this rapidly evolving situation to ensure we can respond appropriately. Please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

The Studentcare Team

Phone

780-492-4241

Students' Union Executive and Administrative Offices
Room 2-900
Students' Union Building
University of Alberta
8900 - 114 Street NW
Edmonton, AB
T6G 2J7