Students lined up to collect their opt-out cheques on Nov. 11, 2013. (Erynn Sally, Ryersonian Staff)
Ryerson students are asking the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) where their Health and Dental opt-out money is after waiting a week past the delivery date.
Students who already have insurance and have opted-out of Ryerson’s Health and Dental plan were supposed to receive $310 last week through direct deposit, but have still not seen a penny.
“I’m quite frustrated at this point,” says Neil Persaud, 18, a business technology management student.
“First we were supposed to receive our deposits on Nov. 10, then it got moved to Nov. 17, then supposedly yesterday. I still don’t have my cheque, and now the RSU told me I have to wait until the first week of December.”
The RSU introduced a new way of opting-out of the Health and Dental plan through an online system hosted by the brokering company Morneau Shepell Ltd. Instead of picking up the cheques manually, students were asked to submit their current insurance plans and banking information to the site in order to receive a direct deposit.
The original release date for the funds was Nov. 10 and later extended to Nov. 17. Many students are still waiting for their cheques.
“I think that nobody expected for the system to work out like this,” says Rajean Hoilett, President of the RSU.
“It’s brand new so there’s been some pretty evident glitches. We know it’s a frustrating situation for students and we are doing our best to ensure that the students are getting their money in a timely manner.”
Though the RSU is trying to fix these glitches, their efforts aren’t timely enough for some students who are relying on the money.
“I’m extremely agitated,” says Julia Brunke, 21, an English student.
“Everyone knows tuition is ridiculously overpriced. I can barely afford my rent so having a delay on something I submitted on time is completely inconvenient.”
The new way to opt-out of Ryerson health and dental insurance online also proved difficult to navigate. Some students gave up on the new system all together.
“Part of me felt like they are just trying to make it harder for students to opt-out,” says Brunke.
Brunke is one of the many students who opted-out online and has yet to receive her money. Like many students, the long wait is making her feel uneasy as to whether she did the new procedure correctly.
“When we enter the new year, we are going to be reevaluating the system we are using to ensure we are providing the best service for our [students],” says Hoilett.
— RSU (@RyeSU) November 19, 2014
Apologies for delay in health and dental plan direct deposits. We hope that they will all be processed by Friday Nov 21.
Rhiannon graduated from the Ryerson School of Journalism in 2015.
