Mount Royal student health plan and massage therapy
Mount Royal student health plan and massage therapy: SAMRU pays 80%, up to $25 a visit and $400 a year per practitioner, with a doctor's or NP's referral.
By The Renu lymphatic and massage team · 5 min read
The SAMRU student health plan at Mount Royal University covers Registered Massage Therapists at 80%, up to $25 a visit and $400 per practitioner per benefit year. You need a written referral from a physician or nurse practitioner, and you claim through the Alumo Benefits App. Because of the per-visit cap, the plan pays a set amount toward each session and you pay the rest.
If you are a Mount Royal University student taking 9 or more credits, you are most likely on the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) health plan, administered by Alumo. It pays toward massage therapy with a Registered Massage Therapist, with a referral, at a fixed maximum per visit. Knowing that number before you book tells you what a session will really cost.
SAMRU’s massage benefit in plain terms
The plan’s paramedical benefit reads: coverage 80%, up to $25 per visit, and up to $400 per practitioner per benefit year for licensed paramedical services. Registered Massage Therapists are on the eligible list, and the plan states that you must have a written referral from a physician or nurse practitioner for them.
A few conditions sit alongside that:
- Reimbursement is based on reasonable and customary charges. The Alumo Benefits App lists the maximum reimbursement for paramedical services under “Resources”.
- Practitioners must be registered in the province where care is provided.
- Treatment from family members or people you live with is not covered.
- If a provincial plan pays part of the cost, the student plan pays only after the provincial maximum is reached. Alberta’s provincial plan does not pay for massage therapy; see does Alberta Health Care cover massage therapy.
You may also see a line reading “a combined up to $30 per visit to a maximum of $400 per benefit year” on the same page. In the page layout it follows the paramedical list and sits with the mental health practitioners, which list psychologists, counsellors and social workers. If you are unsure which figure applies to your massage, the app’s Resources section or a Claim Advisor will confirm it.
What you pay per session
Because 80% of any of our massage prices is well above $25, the cap is what the plan pays, and you cover the difference.
| Session at Renu (RMT) | Price | Plan pays (cap) | You pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massage, 30 min | $80 | $25 | $55 |
| Massage, 45 min | $100 | $25 | $75 |
| Massage, 60 min | $120 | $25 | $95 |
| Massage, 90 min | $157 | $25 | $132 |
At $25 a visit, the $400 yearly maximum would take 16 visits to reach. So for most students the per-visit cap, not the yearly limit, is what shapes the bill. If you have a second plan through a parent or partner, coordinating the two can close more of the gap.
A student practitioner session, such as our student massage at $60 for 60 minutes, costs less up front, but it is not an RMT service, and the SAMRU list names Registered Massage Therapists. Plan on paying for a student session yourself. Student massage vs RMT massage compares the two.
Referral, blackout and claiming
Referral first. Ask your doctor or a nurse practitioner for a written referral before your first massage, and keep a digital copy. The claim steps ask you to upload the receipt, the physician’s referral and any other supporting documents together. When you need a doctor’s note for massage therapy covers what to ask for.
New students wait to be reimbursed. SAMRU’s claim page says that for new students, claims are not reimbursed during the blackout period from September 1 to October 31. You can still book; pay, keep the receipt and submit when the blackout ends. New students can also register for the app only 60 days after their program’s official start date.
Claim in the app. Sign in to the Alumo Benefits App, start a claim, choose the patient, enter the provider details and the amount on the receipt, upload your documents and submit. Setting up direct deposit is optional but recommended for online claims.
Coverage ends on a set date. The plan summary says you can submit online claims for receipts up to and including your termination date, the last day of coverage. For the autumn 2026 intake, coverage runs from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027.
Use the referral visit well
The referral appointment is also the right moment to raise anything that should shape your massage. Tell your doctor or nurse practitioner what you are hoping massage will help with, and mention any recent injury or surgery, a diagnosed condition, pregnancy or new medication. Then tell your therapist the same things at your first visit. A referral that names the reason for treatment is more useful to everyone, including the plan, than a one-line note, and it gives your therapist a starting point for the session.
The registration wording in Alberta
The SAMRU page asks that practitioners be registered in the province where care is provided. Massage therapy is not yet a regulated profession in Alberta; the Massage Therapist Association of Alberta says its application for regulation is under review and that the RMT title is not currently protected. RMTs here are registered with professional associations, and the plan names Registered Massage Therapists directly. If you want to be certain before a series of visits, give Alumo your therapist’s name and association and ask.
Booking at Renu from Mount Royal
Renu is about 7 km by road from Mount Royal’s campus, north on Crowchild Trail and across the river to Kensington Road NW and 19 Street. There is free street parking on 19 Street. We are open seven days, until 8:30 pm on weekdays, and you can book with a Registered Massage Therapist online through Jane. Session lengths and prices are on our massage therapy page.
For comparison, students at other Calgary schools have quite different limits: see the SAIT student health plan and the University of Calgary student health plan. How per-visit caps work on any plan is covered in annual maximums and per-visit limits for massage benefits.
Questions people ask
Does SAMRU cover acupuncture?
Acupuncturists are not on the plan's list of eligible paramedical practitioners, which includes athletic therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, naturopaths, osteopaths, physiotherapists, podiatrists and speech therapists. Ask Alumo before booking if acupuncture matters to you.
Can my dependants use my SAMRU massage coverage?
Only if you have added them. The plan covers the student by default, and family coverage is bought through the Add Family / Dependants form. Dependants use the student's benefit cards.
I opted out of SAMRU. Can I get back in for massage coverage?
Students who opted out and later lose comparable coverage can re-enrol if they are still eligible. For autumn 2026, the change of coverage and re-enrolment window runs from August 1 to September 25.
Sources
Page reviewed October 5, 2026. This page is education, not a diagnosis. For your own situation, talk to your doctor, surgeon or care team, or ask us.
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