Sunday, January 11, 2015

Medical Travel Insurance for tourists and New Immigrants in Canada

Travel Insurance is designed for people who have permanent resident status in Canada and provincial insurance plan. Provincial insurance plans are different in every province. For example, in British Columbia this type of insurance is called MSP – Medical Service Plan http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/ , whereas in Ontario, it is known as OHIP – Ontario Health Insurance Plan http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ohip/ . Travel insurance can be purchased only by residents and citizens of Canada and works as an addition to provincial health insurance. The combination of both Travel Insurance and Provincial Health plans will insure your whole duration in another country.
Travel Insurance

So how does it work? A casual visit to a clinic or general check-up in Canada will cost approximately around $120 CAD. Same visit in the United States will be more expensive and can cost $250. The Canada Provincial Medical plan will cover the first part of expenses which are $120 CAD. The balance will be covered by the Travel Insurance.

In case if the holder of the Travel Insurance policy had to use medical services while travelling, it is recommended to contact the insurance company as soon as possible. However, if the duration of the trip is less than 2 weeks, the policy holder can make a claim once he comes back to Canada. As for provincial health plan, the insurance company will reimburse the expenses no later than 90 days after the insured accident. If the claim was made after that period, there is a chance the expenses would not be recovered.

It is also recommended to get Travel Insurance when visiting another province. Each province has different rules and regulations and don’t cover residents from another provinces. The price of the premium for visiting another provinces is twice less expensive when travelling abroad. 

Travel Insurance
The prices and quotes can be found on the website. There are several Canadian companies that offer medical insurance plans. Each company has their own policy wording with their rules and regulation, coverage, benefits and exclusions. Also, the refund policy and cancellation fee vary from one company to another. Canadian insurance products are also insured by the Canadian government.

Unlike Travel Insurances, insurance plans for New Immigrants and various categories of visitors, are called Visitors to Canada Health Insurance. If the visitor resides In Canada most part of his duration in the country the insurance company will cover him when visiting other countries (except the country of citizenship). This insurance will cost more than Travel Insurance. Later in the next post I will talk more about Visitors to Canada Health Insurance.