Canadian Travel Health Insurance Advice For USA Citizens

Regarding Canadian travel health insurance coverage, there are a few important factors to consider. This article will be pertinent to USA citizens traveling to Canada. The first thing you should do is send a letter to the US State Department advising them that you are traveling to Canada and provide the dates.

This is important because you can be reached if a family emergency occurs while you are out of the country. Furthermore, the Department can reach you should a sudden crisis occur in Canada while you are traveling. All information is confidential in accordance with the conditions of the Privacy Act.

Regarding health insurance, speak to your health insurance carrier to establish your policy’s efficacy while you are in Canada. Will it provide cover for any potential emergency expenses? Most health plans do not carry cover for medical expenses in a foreign country unless the policy holder has bought extra cover.

Should your policy not include cover while you are visiting Canada, your travel agent can offer a temporary policy. These policies are not very expensive and are definitely worthwhile. They include cover for all health expenses, plus emergency services and medical evacuations. You will be ill advised to travel without some type of medical insurance cover. There are far too many reports about travelers who have run into terrible problems while seeking medical help in a foreign country.

The majority of Canadian hospitals and doctors will require you to pay for services in advance. Even though a medical evacuation is unlikely, bear in mind that the cost of this is well over $50,000. So check this out with your health and travel insurance Ontario company.

Also establish with your insurer whether payment will be made direct to the Canadian health care provider, or if you will later be refunded. Ask about coverage for psychiatric treatment, and what cover applies with regards to your remains if you die in Canada.

If you are taking prescription medication to Canada, the medication should be stored in its original labeled container. Have a copy of the doctor’s prescription on hand, as well as the doctor’s contact details. Diabetics who are bringing syringes into Canada should be in possession of a doctor’s certificate stating that the syringes are for medical use. You must declare the syringes to the custom officials when you arrive in Canada.

The same medication rules apply to travelers who are HIV positive and are taking antiretroviral drugs. It would be a good idea to ask your doctor for an extra script in case your drugs are stolen or if you lose them. On the subject of HIV, USA citizens are not required to undergo AIDS tests before entering Canada.

Once you have established the requirements of Canadian travel health insurance, consider all other aspects relevant to your health. For example, if you wear spectacles, take a spare pair. If you are allergic to any foods and medicines, or if you have a chronic medical problem, it would be advisable to wear a medical alert bracelet. Also carry a letter from your doctor explaining your condition and what treatment is suggested if you fall ill.

Dan Pucher Insurance is an independent Broker offering personal and corporate solutions. When looking for Visitors to Canada insurance and Travel Insurance Ontario.

Why And How To Choose International Travel Medical Insurance

If you are planning your trip to Canada or any other overseas location, then you are probably more occupied with planning your activities and hotels than thinking about your travel insurance. Chances are that you will not need to have international travel medical insurance, but if something does go wrong the small investment in your health can save you a lot of problems.

So you know that you need to find some travel insurance, but choosing a policy can be confusing. There are different companies and options and they each have differing inclusions, exclusions, premiums and gap fees. Before selecting a policy, you should compare what each is offering and make an educated decision based upon your health needs and those of the other people that will be covered with the plan.

When you have worked out the current level of coverage that you have, you will have to start looking at the different travel insurance options that are out there and start comparing what they have to offer. There are various types of travel insurance and most of them base the premiums either on the length of the trip or a fraction of the total price of the trip.

There are a few basic types of travel insurance that you can find: short term coverage for a single trip, open ended or longer term coverage and coverage for multiple trips. If you are planning to live overseas there are expat policies that can cover you indefinitely.

There can be a great deal of difference between different policies. You may be able to save money on some items that are not necessary for you and are extremely unlikely to be necessary when you are overseas. The level of coverage that you need might also depend on the length of time that you will be taking out the policy for.

Some of the inclusions that are usually included with different policies are: emergency medical care, emergency dental care, medical evacuation (covers the cost of transporting you to the nearest hospital equipped to handle your medical emergency), trip cancellation or delay, lost or delayed baggage up to a set amount. It is worth weighing up the likelihood of different conditions and events and you may be able to make realistic cutbacks on inclusions to save some money.

There do tend to be some exclusions with medical travel insurance that you may need to be aware of. The more common ones are – prior medical conditions, pregnancy, adventure sports such as diving and mountain climbing, self caused injury or mental illness.

Before you settle on the international travel medical insurance coverage that you are going to take out, there are a couple of factors which will affect which insurance policy is the right one for you. You need to consider – the length of your trip, your destination, participation in high-risk sports, your general health. Always check up on the fine details and be clear about what you have covered and how to go about making a claim. Travel insurance can make all the difference between a stress free holiday and a disastrous one.

Dan Pucher Insurance is an independent Travel Health Insurance Broker offering personal and corporate solutions. When looking for Visitors to Canada Insurance and information on Canada Travel Insurance please give us a call.