HEALTH INSURANCE; Should I buy
 

Wondering if I should purchase health insurance. I am from Ontario, Canada. We have Ontario Health Insurance and I also have extended health coverage through my employer. Not sure if this would be enough. I spoke to Ontario Health and they said they cover $200 - 400/day for a hospital stay. Does anyone know if that would cover the cost of a hospital stay in England/Scotland? Any advice would be appreciated.

Buy health insurance; its an absolute MUST. I know the OHIP rules and limits and they simply would not begin to cover you in the event, say, of a broken leg, let alone something requiring major sugery, recovery time etc. Unless you are over 65, its quite inexpensive, available through your branch of TD/Canada Trust, CIBC or BMO and worth every Canadian nickel in peace of mind.

If you do have to use it, BTW, for heaven' sake don't forget to phone the indicated number FIRST, i.e.before the medical help is received; obviously have someone else do it in an emergency. Otherwise you can nullify the coverage. That happened to my daughter away at school in Italy and it cost us quite a bit and that was just for a bad cold!

Hi Ingy,
Call all of your insurers and find out what numbers to call, and what they cover.

You will probably find that they will cover an emergency abroad as well as doctor visits.

If you want coverage for transporting you home, that is another matter.

I am topping this message to get more updates on health insurance as well as starting a new thread.

For our recent three week trip to France, my wife and I purchased "Travel Insurance". This included death, medical, dental, emergency evacuation, travel and baggage delay, car collision/loss, etc. It was very inexpensive.

The company is ACCESS AMERICA and you'll find it at InsureMyTrip.com. They offer a wide range of options.

Yes buy it !!!

Coverage for transportation home is really important. A couple I know were travelling in France and were hit by a drunk driver. Both had extended health coverage through their work. The man was extremely badly injured, but his supplemental coverage paid for him to be flown back to Canada as soon as he was stable, although he was in a coma. His wife's injuries were less severe (broken bones), but she had to wait several weeks, because her insurance would not pay for transportation in a stretcher.

I look at it this way- If I buy it I won't get sick or injured (great). If I don't buy it I will (bad).

The insurance is for my Dad 76 in good health.
The joy of the internet is it gives you tons of info. the bad thing is how do you figure out what is best?!

ingy&yeardonite - to be more specific, I never bought travel insurance until I was in my 50s. From 50 to 60, I would buy insurance occasionally, depending on length and destination. Now that I am in my mid 60s I routinely buy insurance for any trip over 1 week - not only for my sake, but to save my family the worry and hassle of having their dad laid up in a hospital somewhere in Europe or Asia.

Hi yeadonite,

If it's only $50 or so, it will give you and your father peace of mind.

Keep in mind, that this is very profitable for the insurance companies, since the probability that you will be injured abroad is no greater than at home.

ira...I'm with you on the peace of mind aspect, but what difference does it make if it's profitable for the insurer? The only consideration that matters is one's own.

I can't cite statistics of course, but isn't it common sense that one is in greater jeopardy when far from home in a strange environment? And - even if you're right about the probabilities, think of the cost consequences of being far from your family doctor or local hospital! Yech!

Any way I look at it, regardless of one's age (see CharlieB), travel insurance is a smart buy and a bargain at that.

I will let you know what we choose but it is the "piece of mind factor" that is most important to me. A good article in the NY times travel section helped convince him.

Check prior to departure with all your insurers to see what they cover and don't. A couple years ago my mother had to be hospitalized in Switzerland while we were traveling. Her Medicare HMO covered all the hospital costs, and the lovely nurse case manager even called to check on me during the unexpected extra days. There was another US family with an elderly mother on the ward who had to be flown back to the States, and it cost them a bloody fortune - tens of thousands of dollars.
Also check with your credit card companies - some of them offer free or discount travel insurance, especially if it is a platinum type card. Be advised, though, that often you must have paid for the trip with that card in order for the coverage to be in effect.
Bon voyage!

4329908, you're obviously a salesperson for that company. You've posted the same exact thing, with identical wording, on at least 2 different threads.

Now, as for OTHER options....I just posted the following on another thread that 4329908 also posted on:

If you're travelling outside the US for educational purposes.....some companies offer medical insurance specifically for that purpose. I found the following University of Michigan webpage that might provide useful info:

http://www.umich.edu/~benefits/event...pplemental.htm

Also, the US State Dept website suggests (but does not endorse) some companies who offer medical insurance to Americans travelling outside the US:

http://travel.state.gov/medical.html

I would also double check for any clauses referring to pre-exisiting conditions and whether it is covered. Basically, if your father has a health ailment that falres upon Holiday and he needs medical attention, be sure your policy covers this..alot of them don't..read the fine print.

Hi Ingy,

Check to see that the insurance coverage you purchase covers the cost of returning the patient and one other person to the US and transfer to a hospital at home.

It is not likely that the UK health system can't handle an emergency, but many times patients just have to have their own doctor.

PS, don't ruin your vacation by asking your father how he feels 4 times a day.