Snowbird insurance – Insurance – Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life – Glenn Stewart

SNOWBIRD INSURANCE

Glenn Stewart — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 14:22:04 +0000

The following sub conditions would be covered for cardiovascular without prompting a full MEDICAL QUESTIONNAIRE.

Heart Attack
Bypass-even if it was done 25 years ago
Angioplasty/stent
Pacemaker
Valvular Disease/ Valve replacement
TIA/Stroke

If you are 75 years of age and travelling less 32 days or less no medical questionnaire is required.

Coverage:

Total Coverage Amount is $5 million
Hospitalization, medical and paramedical services
Transportation of a relative to your bedside
Meals and accommodations
Emergency air ambulance, Emergency return home
Repatriation of deceased
Medical follow-up in Canada – exclusive to Blue Cross.

Snowbird Recap

For starters, Blue Cross eligibility (knock out questions) are much more flexible than most of competitors. Some of our competitors will not insure people if bypass or bypass surgery were done more than 10(12) years ago, Others would be declined coverage if the person in the last 3 years was diagnosed with or treated for conditions such as Heart condition, stroke and diabetes. Some would even decline for a stroke or mini stroke (TIA). At Blue Cross all the above are eligible for coverage.

For Snowbird Insurance Coverage call Glenn at 1.888.256.8685

The post SNOWBIRD INSURANCE first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

BUYING MY TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY

Glenn Stewart — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 14:53:35 +0000

BUYING MY TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY

Travelers need to be very cautious about the type of Travel Insurance coverage they buy before they leave the country. Travel Insurance may be the last thing on their minds when planning on jet-setting to exotic locations across the globe. Forgetting or ignoring proper coverages could cost the traveller thousands of dollars. They may have to sell some of their assets to pay the bills or it may affect their retirement savings.

You can purchase up to $5 million in Travel Insurance coverage when you travel outside of your province, territory or the country. Coverage is available for single trips as well as multi-trip annual plans. With a multi-trip annual plan, you can enjoy the convenience and savings of a once-a-year Travel Insurance purchase that includes coverage for an unlimited number of 15 day or 31 day trips taken within a year.

Travel is up! Our dollar is down! Travel Insurance is still a must!

Even with the low Canadian dollar, as many as 10.4 million Canadians could make the US their travel destination of choice with another 4.2 million looking to visit Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. With trips outside the country coming at a higher cost, travelers may wish for creative ways to have the best trip possible on a tighter budget. However, if keeping dollars in your pocket is important to you, then purchasing adequate Travel Insurance protection should actually be a top priority. If you require emergency medical care while travelling, not having medical Travel Insurance could end up costing you much more than you would have saved by not buying coverage before you left on your trip.

The reality is particularly true for travelers planning trips to the US or other destinations that use US currency. A visit to the hospital in the US can cost as much as $10,000 US each day. With the Canadian dollar at its lowest since 2005, medical costs for Canadian travelers seeking treatment in the US are even more significant than in recent years. Without Travel Insurance, you would be responsible for your medical bills. If you have a pre-existing condition, you can find insurance but it will cost more than a regular policy. The Insurer may offer to cover you for everything except issues arising from your pre-existing condition. Either option is better than assuming you can fail to disclose a health condition and have your Travel Insurance Policy honoured. That won’t happen. There are many stories of “Snowbirds” who failed to disclose pre-existing conditions and were denied coverage after incurring tens of thousands of dollars in US medical bills.

Insurance companies, Travel Agencies and Financial Institutions may not communicate well with travellers. Consumers get a little dizzy when they read the wording within policies or contracts and they need to be better educated consumers of financial products.

CONSULT A LICENSED INSURANCE BROKER FOR YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE NEEDS!

Glenn Stewart represents Travel Insurers, Blue Cross, Manulife and GMS policies.

www.cuttherisk.com

The post BUYING MY TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

WHAT TYPE OF TRAVEL INSURANCE DO I NEED?

Glenn Stewart — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 14:11:35 +0000

WHAT TYPE OF

TRAVEL INSURANCE DO I NEED?

Questions to ask when applying for Travel Insurance

. What countries am I planning to visit? Are they on Canada’s excluded list? If the country I am going to is on the excluded list, only certain insurers will offer Travel Insurance coverage.

. Am I planning on doing any hazardous sports while travelling? Most exotic sports are excluded on the standard Insurance policies.

. How is my health? Has it changed in the last six months? Have any of my medications or the prescribed dosage changed in the last six months?

TYPICAL TYPES OF TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICIES ARE:

. Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance

This type of Travel Insurance protects your travel investment if you must unexpectedly cancel your trip. Your eligible prepaid trip expenses will be protected up to the amount of coverage purchased.

. Baggage and Personal Effects Insurance

This type of Travel Insurance protects your damaged or lost luggage.

. Comprehensive Insurance

This Travel Insurance provides coverage for Emergency Medical, Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption, Baggage and Personal Effects and Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance.

HAVE A CHECK LIST TO HELP YOU BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE!

HAVE YOU:

. researched what Travel Insurance is available or have you chosen the first plan that you found?

. spoken with your doctor or are you guessing for which health conditions you are being treated?

. called a licensed Travel Insurance Agent or are you rushing to complete the application before you board the plane?

. read the fine print or are you making assumptions about what is and what isn’t covered under the Travel Insurance policy that you have chosen?

. checked out the policy glossary or are you relying on your friend’s interpretation of a confusing term?

. enquired about deductibles or are you prepared to pay a lower cost now and a higher premium later?

. asked questions, questions and more questions or are you concerned that you will be a bother?

NOW YOU ARE READY TO SPEAK WITH A LICENSED AGENT TO PURCHASE YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE.

call Glenn at glenn@cuttherisk.com or see www.cuttherisk.com

The post WHAT TYPE OF TRAVEL INSURANCE DO I NEED? first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

ARE YOU TRAVELLING OUT OF PROVINCE OR COUNTRY?

Glenn Stewart — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 19:06:35 +0000

Travelling out of Province or Country?

Travel Insurance may be the last thing on your mind when planning on jet-setting to exotic locations across the globe or out of province but forgetting or ignoring proper Travel Insurance coverages could cost you thousands of dollars.

Get your Travel Insurance when planning your trip making sure that you can pass all medical questions before leaving home! If you travel frequently throughout the year, purchase an annual Travel Insurance Policy to cover your travel in Canada and foreign countries.

Know what Travel Insurance you are buying to avoid a vacation disaster. Make sure you are covered for the type of activities you plan to do while out of country. Note that the “Standard Travel Insurance” may not cover you for diving or mountain climbing. You must be aware that if you have a special need or if you are going to a different kind of destination or participating in different activities, you must make sure that the Travel Insurance product that you purchase will actually cover your needs.

The Travel Insurance Industry is one of the highest paying claims groups within the Insurance Industry. Denied claims represent 2 to 3percent of active policies.

Are you thinking of buying Travel Insurance?

HAVE YOU:

. research what Travel Insurance is available or are you accepting the first plan you came across?

. spoken with your doctor or are you guessing which health conditions you are being treated for?

. call a licensed Travel Insurance agent or are you rushing to complete the application before you board the plane?

. read the fine print or are you making assumptions about what is and what isn’t covered under the Travel Insurance Policy that you have chosen?

. checked out the glossary or are you relying on your friend’s interpretation of a confusing term?

. enquired about deductibles or are you prepared to pay a lower cost now and a higher premium later?

. asked questions, questions and more questions about Travel Insurance or are you concerned you will be a bother?

Not all Provincial Health Coverages for travel are the same. Recently, a lady visiting Ontario from Alberta had a premature baby. She is faced with an air ambulance bill of $30,000 because the Province of Alberta does not cover this situation. An Ontario resident would have this service covered.

QUESTION, QUESTION AND THEN QUESTION TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE COVERS YOUR NEEDS!

The post ARE YOU TRAVELLING OUT OF PROVINCE OR COUNTRY? first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

Travel Medical Insurance!

Glenn Stewart — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 01:26:29 +0000

Travel Medical Insurance

Buying Travel Medical Insurance for a trip outside Canada or your home province just makes sense. You never know what emergency will befall you and, in the United States especially, medical bills can mount quickly.

What Snowbirds need to know about Travel Medical Insurance

To help you plan your trip …

Here are some issues you need to think about when deciding what type of Travel Medical Insurance you’ll need:

• Do all insurers charge the same?
As for any kind of insurance, rates can vary widely among insurers.

Take, for example, the case of Jim, a 70-year-old man, and his 65-year-old wife, Mary, who plan to spend five weeks in Florida. Jim suffered a heart attack a few years ago and takes three daily medications to keep his condition under control. To the insurer, Jim has a pre-existing heart condition.

Naturally, Jim wishes to be covered for this pre-existing condition, just in case something goes wrong while he is away.

Mary was diagnosed with, and treated for asthma, also a few years ago. But with the two medications she takes, Mary’s condition is under control and she is confident that she won’t require any treatment while she is away.

Using one of the websites available to compare premiums among five potential insurers, Jim and Mary learn that three companies won’t even insure Jim, for any price. Mary’s coverage will be in the $150 range for their five-week vacation.

But do they want to take the chance of Jim going South without coverage? What are the alternatives?

Two other companies agree to cover both Jim and Mary, but due to Jim’s history of heart troubles, one will charge $713 for the two of them, while the other will offer coverage for $797. It seems expensive, but at least the couple can travel safe in the knowledge that if something goes wrong, they’ve got the insurance they need.

• Should I get single-trip or annual coverage Medical Travel Insurance?
Travellers should determine whether it is more economical to purchase single-trip travel Medical insurance or an annual policy, based on their unique circumstances. Generally, if you’re just going for a few days, a single-trip policy is best, while if you plan several trips outside the country during the year, an annual policy would be less expensive.

Keep this in mind if you like to go cross-border shopping, visit friends or family, or take in the odd entertainment or sports event. But in some cases, a traveller might pay less by purchasing an annual plan that covers them for 30 or 60 days a year, than they would if they bought a single-trip plan. Compare both.

• How much coverage should I pay for?
Coverage packages usually come in amounts of $1 million, $2 million or $5 million. You might assume the lower-valued package will save you a lot of money, but premiums often vary little between the lowest and the highest amount. For peace of mind, you might want to go with the $5-million coverage.

Be aware, too, that you might have automatic coverage through your credit card. But it’s likely to be for a limited time only and, if your visit extends longer, you’ll need to arrange additional coverage.

That raises another issue: if your trip coverage is split between two insurers and you develop a condition during the coverage period of the first, that condition becomes “pre-existing” for the purposes of the second insurer.

Travelling this Winter Snowbirds?

Here are Seven tips to review while getting the Medical Travel Insurance for your trip.

Know what the policy says Every policy has limitations and exclusions (and) “pre-existing-conditions” exemptions. Read what is covered and under what conditions.

Know your medical conditions and medical history! Know your medical conditions when completing the medical questionnaire. Is best to have a list of all your medications and all you medical treatments in the past years to answer the medical questions correctly. Because it is a condition to having, your claims paid. This is the stability clause in all travel policies and it is the traveler’s responsibility to know about their illnesses and medical conditions or to check with their physician if they are not sure what they are. It may be as simple as having a list of their medicines and treatment in front of them or having the information written out in front of them.

Be scrupulously honest and accurate! While there is an insurance policy for just about everyone — it just tends to cost more for higher risk cases — don’t fudge or forget when it comes to spelling out their medical history. An example is a case last year in when a Vancouver retired couple was hit with a $50,000 hospital bill, because they filled out the insurance form incorrectly. “They say, ‘Well, we made a few little mistakes in our questionnaire, but you shouldn’t hold that against us, you are just trying to get us on a technicality,” he said. ‘Well what the hell is a contract except a listing of technicalities?”

Some policies restrict where you go. Insurance policies can have limitations due to warnings issued by the Canadian Federal Department of Foreign Affairs or the U.S. State Department, noted Robin Ingle, chairman Toronto-based insurance company Ingle International. “You get situations where even sections of countries are no-goes, so destination is an issue.” As well, U.S.-style medical bills are becoming common in a lot of foreign destinations around the world, so travelers need to make sure they have adequate coverage wherever they go.

What you do can be an issue. A lot of people will travel and participate in things like para-sailing, hang-gliding, bungee jumping. mountain climbing. These events are not covered normally but can be at additional cost at issuance of Travel Medical Insurance policy.

Worry about the fit, not the price! Competition among insurers means that prices for coverage should not vary greatly, so find the policy that covers your medical conditions. “The difference in price from one insurer to the other is so slight Make the policy is exclusively yours, which fits your health profile.

Be prepared to invest some time to double-check your coverage make sure it fits your health profile, travel plans and any activities you plan to do while travelling. Do not leave it to the last minute to arrange.

The post Travel Medical Insurance! first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.