With the end of Ontario’s limited Out-of-Country Travelers Program Ontario’s people travelling abroad will NOW need Travel Insurance including the Snowbirds or just going shopping in Buffalo.

For travel out of the country health costs can escalate quickly, and the province’s program was never intended as a substitute for a more comprehensive travel insurance package.

The Province was previously providing $400 a day which is not a huge amount towards the expensive medical care in other countries.  Even a one day shopping trip across the border can result in medical expenses that accumulate quickly. You may stop for lunch and something you eat causes an allergic reaction.  Some states charge for a paramedic arriving at the scene followed by the costs for tests and a hospital stay.  The same thing would happen if you were in a car accident even if you were not at fault.

Ontario’s website observes that insured Ontario residents will continue to receive coverage for physician and hospital services when visiting or moving to another Canadian province or territory. For those travelling outside the country, the Ontario government states: “Ontarians travelling abroad are always encouraged to purchase the appropriate travel insurance coverage in the event emergency health and doctor services are needed out of country. Many Ontarians already have travel health insurance through their workplace plans or credit cards.”

People do get coverage under their employee benefits but is it enough? They may feel that they have coverage through the credit card that they used to purchase the trip, but is it enough?  Does the credit card coverage cover only the credit card holder?  Does it cover the family and their travelling companions?  There is a great deal to think about when questioning your travel coverage.

It is suggested that you purchase a MULTI-TRIP ANNUAL PLAN!

Glenn suggests you buy a Multi-Trip Annual Travel Policy that gives you 15 or 30-day coverage serval times a year.

WHAT IS A MULTI-TRIP ANNUAL PLAN:

• • Designed for frequent travelers and Snowbirds
  • Coverage for an unlimited number of trips in a policy year
  • Choose between 15 and 30 days of coverage
  • Extend coverage on a daily basis with a Single Trip Emergency Medical Coverage

   

  NOW call Glenn for your multi-trip Travel Policy at 1-888-256-8685 or glenn@glennstewartinsurance.com

The post AS ONTARIO’S OUT-OF-COUNTRY HEALTH COVERAGE HAS ENDED first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

CANADA: THE VACATION DESTINATION FOR 2017

The New York Times has named Canada the top vacation destination for 2017. According to the renowned daily, Canada is a world in itself. Canada’s cosmopolitan cities, charming villages, and natural landscapes mean there is always something new to see without spending endless hours on the road!

Canada celebrates 2017

A host of activities for the entire family are in place to mark the 150^th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation and the 375^th anniversary of Montreal. For example, Parks Canada is offering free admission to its national parks, which attract thousands of visitors each year, in summer and winter alike.

It looks like Canadians are taking them up on the offer. According to a recent survey, a good majority plan to travel in Canada this year.

Good news!

79% of Canadians expect to travel this year among which 60% will travel in Canada, and most will travel by car.

But sadly,
53% do not plan to take out travel insurance.
46% say they do not need it and think they are covered by the public plan in their province.

You know they’re mistaken. OHIP even has a caution on its website. In the interest of your clients, tell them they need travel insurance!

BLUE CROSS TRAVEL INSURANCE PRODUCTS

FOR THE HAPPY-GO-LUCKY TRAVELLER, SUMMERTIME BLUE^® IS AN EASY SOLUTION

Summertime Blue^®, convenient and affordable
Summertime Blue is so affordable it would be crazy not to buy it, especially since medical costs outside Ontario, even within Canada, can be sky high.

Policies start at just $165 for an entire summer of family travel. Summertime Blue covers emergency medical treatment, emergency transportation costs, and medical followup in Canada.

Summertime Blue is essential and valid worldwide. It covers all travel, whether planned or last minute, from June 5 to September 5, 2017.

FOR THE CAREFUL TRAVELLER, COMPLETE COVERAGE WITH THE CANADA PACKAGE PLAN

The Canada Plan, for good health and great vacations
Many provinces have world-famous resorts and natural spaces. Visiting them may be pricey, but the memories will last a lifetime! When helping your clients plan a one-of-a-kind trip, suggest the Canada Package Plan. It covers emergency medical care and, if they cancel, any nonrefundable costs paid in advance. The Canada Package Plan is also available without trip cancellation coverage.

Summertime Blue and Canada Package plans are available now.

For more information : 1-888-256-8685

The post SUMMERTIME BLUE – BLUE CROSS first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

No Medical Questionnaires: Required if you

Features of Coverage are

• Total Coverage limit 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.

Eligibility

Note Blue Cross eligibility (5 knock out Questions) are much more flexible than most Travel Insurers. Some Insurers will not insure people if bypass or bypass surgery was done more than 10(12) years ago. Other would decline coverage if a person if in the last 3 years was diagnosed with or treated for conditions as heart condition, stroke or diabetes. Some would even decline a stroke or mini-stroke (TIA). Blue Cross approves coverage for all of these if you can answer no to 5 knock out Questions above.

Call Glenn 1-888.256.8685

are 55-75 years of age and travelling for less than 32 days and can answer no to the following questions.

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

Every elderly relative who plans to visit Canada even for a short period, must always consider buying Visitor to Canada Insurance or Travel Medical Insurance. Anyone visiting Canada for whatever reason also should purchase this Insurance. Visitor’s Health Insurance plans have been specifically designed to meet the requirements of visiting relatives providing accident and sickness coverage while in Canada.  It can be utilized in other countries outside Canada.

There are a number of Canadian Visitor Insurance plans available.  Many policies allow the insured to use doctors, laboratories, hospitals etc. in Canada.  There are many international students and professionals on work visas studying and working in Canada.  For their relatives who live abroad and plan to travel to Canada to visit their children and families, it is absolutely essential and prudent that they be covered under a Visitor Medical Insurance policy.

These Visitor Insurance plans are administered with great care by top rated Canadian Insurers with all claims handling and rules settled in Canada. Residents of foreign nations can easily avail these policies by completing the online application on ww.cuttherisk.com website.

To purchase a plan for visiting relatives, one needs to provide a few details such as age, the maximum coverage benefit needed, the start and end dates of the visit to determine the coverage period required, country of citizenship, primary destination, passport number and the name of the beneficiary.

No medical check up or proof of health records are required to purchase a Visitor Insurance Policy.  Popular plans include Blue Cross, Manulife, GMS and more.  These plans are not only for relatives visiting Canada but also for foreign students, exchange workers, scholars and immigrants.  Subscribing to a plan can be done instantly on line or calling Glenn at 1.888.256.8685

For coverage, see Glenn at glenn@cuttherisk.com or phone 1.888.256.8685

www.cuttherisk.com

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

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.

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.

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.

I have Credit Card coverage – Know it’s limitations

  “I don’t think I need buy travel insurance; I’m covered by my credit card!”

The travel insurance coverage provided by your credit card may have limitations or restrictions. It is important to review your contract thoroughly for coverage details. I recommended that you purchase additional coverage for complete protection to be sure you are protected from financial disaster.

Check your plan for the following:

Travel duration

Travel Insurance cannot be purchased once you depart from Ontario. It is important to check the length of stay covered with your credit card coverage, as well as any restrictions based on age. Does it cover travel in Canada when you leave Ontario?

Emergency Medical Care coverage

There are often strict eligibility and stability requirements based on your health. Blue Cross offers the option of a medical questionnaire for individuals 61 years of age or older with a chronic illness, this option is not always available with credit card coverage.

Trip Cancellation or Interruption

You may need to purchase additional protection, depending on the cost of your trip. Most credit card companies do not cover Trip Interruption or Cancellation coverage and when covered, the maximums are not sufficient to protect your investment.

Protect yourself and your family. Don’t risk your financial security with incomplete protection. With a Blue Cross Travel insurance plan, you will benefit from complete medical coverage, recognized worldwide.

Call Glenn for travel insurance   v

By glenn@cuttherisk.com or 1.888.256.8685

The post Why buy Travel Insurance? first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

Whether you’re trying to insure your life, your income, your health, your business  or fleet, the costs add up quickly.

That’s why you should only buy insurance to protect yourself and your business from unlikely events—and only enough to maintain your standard of living in the event the unlikely does happen: no more.  I will review the risks you have and suggest the types of insurance you require and how to shave 5% to 30% off the price of what you do need.

You don’t have health insurance through your employer.  No problem! An annual Travel Medical insurance policy that covers you for unlimited trips of 10 days or less in duration, costs just $60 annually. You can reduce your home insurance premiums by including a security or sprinkler system, oh and by kicking that smoking habit too. What have you done to spring flood or sewer back up? Have you got the right insurance? Would you be prepared to correct make a claim if necessary when you have the right insurance?

For more money saving tips, let’s chat over a coffee.

If you have not reviewed your insurance in the last THREE years, like 69% of Canadian, it is time to review your current risks and be sure you have the right insurance.

I will give you a free half hour evaluation of all your insurance. Then we can proceed from there if you wish.

Call me Glenn at 1-888-256-8685 or email glenn@cuttherisk.com

www.cuttherisk.com

The post The right insurance – at the best price first appeared on Insurance - Disability, Estate, Critical Illness, Travel, Life - Glenn Stewart.

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

Did you know that if you need to see a doctor in Florida, you could be handed a bill for $1,200? OHIP would pay $50.12 of it — the price of the visit if it had happened in Ontario. An overnight stay in hospital could cost $10,000 in the U.S. OHIP would pay $400 if you were in a cardiac ward or ICU. A good reason to buy travel insurance. But even extra coverage won’t help if it’s decided what ails you is a ‘pre-existing’ condition.

 To help you plan your trip …

Travelling this Winter Snowbirds?

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

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

2. 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.

3. 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?”

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.