Whether you are taking a trip across the border or driving to another province, the only way to ensure that you are protected in case of an emergency is by purchasing a travel insurance policy for your trip.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care states that “typically [OHIP] coverage (while out-of-province but within Canada) is for physician and hospital services only. Therefore, when travelling outside of Ontario but within Canada, the ministry recommends that you obtain private supplementary health insurance for non-physician/non-hospital services.”
Although you will have a limited amount of coverage through OHIP while you’re in another province, the amount of money you may need to pay for services not covered by OHIP, such as ambulance service, will typically be more than the cost of a travel insurance policy.
An example is the helicopter ambulance is covered under OHIP in Ontario but that is not so in all province and you could get a bill for up to $25,000 if medical emergency required it.
I have credit card coverage! Important: Some credit cards only offer accidental death insurance, which does not provide medical travel insurance if you become sick or injured on your trip.
If you already own a card and are about to travel, it might be worth a quick call to your card provider to ensure that you and any dependents are properly covered for the duration of your trip. Just because it’s included as a perk doesn’t automatically mean that you’re covered if something goes wrong.
Credit card insurance can be a great thing for a lot of people but just like traditional travel insurance, not every card is right for every traveller.
On top of that, depending on your card you might not be covered for pre-existing conditions or even be covered at all if you’ve been admitted to a hospital or had a change in your health in the past 6 months. That’s why it’s just as important to choose the right credit card as it choosing a travel insurance policy. It also vital that you read the fine print on your card before leaving.
Call Glenn at 1.888.256.8685 to get help.