Travel insurance is critical for those with “pre-existing medical conditions”. But what if you don’t have any? YES, you still should purchase private travel insurance to cover medical emergencies.
Your Provincial Health Insurance Plan helps so little in paying overseas medical bills. For instance, “OHIP will only reimburse up to a total of $50.00 CDN per day for this service regardless of the severity of the situation.”(*1) And how much will you have to pay from your pocket? The following claim examples give you a hint of how much you’ll be billed without travel insurance.
Case A – 62-year-old female. In Costa Rica, while zip-lining through the rain forest, she was stung by bees multiple times. She stayed ER overnight and left with antibiotics.
Ambulance fees……………………………………………………..$450.00
Hospital fees ……………………………………………………… $4,300.50
Doctors’ fees ……………………..……………………..……………………$350.72
Prescriptions ………………………………………………………… $117.80
Provincial medical …………………………………………………… -$80.00
Total Cost paid by the insurer……….……………………. $5,139.02
Case B – 40-year-old Male. He was on a ski trip in Montana when developed a fever and chills. ER doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia. Prescribed antibiotics and followed up at a walk-in clinic.
Hospital fees ……………………………………………………… $35,456.00
Doctors’ fees ………………………………………………………. $1,325.90
Radiology fees ………………………………………………………… $985.00
Prescriptions …………………………………………………………… $113.65
Walk-in clinic fees ……………………………………………………… $152.00
Provincial medical …………………………………………………….. – $410.00
Total Cost paid by the insurer……………………………….. $37,622.55
Case C – 56-year-old Female. While visiting Wisconsin, she began experiencing pain with urination. Walk-in clinic doctor ordered bloodwork and a urinalysis. Antibiotics for urinary tract infection prescribed.
Walk-in clinic fees …………………………………………………… $225.10
Doctors’ fees ………………………………………………………….$687.00
Pathology fees …………………………………………………….. $1,706.40
Prescriptions …………………………………………………………… $75.23
Provincial medical ………………………………………………….. – $150.00
Total Cost paid by the insurer..………………………………. $2,543.73
This is a great place to start. Call us today and find out what you need to save you from unexpected medical bills.
Toll Free: 1-888-298-6526(Toronto, ON) 1-888-267-4461 (Vancouver, BC)
Email inquiry: info@biis.ca
(*1) Government of Ontario
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ohip/outofcountry/travellers.aspx
(Case A-C) by the courtesy of our partner TuGo