Health insurance when traveling in Canada...what do you do?

Avidmagnum12

Avidmagnum12

Member
I'm looking to a cruise with the C-Otter in Canada. Probably will not be till 2018 but one never knows. I now have a Medicare plan and have been told that Medicare will not cover health needs in Canada. So what do fellow brats over 65 do for coverage when you boat in Canada?

Thanks in advance!
 
This was quite some time ago, but once while RVing in Canada I thought I was having a heart attack. We drove to the nearest hospital where I was checked over (nothing ever found), and I think I was only billed $100. (Likely would have been over $1000 here in the US.) Don't know about today, but you know those Canadians have some government health care. 8) Colby
 
We are very fortunate, in that our "Medi-gap insurance" covers us when we are outside the US, and picks up any emergency bills. We also have an insurance which is a benefit of Family Motor Coach Insurance, and that provides transport back to your home, if you are ill in an area out side the US.

There are a number of international insurance plans.
The marine Insurance broker we have dealt with for years had several different plans for mariners world wide. Those companies that they represent are:

Azimuth Risk Solutions (major medical plan available)

International Medical Group (major medical plan available)

HCC Medical Insurance Services (short-term trip insurance only)

HTH Worldwide (major medical plan available)

There are any number of companies on the internet who offer "travel insurance'

We always recommend travel insurance including transport. One of our friends had a medical emergency in Germany and they had "Travel insurance". It provided about $125,000 for the hospital bills, plus an additional about $125,000 for an air ambulance to fly the patient and his wife in a medical air ambulance (Lear Jet in this case)--plus a RN and EMT to accompany.
 
Medicare will cover emergency situations for a certain period which I believe is 30 days. However they will not cover any elected treatment regardless of what it might be. I have used a Swiss Insurance Company for years but they have recently discontinued issuing coverage for Americans. I'm now looking at the following company which I believe will issue "term" coverage.

https://www.cignaglobal.com/60-plus-car ... olus_dec16[/b]
 
As Canadians we all have free health care and visitors will not generally be asked to provide proof of insurance coverage if you are having an emergency like a heart attack. You will get a bill, but it likely be lower than in a US Hospital. One of the benefits of universal health care on a not for profit basis are lower costs. I personally would not travel anywhere without travel medical insurance and I never cross the US border without it. I have found the Canadian Automobile Assn. to be a good source of travel medical insurance and I am sure that the AAA might offer good and reasonably priced plans.

One note that has caught up several travellers lately, especially older travellers, is that they do not disclose ALL of their preexisting medical conditions and forget to disclose ALL of the prescription drugs that they have used over the past year and the private insurance companies will sometimes use this as an excuse to deny benefits to patients. Perhaps check with your pharmacist and doctor before filling out the insurance forms to ensure you don't miss anything.

Enjoy your visit to Canada, we have lots of lakes and the longest coastline of any country in the world, although much of it is rather hard to get to.
 
From Medicare web site:

When does Medicare cover health care services in a
foreign hospital?
There are 3 situations when Medicare may pay for certain types of health care services you get in a foreign hospital (a hospital outside the U.S.):
1. You’re in the U.S. when you have a medical emergency, and the foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your illness or injury.
2. You’re traveling through Canada without unreasonable delay by the most direct route between Alaska and another state when a medical emergency occurs, and the Canadian hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your illness or injury. Medicare determines what quali es as “without unreasonable delay” on a case-by-case basis.
3. You live in the U.S. and the foreign hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your medical condition, regardless of whether it’s an emergency.
Remember, in these situations, Medicare will pay only for the Medicare- covered services you get in a foreign hospital.
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Thanks for the information. I will look into getting some quotes from the companys Dr. Bob and others mentioned plus AAA. We planned on the Trent Severn this year but the dates that our friends are going clashed with plans we made for a SCUBA diving trip with our granddaughter. So we will have a little more time to work it out. We look forward to visiting Canada in the near future.

Again....Thanks....Tom
 
Canadians have free health care?

I don't think so.

Consider MSP premiums, income tax, it ain't free.
 
A Fishin C":39evgohy said:
Canadians have free health care?

I don't think so.

Consider MSP premiums, income tax, it ain't free.
Click to expand...

Yes, but you can probably get sick or injured in Canada and not end up bankrupt.
 
With Medicare US coverage and planning to travel outside the US, definitely
buy and "Add-On" separate medical coverage plan for international travel as
Bob suggested. There usually are multiple options for coverage type and
amounts including transport. Can add a couple $K to your trip but I wouldn't
go abroad now w/o one of these plans.

We have done this and it has come in handy, once in Patagonia, w/bronchitis.
You will have to pay (cash, credit card) for services rendered. Save all receipts!
Copy and send into the Add-On Company on your return to get reimbursed.

In Italy a friend needed ambulance transport to a hospital which turned out to
be free. Not sure I would count on this.

Get out of that rocking chair when your boat is on the hard.

Aye.
Grandma used to say, "It's great to travel the world, but not at the expense of
missing the songbirds in your own back yard."
 
"Grandma used to say, "It's great to travel the world, but not at the expense of missing the songbirds in your own back yard."
Click to expand...

I have to agree with Grandma on this one.

AND, this has been an interesting thread, especially since I have spent so much time in Canada in the last couple of years, and not really thought about this issue. I carry a pretty complete Aid kit, and have a good working knowledge of safety, first aid, and health care, so have relied on my own experience for my own medical care up there. Guess if i needed something for a catastrophic care, I'd rely on my PLB and MC Secondary which I will be checking with to see what coverage I have up north.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

IMGP1872.thumb.jpg
 
I heard a story about a Canadian couple vacationing in Hawaii. She was pregnant, and bought health insurance for the trip. She had an issue involving her pregnancy while in Hawaii and had to spend 6 weeks bed rest in a hospital to save the baby. The bill was over $700,000. The insurance company denied her claim because of a urinary infection she'd had years before, and forgot about, and didn't announce when she bought the insurance. The doctors said the urinary infection didn't have any relation to her pregnancy problem. Her medical care would'be been covered had she had the problem at home in Canada. The couple figured they would have to declare bankruptcy.
 
So it happens insurance coverage outside the US, extra local cash on hand, pocket
full of credit cards doesn't often help when you need it.

I witnessed a near tragedy, extendedly painful I'm sure, in the Bahamas some
years back involving a retired couple visiting the islands on their professionally
crewed private (large) motor yacht, "Money Plays". They had finished entertaining
a group of local mariners (your truly included) for dinner just shoreside of their
impressive vessel prepared by their chef. It was wonderful. Music, drinks, grilled
whatcha ma callits, and a friendly labrador retriever anxious for any dropped tid
bits.

Timely, people (about 20) dispersed back to their own realities on the water to
watch the settling sun and retire only to hear on the VHF the host and master of
Money Plays had fallen and needed "HELP". Fortunately, a physician and nurse
happened to be handy and reported the man, semiconscious and breathing, had a
head injury, probably a broken hip and required immediate transport to Miami by
air.

Well, the drama began. Calls went out to the USCG, the local Bahamas search and
rescue, and local private pilots. Long story short, the local Bahamas as well as
our Coast Guard would not assist. Finally, just before midnight almost 6 hours
later, a private pilot responded who would fly the injured man to Miami but he
first needed to remove the back seats from his aircraft to accommodate the
horizontal injured man. All the while numerous people jammed the VHF issuing
helpful suggestions and instructions which added to the delay and confusion. It
wasn't until about 4 AM (for various reasons like rigging a stretcher, getting an
open back truck to the scene and getting the patient off his own ship with
narrow hallways, too many steps and a growling dog) that the 'poor' man was
"packaged", loaded and disappeared into the night air for Miami. Nothing more
ever heard about it.

All leading to the conclusion(s): Stuff happens. You can never tell when or where.
You can't always be prepared for it.

So, have fun and be careful out there. Maybe just me, but I don't really need to
see "all the cats in Zanzibar."

Aye.
Grandma used to say, "Live each day to the fullest. Eventually, you'll have no
tomorrow."
 
Avidmagnum12":yzkwuz85 said:
I'm looking to a cruise with the C-Otter in Canada. Probably will not be till 2018 but one never knows. I now have a Medicare plan and have been told that Medicare will not cover health needs in Canada. So what do fellow brats over 65 do for coverage when you boat in Canada?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

If you have a Med Advantage policy or a supplement, I would recommend talking to your insurer to get a definitive answer regarding levels of coverage. My suspicion is that you will be OK.

If you don't have one of those packages, consider getting one!

After seeing how well the Family Motor Coach folks handled the 'Hallelujah' emergency at Lake Powell in 2014, I second Dr. Bob's endorsement.
 
A Fishin C":32rpyrms said:
Canadians have free health care?

I don't think so.

Consider MSP premiums, income tax, it ain't free.
Click to expand...

Absolutely correct! As a Canadian who has lived 20 years in the States I have an interesting perspective. I know that I pay my MSP premiums and get good health care coverage. I have Medicare basic coverage if visiting my southern friends because I paid into that system. I also know from family experience that my bills can escalate rapidly in the States (USA or DSA depending on perspective...... I offer no judgement) so I carry $2m in travel health insurance. I only wonder why anyone would consider Canada, as a visitor, to be different to France or Singapore?
 
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