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We’ll edit for space and propriety. Please include your first name, city and country.
Letter from Shirley (Canada)
We are going on a cruise with Holland America to Mexico. My husband, 77 years old, is looking for travel insurance. He has had Type 2 diabetes for over 15 years but it is extremely well-controlled. He appears to be unable to purchase travel insurance. I have insurance through my former employer’s extended health plan but when I asked if he could join the answer was NO. See Answer
Question from June (Canada)
I had a problem with my heart, I think it was angina, about four years ago. Nothing since and I just had an appointment with my heart specialist and he says I’m fine. No change of pills for two years. What kind of medical insurance should I buy? I’m 58 years old and planning on taking a cruise in the spring. See Answer
Question from multiple elderly Canadian travelers:
Canadian travel insurance is too expensive. These companies need more competition. Why can’t we buy insurance from American insurers if we are traveling to the United States? Couldn’t they offer a better deal in their own country? See Answer
Milan
My wife and I are about to embark ona 4 week cruise to South America, we will be visiting 5 ot 6 countries along the way. Is there a travel insurance provider we shuld be using (say over another) And is the insuracne provided effective with the itinerary we are undertaking and especially if something were to happen while at sea (international waters).
Thanks for your help
Sandy
Dear Sandy:
You need to get full service travel coverage from a Canadian travel insurance company. Most cruise lines sell travel insurance but it is specifically tailored to American clients and its medical coverage is far too restrictive for you. The limits are as low as $25,000 or $50,000 for medical cover and that is a drop in the bucket if you should need medical care or hospitalization in Argentina or Uruguay or anywhere in South America. Canadian plans offered by the major travel insurance companies have far more generous medical and repatriation cover. Most will also pay foreign hospitals directly, which the cruise ship plans will not. For your needs, a single trip plan is most appropriate but be careful to pay attention to the pre-existing conditions requirements. As for your concerns about possible medical emergencies that may occur in distant countries or even at sea, the Canadian plans have international assistance companies that can intervene on your behalf, no matter where you are.
Milan
Just read your article in Canadian MoneySaver and found it most informative. You didn’t mention, however, anything about the adequacy or inadequacy of medical insurance one may have through one’s employer or, in the case of a retiree, former employer. In my case, that insurance is currently provided by Desjardins Financial and was formerly provided by Blue Cross, under what I understand are pretty standard plans. I’ve had occasion to consult each of these providers concerning coverage for planned travel and was advised in each case that the coverage I have would pay for any medical costs I might encounter when travelling internationally that are not covered under my provincial government Medicare coverage, to the limits defined in the plan of course. On the basis of that advice, I haven’t been purchasing addional medical insurance for travel, just travel insurance to cover trip interruption costs and the like. Have I received good advice in this regards? Thanks.
John:
Your question is a good one. I just didn’t have the space to cover that issue in my Moneysense column. The bottom line is that the advice you were given is not adequate for your purposes. You need to see the terms of your out-of-country coveraqe and not take an administrator’s word that you are, in fact, covered as you need to be. Most employer/pension plan administrators are not experts in travel insurance and so you need better advice. Employer plans differ.
They have different covereage periods: 30 days, 60, 90, 180. Most say they cover pre-existing conditions, but there are limitations on what qualifies as a pre-ex: Is it stable or unstable? Has it required treatment within a certain period before travel? Are you taking medications for it? etc. etc. You need to know what those qaualifiers are and how they apply to your own health status. You also need to know if your insurer will pay your out-of-country hospitals and doctors directly or will you have to pay and then wait for reimbursement? Are you prepared for that if you wind up with a $70,000 bill for a five day confinement? Will they repatriate you to a hospital at home at their expense if necessary?
Also, I know of plans that offer, say, $100,000 of coverage, which is totally inadequate. And even if it’s more, is that meant to be lifetime cover or is it per incident? You need to know. I consider any plan that covers less than $1 million per incident, that does not pay foreign hospitals dfirectly, and does not offer air amublance repatriation if necessary, inadequate. The trouble is that many employer/pension plan administrators cannot answer those questions and even if they can, you need to see them in print. A contract is still a contract. Your best bet is to ask a broker specializing in travel insurance to have a look at your plan, to point ourt the questions you need to ask, and to top it up, if necessary, so that it does meet your requirements. I’ll try to deal with this issue in more depth in a future column.
Milan
Milan Korcok
Editor & Publisher
http://www.travelinsurancefile.com
How does CARP insurance rate? My husband and I are both in our seventies.
Maria:
The travel insurance sponsored by CARP is a good plan as are many travel health insurance policies sold across Canada. The fact that
both you and your husband are in your seventies suggests one or both of you may have some medical conditions, take some medications, or see a doctor occasionally for some health concerns. Finding a plan that fits those needs is your first priority. Only then should you start comparing prices. If your health is not perfect, you may need a medically-underwritten plan which is based on your health status as determined from a medical questionnaire. Most Canadian single-trip or annual multi-trip plans carry comparable benefits, but you also need to look at their exclusions (what they don’t cover.) They also have different requirements about pre-existing conditions and you need to know how they apply to you. Premiums will differ according ot your age, health and the length of your trip. The CARP plan may very well fit all of your needs at a premium you are happy with. Ask a lot of questions and if you need some help go to a broker who specializes in travel insurance. Many of them carry different products and they can help you make reasonable comparisons.This is not a product you should buy off a shelf–not a your ages.
Milan