Travel insurance – should you? Shouldn’t you? When you travel out of the country, or outside of your home province, many emergency medical expenses are not covered by provincial health insurance plans. Whether you take frequent trips to remote places all over the world, or you are a homebody planning your first trip to visit a relative out of the province, at Special Benefits Insurance Services (SBIS) we recommend putting travel insurance in place to help make sure your medical needs are covered in the event of an emergency.
Here are some real-life travel stories that illustrate the importance of emergency medical travel insurance.
Story 1: The Unexpectedly Life Changing Once In a Lifetime Adventure
This is the real-life story of Keiran, an uninsured U of T Mississauga grad who’s adventure in Thailand took an unexpected turn. Like many graduates, Keiran undertook the journey of a lifetime right after graduating from his post-secondary studies.
While enjoying his vacation in Thailand Kieran was involved in a motorcycle accident in Phuket and he flew off and landed on his back, hitting his head on the pavement. An ambulance rushed to the scene and paramedics asked if he had insurance. Kieren thought he did. You see, Kieran is an expert in cryptocurrency, and was confident he could depend on his credit card emergency travel coverage for protection – but learned the hard way that it only covered his flight.
The accident had fractured the T6 vertebrae in Kieran’s spine, and he had to undergo x-rays, MRIs and surgery to have six screws and a plate placed around it, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. After a 23-day hospital stay, he accumulated roughly $70,000 in hospital bills. Kieran’s family incurred more costs travelling to be with him and to secure a flight for him back to Toronto once he was able to travel. The current tally? Over $100,000 in expenses – and the family’s credit cards are maxed out, so friends are contributing to a GoFundMe to help out.
Keiran was skeptical of travel insurance before his trip, but looking back at the experience, he said there’s definitely an important lesson of making sure you’re properly covered when travelling outside of Canada.
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Too often travellers are a little skeptical about the value of emergency medical travel insurance and consider the cost of coverage an ‘just one extra fee’ when planning a trip. But its critical to have coverage in place, because emergency medical expenses when you are out of country (or even out of your province) can be staggering. And if you think you have coverage? Make sure you know what you are and are not covered for so there are no surprises.
Story 2: The Known Health Issue and The Sudden Health Crisis
Like many Canadians, Richard and his wife Alina are snowbirds who travel to south to the U.S. to enjoy sun and warmth each winter and avoid the snow and cold. And, like many Canadians they had emergency medical travel insurance to protect themselves from medical costs while away from home – but they did not understand what is considered a ‘change in health’ that would affect their eligibility to claim under their travel insurance.
Just as the trip was ending, Richard suffered a cardiac arrest while at the airport in Orlando, Florida. Luckily emergency medical responders performed 14 minutes of CPR to revive him, although during the procedure 10 of his ribs were broken. Richard was taken to hospital where he needed defibrillation and care.
Alina notified their insurer of Richard’s medical emergency, and the insurer reached out for information from his cardiologist – who advised that Richard’s pre-existing medical condition had not been stable prior to travel. The result? Richard’s medical bills of over $620,000 US were not covered by his travel insurance.
While it is essential to have emergency medical travel insurance, don’t make the mistake that Richard and Alina did: it’s critical that you understand what you are covered for and provide accurate medical information when purchasing coverage. It’s equally essential to ensure that you update your travel insurer if your health changes for the better or worsens, prior to your departure date. The majority of insurers count stability of pre-existing conditions based on your departure date. Even if you are topping up an existing plan, insurers assess the stability period by counting back from your departure date.
Why Emergency Medical Travel Insurance Is a Must
These real stories highlight the unpredictable nature of travel and the potential financial risks associated with medical emergencies abroad. Emergency medical travel insurance is essential for your financial protection, providing peace of mind so you can enjoy your trip – or if you do have an emergency, built-in 24/7 assistance services will help you navigate medical emergencies and find the best care available. Travel insurance is a must have for any traveler. If you have questions or need help finding the right travel insurance plan, feel free to reach out to us at SBIS at 1-800-667-0429 during our regular business hours or email us at [email protected].
