What are the Provincial Plan's Coverage When Traveling Outside of Canada

Out of the budget medical emergencies can be extremely overwhelming and can be so burdensome. Especially when you are out on a trip with your family and friends, or on that important business trip only to find out that your Provincial Health Insurance will not cover your medical expenses; such a nightmare!

Provincial government health insurance plans will only cover emergency care up to a certain extent, and that extent is dependent upon the service that would have been expended in your home province. The rest should be paid for by you, and this is the difficult part here because this would come in very expensive especially if you are out of your own country. This is where travel health insurances come in handy.

Travel insurance is the answer to supplement provincial plan coverage and thus, ensure full coverage for medical emergencies, unexpected illnesses and accidents while on vacation outside Canada. Services like emergency hospitalization, physician fees, medical assistance, emergency medical transportation, health care monitoring and other related services can be provided as well.

In order for you to be eligible for coverage in your provincial health plans, most Canadian provinces require a minimum number of days that one should spend in the province each year. In Ontario, you should stay for a minimum of 153 days in that province within a 12-month period to be covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. In Alberta, the minimum number of days of residency required is 183 days in a 12-month period to be eligible for care under the province health insurance plan; same is true with the most of the other Canadian provinces.

Are you aware that traveling to other provinces within Canadian territory could necessitate a need for you to secure travel insurance to get you covered? There are a number of provinces and areas in Canada where you can find yourself uncovered; there are a number of exceptions in the Provincial Health Plan policy. Items that are not covered include medicines prescribed in the course of consultation, dental services under certain instances and circumstances, expenses incurred from bringing a family member to the ill person’s bedside, ambulatory services for transport to a better facility, costs of returning the vehicle, appliance rental like wheel chairs, crutches, braces and the like, and also costs of accommodation of a travel companion.

This only means one thing: buying and securing yourself with a travel health insurance is a necessity, whether you are traveling in or out of Canada.

Allan Elvin is an MBA in Finance and has a rich experience of writing on topics related to finance. He professes special interest and expertise in Travel Insurance and in guiding you on its various details.

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Articles from August 2007
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