# Travel Insurance - choices and experiences



## Cold_one (Mar 23, 2011)

We have been using MediPac insurance for our winter travel/snowbirding to the US for the last 4 years. Partly the reason for use was recommendation by the Canadian Snowbirds Association PLUS it allowed the use of my wife's SuperAn federal gov't insurance for partial coverage. 

Unfortunately the use of O2 is now required and Medipac automatically excludes a person if on O2; they have a separate underwriting for those with conditions that exclude normal insurance, but I suspect it is quite pricey. 

I am a RBC client and so its insurance is available and while there are some restrictions, it does not automatically exclude a person using O2. Price is not too bad either. Plus they have (supposedly) no limit whereas Medipac was $2M or $5M if opted for extra package. Medipac had different deductibles - we usually took the $1000 as anything less, might as well pay it. The RBC doesn't seem to have a deductible. 

I'm just seeing what others are using and their experiences with different companies.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

You might try Tugo...which is part of Canadian Direct Insurance. Their HQ is in the Lower Mainland. I have a paper with their toll free number. 1 855 929 TUGO


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

I know there have been many discussions on Travel Health Insurance for Snowbirds. But the CMF search found this as the latest one and it doesn't offer much.

For those of you retirees, which plans are you currently using? And which one are you avoiding?

We have in past used three. 
- First RBC insurance (became expensive, but have not checked recently)
- Medi-Quote Insurance brokers. Reasonable at time.
- CAA Travel Insurance (Orion Insurance) ( Used them because they have max of ($5000 + deductible) if medical questionnaire deemed to be inaccurate)

Have looked at but not used Medi-Pac site (Canadian snowbird Association recommend them)

Any other suggestions?

So far costs look like they will be over $2100 for the two of us for 3 months. Both healthy with no issues. Crazy really, when we only pay 1/2 of that per *year* for our car insurance (two daily drivers) with 2Million liability.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

So far on-line quotations favour RBC

RBC Insurance $2102 no deductible (client rate)
Medi-Quote $2112 with $500 deductible
CAA Travel Ins $2385 with $500 deductible
CAA Travel Ins $2231 with $1000 deductible (But max of $6000 if medical answers deemed inaccurate)
Tugo $2618 with $300 deductible 
Medi-Pac didn't note final price, but about same as Tugo and way too many medical questions.
GMS $2825 with no ded, $2310 with $1000 ded,

Too bad RBC doesn't offer a deductible (along with lower price). If we had some minor medical need, it would save having to call them before getting treatment (and paying for it!)

We would like to stay with CAA, but deductible would need to be $3000 to bring cost in line with RBC.

Maybe we should just go for 2 months next year!


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## naysmitj (Sep 16, 2014)

agent99 said:


> So far on-line quotations favour RBC
> 
> RBC Insurance $2102 no deductible (client rate)
> Medi-Quote $2112 with $500 deductible
> ...


Can you advise what age group this insurance quote applies to?
Cheers


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

naysmitj said:


> Can you advise what age group this insurance quote applies to?
> Cheers


77-79


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## Retiredguy (Jul 24, 2013)

agent99 said:


> I know there have been many discussions on Travel Health Insurance for Snowbirds. But the CMF search found this as the latest one and it doesn't offer much.
> 
> For those of you retirees, which plans are you currently using? And which one are you avoiding?
> 
> ...



Personally we use Pacific Blue Cross and have previously used BCAA. They seem to be price competitive but we've had no claims experience. Just last week I was speaking to a lady I've known for about 3 yrs and she extoled how great medi pac (snowbirds association recommendation) was after her husbands heart attack in California. Several days in hospital, lots of tests, meds and then was medi-vac to Vancouver. She said they never saw a bill and all co ordination was excellent.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

If your spouse is a federal PSHCP plan member, Johnson Insurance has a plan they call MEDOC that is a supplementary plan to PSHCP. It is quite economical because it is coordinated with the $500K coverage of PSHCP.

*HOWEVER*, if you want more than 40 days coverage, you have to pass a health screening. I don't know, but would suspect, that being on O2 would be a pre-existing condition that would disqualify her for such extended coverage. But you could look into it.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Two thoughts, comments.

It does seem that around 75 or so, medical insurance becomes a major factor for snowbirds in terms of impact on costs.

Second, this applies to those who visit the USA primarily. Has anyone considered what would differ if for example you looked at snowbirding in say Portugal?

Sometimes, I think a lot of people just do things out of habit and don't consider alternatives.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

Longtimeago said:


> Two thoughts, comments.
> 
> It does seem that around 75 or so, medical insurance becomes a major factor for snowbirds in terms of impact on costs.
> 
> ...


For a couple of the plans that I looked at, The rates were same for USA and Portugal (and most other places)

There is a break at about 75 or 76, depending on the insurer. And some base it on when you buy the insurance rather than when you travel. So buy before your birthday works with some.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

We did a policy for six months out of country. Only three or four weeks were in the US. At the time I asked the underwriter exactly that question....does country visited enter into the premium calculation.. Her answer, keep in mind one company/one underwriter, was no. We were both under 65 at the time. I asked that question because the agent never asked where we intended to travel (it was to some degree flexible) prior to giving us the quote. This could of course vary with the insurer and the policy holder's age.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

I don't think the insurance companies will vary their rates on the basis of where you think you are going to travel. They have too little control over that. However, you may make a personal decision to purchase a policy with a lower limit of coverage (and therefore cheaper), if you are not planning to go to a country with expensive health care. But the risk is then entirely yours.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

OhGreatGuru said:


> However, you may make a personal decision to purchase a policy with a lower limit of coverage (and therefore cheaper), if you are not planning to go to a country with expensive health care. But the risk is then entirely yours.


None of the plans we have looked at offer lower limits of coverage. They are usually a fixed 2M, 5M or 10M depending on who you go with and often the rates are not much different. Only way to reduce cost is to increase deductible. Choices here vary by company, and some are limited. RBC, for example don't offer any deductibles.

If you know of Canadian companies that offer lower limits of coverage for snowbird travel insurance, please post them.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

There have been several threads on this subject. Unfortunately search function doesn't work that well. Here is another one: https://www.canadianmoneyforum.com/showthread.php/110761-Travel-insurance/page4

Have checked a few more plans , but it seems that for us as clients, RBC has lowest price and has no deductible. 

From earlier post: 


> RBC Insurance $2102 no deductible (client rate)
> Medi-Quote $2112 with $500 deductible
> CAA Travel Ins $2385 with $500 deductible
> CAA Travel Ins $2231 with $1000 deductible (But max of $6000 if medical answers deemed inaccurate)
> ...


Checked through Scotia - underwritten by Manulife or NAlife. $2415 with 500 deductible
I also checked through BMO (our bank), but didn't note the prices. Not attractive - I think they worked through Allianz.

Travelguard was suggested by one CMFer. I didn't end up getting a quotation. They don't have on-line quotations. I filled in their application. A day later, received a call wanting me to answer the medical questionnaires. The agent said they would next send the completed questionaires to the insurer who would then provide a quotation.
BlueCross similar to TG. No on-line quotations for us. Decided not to pursue either. 

So it looks like Royal Bank for us.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

agent99 said:


> For a couple of the plans that I looked at, The rates were same for USA and Portugal (and most other places)
> 
> There is a break at about 75 or 76, depending on the insurer. And some base it on when you buy the insurance rather than when you travel. So buy before your birthday works with some.


One of the problems is that as Canadians, we tend to use insurance companies that we have heard of obviously and that family and friends suggest. But if you go onto travel forums where people from many countries are found posting, you find there are worldwide companies that differ considerably from what we are used to.

One of the travel insurers that WAS considered the 'gold standard' for travel insurance for 'globe trotters', for example is World Nomads. They happen to be an Australian company. If you check their prices, you will find that the USA always costs a premium to insure for. That's simply common sense as they have the highest healthcare costs in the world. Other similar insurers who cater to all nationalities are the same. Often they have a tick box where you choose between, 'all countries excluding the USA' or 'all countries including the USA.'

Canadian insurers like RBC, CAA, etc. simply make the assumption that you may be going to the USA and all their pricing allows for that. In other words, they don't actually give you the option of 'opting out' of travel to the USA.

So for example, a company like World Nomads will cover you for 3 months anywhere in Europe or in all of Europe combined, for $860. For coverage in the USA it will be $1000. So for the USA, you will basically pay 15% more for coverage in the USA.

What's more, here in Canada we are used to 'medical coverage' rather than 'travel insurance' which covers things like trip delays, cancellations, lost luggage, etc. The prices I have quote above include all of that. Try adding it to a RBC or CAA quote and chances are the price will nearly double. Compare those prices for a 3 month trip to Portugal and see what you find.

The prices I quoted are for 3 months for a couple who are both age 65. Unfortunately, World Nomads do not offer coverage for anyone over age 65. But there are comparable companies who do if you look for them. Prices will no doubt be higher but may still be far lower than RBC or CAA. If you search for 'long term travel insurance' you will get quite different 'hits' than if you search for 'canadian snowbird insurance'.

Read this article for example: https://nomadgate.com/travel-insurance/ It is not directed at over 65 snowbirds at all but it does serve to show you the difference that comes when someone is looking at non-USA travel vs. USA included travel. Very significant differences. 

Then take a look at this one for example for someone aged 60-69 who wants medical coverage only, excluding the USA it would be $410 (USD) for 3 months. But if you click on 'add USA', it jumps to $805. Double the price.
https://www.safetywing.com/faq.html?#how-much-does-it-cost

Another factor that people often overlook is who pays? By that I mean, who pays at the time that you receive medical treatment? Some insurers require you to pay and then make a claim on your return home. You might imagine that having to pay up front say $25k and then claim after returning home, would present a real problem to some people. But that's all part of other insurance coverage stories.

The bottom line here is that if someone thinks of 'long term travel' to a country other than the USA, as opposed to 'snowbirding' in Florida, they can find very different answers in terms of insurance costs and that is why I suggested that for some people, they may want to think about a winter in somewhere like Portugal or Spain, etc. rather than the USA.

If someone can get insurance for a $1000 per couple vs. $2000 per couple for 3 months, that $1000 difference can pay for one of them flying to Portugal and back and give them a winter in a whole new culture to explore. Let's be honest, Florida is just basically Ontario without the snow. It's not exactly expanding your cultural horizons. 

So, I'm just saying, it may be worth some people looking a little farther for a winter destination or even just a little farther for an insurance provider.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

When we needed extended coverage we took the effort to look farther for insurance coverage. It paid off in terms of price, flexibility, and coverage. We had not even heard of some of the companies that people suggested we try.

One thing for certain, our experience was that the RBC's, the CAA's etc appeared easy to buy but their coverage was not great, their policy costs high, and they were not in the least bit flexible. We have 2 months of out of country coverage. We wanted insurance that started in month 3, that could be extended if our trip was of a longer duration that we anticipated, and had a deductable option that reduced the premium. In the process we noticed so many differences in coverage levels and questions.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

Longtimeago said:


> If someone can get insurance for a $1000 per couple vs. $2000 per couple for 3 months, that $1000 difference can pay for one of them flying to Portugal and back and give them a winter in a whole new culture to explore.


No desire to fly anywhere these days BTDT. Several friends have been to Portugal. Winter weather not exactly balmy - more like Carolinas (where we go) than Florida. Good for golf, but golf costs are double or more than those that we pay. That and other higher costs in Europe would no doubt wipe out any insurance savings. 

Back to subject - We would be interested in any reputable insurer that would offer better than the $2000 we will pay for a couple in late 70s for 3 months in USA with $2-5Million coverage per person. That $2000 is top up for our Ontario OHIP - presumably US and offshore plans are not. The US ones I looked at were ~$1600 for $50,000 coverage for 3 months!


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

The challenge with non US warm winter destinations for us is finding a beach destination, among other things. And that typically involves longer air travel. For us it is either Mexico, Costa Rica/Panama or Thailand. We love Thailand, and other SE Asia/OZ destinations but after four years air is getting to be a drag. It is anywhere from 18-24 hours. 

Mexico and Costa Rica are typically 5-6 for us which is a snap for us. So this is what it may be future. Won't be the US. Won't be Europe. We can fly direct to Mexico. Not so for Florida (we know DFW, SLC,, etc all too well) so Mexico is a big draw for us at the moment. So much so that we can see ourselves eventually buying something. Our wants are direct air and lots of competition on the flights...plus of course the right place at the right price.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

ian said:


> The challenge with non US warm winter destinations for us is finding a beach destination, among other things. And that typically involves longer air travel. For us it is either Mexico, Costa Rica/Panama or Thailand. We love Thailand, and other SE Asia/OZ destinations but after four years air is getting to be a drag. It is anywhere from 18-24 hours.
> 
> Mexico and Costa Rica are typically 5-6 for us which is a snap for us. So this is what it may be future. Won't be the US. Won't be Europe. We can fly direct to Mexico. Not so for Florida (we know DFW, SLC,, etc all too well) so Mexico is a big draw for us at the moment. So much so that we can see ourselves eventually buying something. Our wants are direct air and lots of competition on the flights...plus of course the right place at the right price.


For a bit more 'off the beaten path' choice ian have a look at the Cape Verde Islands. They are not still in the 'undeveloped' stage but are still in the 'early development' stage. It shouldn't take 18-24 hours to get there. More like 12 hours with one stop in Portugal most likely.

I used to like Mexico and still do like the culture and food but as a destination, it is now just too saturated with tourists pretty much everywhere I would say. When I first visited Cancun for example, it was still a fishing village with no hotels. When I first visited Akumal, there was one hotel with no tv or telephones and none of the staff spoke English. It's pretty hard to find such places now. The one place I would suggest looking at is Isla Holbox if you haven't heard of it. 

Here is a video on it by a young couple: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ANSyaR8yJ8


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Copied from the last time we had this thread a few months ago

World Nomads is highly praised by worldwide travelers but they also have short/destination policies. Most travel insurance have a long list of activities, sports and adventures that will null and void any coverage. World Nomads list

Ripcord Rescue and Global Rescue are praised by extreme travelers doing crazy things not necessarily even approved by World Nomads in locations not usually covered. They can send ex-special forces teams worldwide to save your sorry ***

Medjet I've heard nothing but bad things. The normal ones I wouldn't touch.. completely useless.. they will void anything besides sitting on a beach sober at an all-inclusive resort with all you can drink alcohol


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

m3s said:


> Copied from the last time we had this thread a few months ago
> 
> World Nomads is highly praised by worldwide travelers but they also have short/destination policies. Most travel insurance have a long list of activities, sports and adventures that will null and void any coverage. World Nomads list
> 
> ...


Those types of insurers not really aimed at the snowbird insurance we were discussing.

We ended up going with RBC. They had lowest price as well as zero deductible. Medical Questionnaire also most simple and least demanding. Second choice would have been CAA because of their $5000 max even if medical answers were deemed inaccurate (not likely in our case)


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Can someone remind me, what are the main reasons for getting travel insurance? I have a 2-3 week trip to Asia coming up. Checking with my company health plan, I see that our health plan covers me while travelling. It's a relatively short trip. Are there other big reasons to get travel insurance, even if I'm already covered on health?

Regarding the question of warm beach destinations... there's always Cuba or the Dominican Republic, both of which are easily accessible from all major Canadian airports. I can't travel to Cuba due to American sanctions, but I went to DR last year with an all exclusive package and it was very, very pleasant. Flights are relatively short too.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

james4beach said:


> Are there other big reasons to get travel insurance, even if I'm already covered on health?


If you're doing any activities such as on the extensive World Nomads list or maybe for Medevac coverage if you don't want to be treated/recover at destination

I don't bother as I'm covered by work


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

We have had two claims. One for trip cancellation this past August through our credit card. The claim was paid very promptly, in full, with no questions asked.

We had an out of country (Malaysia) medical claim through Manulife (employer pension benefit) a few years ago. It was paid promptly, no questions asked. We did have to submit it to our Provincial Health Care plan first. They paid $50. and took eight weeks to send the cheque. Manulife paid $850, the made a direct deposit in our account within three weeks of submission of the claim.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Edited to note that this response was meant in reply to James4Beach's question of why have insurance.

Travel insurance has two parts. Medical and trip insurance. If you have private medical coverage over and above your provincial coverage, that may cover you while travelling as you say. However even then, not all coverage is equal obviously. One of the big issues people encounter because they didn't realize it existed, is when and how does the insurer pay.

So let's say that on your trip to Asia, you have a serious accident and end up in hospital. As a result, there is a substantial bill generated. In some countries, tourists have been known to be refused treatment until they could prove they had adequate insurance or have their own funds to pay a bill. In some countries, tourists have been refused discharge from a hospital until their bill was paid. Some insurers expect you to make a claim when you return home. How will you pay a $20k bill when you are in country X, before you return home to make a claim? What if you end up with a condition that is going to require long term care? Will your insurer pay for 'medical evacuation' to your home country or are you stuck in country X being treated while your family are of course all in your home country. Will your insurer pay for them to come and stay with you until you are able to travel home? Will they then pay for them and your travel home?

My point being, that none of us know when an accident will happen and 'thinking' we are covered is just not good enough. You have to know what you are covered for and how a claim gets made. That is why, you cannot compare any travel medical insurance without reading the policy in FULL and understanding it fully. Travel forums are full of posts by people who write, 'my insurance refuses to pay' etc. In almost every single case, the policy tells them why their claim isn't being paid but they did not take the time to understand their policy before buying it. They shop on price and ASSUME coverage is what they 'think' is covered rather than what is actually covered.

The second area of travel insurance covers things like trip cancellation, flight delays, lost/stolen items, etc. Most of the 'usual suspect' Canadian travel insurance providers in fact only cover medical. Asking for insurance for your 'travels' rather than your medical needs only, usually doubles the cost. I don't know why in Canada they separate the two, in some other countries, they can only sell you a combined policy. That's typical in the UK for example.

Suppose you buy a non-cancellable, non-refundable airline ticket and a family member becomes very ill before your departure. Are you insured for the cost of the ticket if you decide you cannot leave? What if it happens while you are away and you want to return home immediately, are you insured for that? Will your insurer pay for an immediate flight back home?

What if your camera is lost/stolen while you are on vacation, are you covered for that? And just how are you insured for it? For example, a woman hangs her purse from her seat back in a restaurant. It is lifted (stolen) when she is distracted. She reports it as stolen and the insurer denies her claim due to her not having taken 'due care'. She may have 'thought' she was covered for theft and she was, but she was not covered for doing something stupid. 

There are numerous potentially very costly reasons for having travel insurance, that is why it exists. Everyone who does not have insurance is making the decision whether they realize it or not, to assume the risk of their decision and travel forums are full of stories of people who ended up with bills for 100s of thousands of dollars because they didn't have insurance.

https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/documents/travel-insurance

What insurance to have and how much etc. depend entirely on how much risk the individual is prepared to assume themselves. But only a fool takes a risk they cannot afford to pay for. I may be willing to pay to replace a lost camera or buy a ticket to fly back home in an emergency. We are talking about risks of a few hundred or couple of thousand dollars. I am not prepared however to pay 10s or 100s of thousands myself. Anything that could result in bills of that size, I want to have insurance for.

I always think insurance is a funny thing in a way. It is the only think I can think of where we do not want to get something for what we paid. Take live insurance for example. To 'win', you have to die. You are betting you will die before you pay in more than your beneficiary will get out. The insurance company is betting you will live long enough to pay in more than they will pay out. They are after all in business to make a profit, not give away money.

So you cannot try to justify insurance in the way you would some other kind of purchase. You hope to never actually realize any 'value for money'. You insure against an 'unlikely event' and hope to never have to claim. You go on your short trip, nothing happens and you come home. You spent say $500 insuring against a problem and that $500 is gone. You could say, 'heck, I could have saved my $500, I didn't need to pay it.' You could say that, it would be very foolish to do so though wouldn't it. Insurance is about 'what if', not about 'I win.'


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

Cold_one said:


> We have
> 
> Cold_one?? Good Idea, I think I will go have one


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

james4beach said:


> Can someone remind me, what are the main reasons for getting travel insurance? I have a 2-3 week trip to Asia coming up. Checking with my company health plan, I see that our health plan covers me while travelling. It's a relatively short trip. Are there other big reasons to get travel insurance, even if I'm already covered on health?
> 
> Regarding the question of warm beach destinations... there's always Cuba or the Dominican Republic, both of which are easily accessible from all major Canadian airports. I can't travel to Cuba due to American sanctions, but I went to DR last year with an all exclusive package and it was very, very pleasant. Flights are relatively short too.


I did some extensive research earlier this year when we did an expensive trip to Latin America this summer. My work covered all of our medical needs, and I have really good coverage there, so we didn’t buy more coverage. It would be a worth checking out what your plan covers there. Make sure your bring your policy numbers and you have to call ahead of time if possible.

The other more expensive and trickier part was trip cancellation or trip delay. When ended up having to use it when the air line royally messed up and we ended up not being able to board our plan and had to repay another $3k in order not to miss our tour a day later. My work does not cover this, so we did it through credit card coverage. There are a lot of rules to make sure you know, such as you cannot use more than one credit card to pay for the same item. Ei. You can’t put a deposit on a tour on one credit card then pay with another. You must pay the whole item on one credit card. We were lucky I researched this, as I made sure all our tickets were on one credit card, tours each on their own card, ect to maximize benefit.

We were going to get additional trip cancellation because my mother had a second stroke as we were in the process of booking. but found out it would have been useless to us as spher condition would have been considered unstable, so if something really bad happened, we would not have been covered anyways. Because of this we did not buy the insurance, and had a long family talk about what would happen if one of our elderly parents got ill or worst. We made family plans in case this happened. 

Long story, is medical if probably okay ibut double check with your compnay on the procedures before you leave. Trip cancellation or delay, you may be able to get covered if you have the right credit cards, but it might be worth it for extra. It’s really for those unplananble things.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Wow, thanks very much Longtimeago & Plugging Along, really appreciate the good explanations and reasoning process there. I will think about this some more and look into what exactly our company policy covers me for, and how they would pay out.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

A friend of ours purchased out of country medical for several years until he realized that his pension plan benefits actually included this..with none of the preexisting requisites. If you are fortunate enough to be on a company pension it is worthwhile to understand if any and what benefits are attached to it.

I feel incredibly fortunate. My pension supplementary medical benefits were somewhat reduced prior to retirement but for some reason 60 day out of country medical with good coverage is still in the benefit list-no pre-existing or age limitations. I keep checking this every year to ensure that it is still provided. These benefits are not entitlements and can be modified, eliminated, etc at any time by the former employer.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Good point ian. Public service sector employee pension plans for example often have such medical coverage in their pension plans. I know an ex-teacher who would not have been able to afford to continue to travel due to pre-existing conditions if it hadn't been for that pension benefit.

I imagine your friend isn't the only one who didn't/don't realize it was/is there.


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## Namsen10 (Sep 15, 2019)

I have a question please


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

It really comes down to how much risk you are willing to assume and how much you are willing to spend in order to reduce or eliminate the risk.

We have had two claims since retiring early. No previous claims. We travel outside the country anywhere from 2-5 months per year.

The first was the most recent. A cancellation claim for a China trip that we had to cancel. Our credit card (Aspire MC)insurance provided this benefit. We made the claim. It was paid in full,no questions asked, within ten business days. We were surprised at the no questions and at the ten day processing time frame. Excellent customer service. 

The second was a out of country health claim from Malaysia a few years ago. Manulife claim. Not large, $850 for MRI, Xrays, drugs,consults. Paid in full, no questions asked, within ten business days.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

Longtimeago said:


> Good point ian. Public service sector employee pension plans for example often have such medical coverage in their pension plans. I know an ex-teacher who would not have been able to afford to continue to travel due to pre-existing conditions if it hadn't been for that pension benefit.
> 
> I imagine your friend isn't the only one who didn't/don't realize it was/is there.


What are the limits on the public service employee pension plans?

If you're under a certain age and healthy you can get a stand alone policy with 10 million for under $30 (7-14 day trip).


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Synergy said:


> What are the limits on the public service employee pension plans?
> 
> If you're under a certain age and healthy you can get a stand alone policy with 10 million for under $30 (7-14 day trip).


I don't see the point of your question Synergy. Travel medical coverage in such plans is FREE. ie. included. Whether they have a 5 million or 10 million coverage limit would be meaningful in what way that matters? 

As for a $30 policy, why would you bring that up to compare to a PENSION benefit someone who is retired might have? Try getting 2 weeks coverage for a senior who has a heart condition. That was the point of the comment you are quoting, it covers those who have such a benefit whereas those without such a benefit cannot get insurance because of a pre-existing condition.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

^ I didn't realize that public pensions had no limits on travel insurance. That's impressive.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

The point I was trying to get to had nothing to do with those that can't get travel insurance because of a medical condition. Pension plan may have limits and top ups are available. I was just curious what types of limits are available within a public pension plan. Some people think their work plans cover them for everything and anything. Get involved in a bad car accident and you will see their limitations...


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Synergy said:


> ^ I didn't realize that public pensions had no limits on travel insurance. That's impressive.


What companies provide their retirees varies by company. There is the pension itself and then there are all the add-ons like healthcare, pharmacare, dental care etc. as well as life insurance and travel insurance. All these are different for different companies.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

^ Thanks kcowan. I'm familiar with extended health care plans, etc. I just get the feeling that some people think their work plans cover "everything".

J4B was wondering why one would require travel insurance if you have a health plan through work. Another poster mentioned that their work plan covered everything.

I just wanted to point out that plans have their limitations and that for a healthy person under a certain age a stand alone policy is cheap insurance.

For those that have coverage through a work pension I'd still be interested to know what the travel insurance limits are.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Synergy said:


> The point I was trying to get to had nothing to do with those that can't get travel insurance because of a medical condition. Pension plan may have limits and top ups are available. I was just curious what types of limits are available within a public pension plan. Some people think their work plans cover them for everything and anything. Get involved in a bad car accident and you will see their limitations...


If you want to see what a given plan covers, read it. All plans have limitations although MOST are comparable, whether past employer provided as part of a pension plan, or bought for $30.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Some multinationals provide their annuitants with travel health insurance the same as their employee plan. IOW, they don't differentiate between employee and annuitant. My International card and coverage did not change when I retired.

There are lifetime limitations but they are large numbers, the reason being that if a number of employees are often in foreign places, these employees need to know their health insurance needs are covered.

Added: So when we travel, we only consider trip cancellation and interruption insurance (not health), and then only if the cancellation charges are well into mid 5 figures.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

We were, and are now in much the same situation.

Various health outcomes and age had meant that we now limit our out of country trips to less than 60 day, most often 58 days, the time frame covered my pension benefits. The post 60 day low cost insurance that we were able to secure when at 59 is now much more expensive at 67 based on age and medical issues.

This, as it has turned out, is the largest monetary benefit from my pension plan. Every year I check to ensure that the benefit has not slipped off the schedule. Any time I have looked at buying trip cancellation insurance it was overpriced. I do not even know if there is a dollar limit on the trip cancellation provided by our credit card issuer.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

I am also grateful our out-of-country health insurance continues to be part of our company subsidized extended health benefits. 

Trip cancellation and interruption is, or course, different from medical (health) insurance. Most of us can self-insure for trip cancellation and interruption. We used to buy it for expensive 5 digit trips but now at 70+, that has also become too expensive. That said, it was very useful to us back in 2015 when my mother died just days before we were to leave for Peru et al. It took us 3-6 months to collect, but we did get our costs back.


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## Foxx88 (Aug 1, 2019)

The travel insurance recommended to me by a friend is through CARP (carp.ca) ... the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, which offers single and multi-trip plans (and top-ups and extensions, if required) through The McLennan Group. Does anyone have any experience with this insurance?


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Find out who the actual insurer is, rather than the agency. A lot of agencies market the same actual insurer such as Manulife or TuGo, and I think McLennan uses Manulife and/or its sub.


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## Foxx88 (Aug 1, 2019)

AltaRed said:


> Find out who the actual insurer is, rather than the agency. A lot of agencies market the same actual insurer such as Manulife or TuGo, and I think McLennan uses Manulife and/or its sub.


The McLennan Group policy through CARP is (quote) "underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and First North American Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manulife."


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## Money172375 (Jun 29, 2018)

My parents are trying to get travel insurance for 2 weeks down south. Both have pre-existing conditions. One had some treatments and medication within the last 2 weeks. Plan to go away next month. 

Is this a deal breaker?

any recommendations. On service providers?


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