best medical insurance company in canada for travel insurance while in florida

[cottontail]

Hi: Looking for a good travel medical insurance company in canada. Does anyone have a medical insurance company that they could recommend.

Thanks,

Deb.

 

[ccudmore]

If you don't have a credit card that provides travel medical insurance (many do these days including some no-fee ones) I'd recommend PC Financial travel insurance. They've always had really good rates and good customer service.

 

[starvenger]

Check with your bank as well. They usually have good rates for annual travel insurance.

 

[CandiceF]

We always get ours through CAA and never had a problem.

 

[Starwind]

For me, having good pre-existing condition coverage is essential.

I have travel medical insurance through one of my credit cards, but the pre-existing condition stability period is 90 days. Not very good for me - great if I break a leg, not so useful if e.g. I go into anaphylaxis from something I ate. I also looked into Blue Cross, CAA, Presidents Choice, RBC and some other Canadian banks and they all had a similar problem: long (for me) pre-existing condition stability periods, ranging from 30-180 days, with 90 being the norm.

Several years ago I discovered an insurance broker (R. Battiston) in Ontario who had a great and informative website, and I purchased a multi-trip annual travel medical insurance policy through him by email and phone. It had NO pre-existing condition clause !! yeah !! After a few years though, that policy changed, and he recommended a policy with a different company, which has a SEVEN DAY stability clause. It is the best I have been able to find.

The policy I have now is a TuGo™ Travel Insurance - Traveller annual multi-trip policy. Covers upto CAD$5,000,000 per trip, unlimited number of trips per year, as long as each trip outside home province is no longer than 35 days. I am well under 65 (as one gets older the benefits change). I now have the policy set to auto-renew.

There are a lot of considerations when purchasing a travel medical insurance policy, whether for a single trip or multi-trip. Stability periods are one. There are others. I spent a lot of time researching online to learn about what I should be considering, and then reading the entire "fine print" of lots and lots of policies until I found the one I was happy with. And, what is important and essential to one person may not be so much an issue for another.

Good luck.

SW

 

[SaraMc]

I have used the RBC plan the last couple of times and have found it was what our family needed to top up what our insurance through our employer would not fully cover.

 

[Sprockie]

Canadian Diabetes Association recommends Ingle insurance. We've used them and they have a 7 day stability period if that is important to you.

 

[lisaviolet]

I would not suggest using TD insurance unless they change partnering insurance company (Allianz). I had to go get my father from Florida. I had him go to the hospital when strange things seemed to be happening for him. They found he had terminal brain cancer. The insurance company was zero help in transferring him back home (they should have been - it was clearly in the policy). They gave back very little of on the road claims.

They would not settle with so many claims in a timely manner. When that happens one will get phone calls from places all over the United States. You will also receive outrageous bills from these companies in the mail and some telling you they don't deal with outside insurance (they will when pushed). Why so many from all over? Because a hospital stay has separate billings from companies from all over. And they will try to get money from you because the insurance is not settling (it's a negotiation game between the carrier and the claims). It was beyond tiring to deal with all that while caring for my father in his last months. And quite frankly I still resent the emotional need to be firm with the insurance carrier and the corresponding claims. Over and over.

I finished up but I think the final claim was settled after my father's death. Or close to that time. Six months of being firm with both sides, and giving energy when I needed it elsewhere. And I'm relatively skilled in dealing with these kind of issues. I would hate to see someone deal with them that isn't as confident.

I have heard wonderful experiences with claims made after purchasing RBC insurance. I always use them for myself. It is personal stories with claims that is important. Also, if one ever has issues there is an ombudsman in each company and if that fails a provincial one. And if anyone ever finds themselves injured/needing medical and for some reason they didn't have insurance do know that you are never to pay the maximum claims. You too can negotiate them down just like the insurance companies.

I will be using Ingle for my mother who has pre-existing conditions. It will probably end up to be TUGO through them. Although I phoned TUGO for pertinent information - a list or where to find a list of buying partners/brokers as you can't with them directly - and had a very strange and frustrating conversation with a rep there. So sigh. But one needs special coverage if you or a loved one has pre-existing issues. A lot of issues, such as a fall, could be linked back to your pre-existing and with regular coverage you would be out of luck.

Sorry for the novel and don't take it as doom and gloom as I had a few productive calls in to them and many others have had wonderful experiences with claims in general, many great stories through RBC insurance, but I simply didn't have that with TD's partner in a very stressful time.

 

[pigletto]

lisaviolet, that's not doom and gloom. That is your story, and it's an important one to share with others making a decision.

My husband was covered through work with Great West Life. Our son was six and at the end of our trip started complaining of stomach pains and had a high fever. Eventually it reached situation critical and we went to the clinic. The clinic had us in the waiting room, and I asked for a thermometer while we waited. When I showed them his temp was at 105 they rushed him to the back ahead of everyone. The first ambulance was called. We were triaged at Orlando general, given IV fluids and a CT scan. From there he was moved by ambulance to Arnold Palmers Children's Hospital for two nights. He received more IV fluids and antibiotics where it was determined there was an infection in his appendix.

It was awful and frightening and while we knew we had insurance we had no idea what the coverage would be. We were naive.
We called the number on the back of the card and they walked us through everything. They could not have been more outstanding. It was like an angel was on the other end of that line. We were tired and frightened and not at home and our baby was sick.

Long story short... Every single penny was covered. We did not owe anything. The bills come to your house though because they go through OHIP first, and then on to the insurance company. The total for the medical care was over $20,000 USD.

I tell this story every once in awhile to illustrate that good insurance is worth it's weight in gold and even mediocre insurance is better than nothing. But nobody should go without.. EVER.

DH has a new job now and we are with Greenshield. I was just looking at the policy this morning and it looks like it will be good. We've used RBC in the past as well but never had to make a claim.

 

[bankr63]

We have an annual travel medical insurance through Ingle as well as we travel in the US several times a year, and several trips would not necessarily be covered under credit card (camping, day shopping trips, timeshare stays). It is a family policy, and my teenaged kids are covered even if travelling alone - my son spent two weeks at a training camp in Myrtle Beach last spring and was covered. Many policies require the children to be travelling with the policy holder. Also only has 7 day elimination, so you are still covered if you had a bad cold 2 months before your trip (TD has a 90 day - imagine losing coverage because you had a cold 3 MONTHS before your trip!).

I used to have TD Travel until I read the policy exclusions closely and realized just how lousy the coverage really was. My investigations after that led me to Ingle, and a VERY careful reading of the policy document. IMO it is a very fair and liberal policy.

 

[lisaviolet]

EDIT.

 

[lisaviolet]

lisaviolet, that's not doom and gloom. That is your story, and it's an important one to share with others making a decision.

Thank you. I once made some recommendations about procedure and policy here to watch out for, and in others' defense probably made it too one-sided, and people thought I was downing the entire industry and argued. If they knew the hell I went through with TD while caring and keeping my dad at home to pass with brain cancer well....

I'm always shocked on the DIS, on any topic, when people can't understand that although you didn't experience an issue - there can still be issues.

They could not have been more outstanding

Wonderful to hear.

And happy to hear that your son was okay in the end. I can't even imagine how scary that must have been for all of you.

Nobody should go without.. EVER.

Yes absolutely! A lot of people go for the day cross border shopping without even thinking of it because it is one day. I'm sure many go without coverage. Or just rely on general coverage when they might have pre-existing issues. You need it for day trips obviously.

I used to have TD Travel until I read the policy exclusions closely and realized just how lousy the coverage really was. My investigations after that led me to Ingle, and a VERY careful reading of the policy document. IMO it is a very fair and liberal policy.

Yes.

TD is hysterical to read.

They have terms like there is coverage but the _________ ( some bizarre job title at Allianz that I can't think of right now) has to okay it first. And then you phone in and sometimes get little help on the issue they want cleared.

Or even more they know darn well that some issues are so serious that it simply can't wait for clearance.

And I know this doesn't sound funny but finding my father's insurance was actually comical in days of great stress. Every time my parents went down to Florida I treated them like children and begged them to do extensive insurance with brokers (my father was in good health but my mother has serious conditions - but both elderly). And they did for me because I was relentless about it all AND I had to go over and over their questionnaire because my father would answer erroneously (easy to do!). And they paid through the roof for my mom because they went down for months.

On this last trip he was alone and went down quickly and of course bypassed me because it was so quick and I assumed he went with the insurance from other years.Or he probably even told me he did! Nope. SO stubborn.

I had no clue where he got it, praying that of course he did, right? Couldn't find any paperwork in their condo. He had no card on him in his wallet and was vague with his friends down there and someone filled out no insurance on his Florida hospital form. I cold-called TD. Why? Because I thought what would that little bugger do ? What would he do? He would walk to the closest possibility although I warned him about general insurance - probably one of their banks. I looked across the street from their condo at their TD branch and thought PROBABLY! It was scary not to know but my first guess was bang on! And I actually laugh at the memory of trying to figure out his thought process to avoid high costs and avoid his daughter!

 

[bankr63]

I tell this story every once in awhile to illustrate that good insurance is worth it's weight in gold and even mediocre insurance is better than nothing. But nobody should go without.. EVER.

And the hardest part is, you don't really know if it is good until you have to claim.

I have only made one claim in all our travels, almost 20 years ago (D)(X)W ran into complications with pregnancy with our first born while taking a getaway to Mexico. At that time I used our TD gold credit card coverage and they were very good about walking us through options. There was a 2 night hospital stay, tests, etc. all of which were due in cash on discharge. Luckily we were in Mexico and the hospital stay at a high-end private hospital was cheaper than our hotel room, I think around $300. I had to hit two different bank machines to get enough pesos to cover it though.
Once we got back home, reimbursement was relatively easy and everything was reimbursed, so I was fairly impressed.

BUT, I booked the trip on the card. Most CC's require you to use their card to book the trip you are on to be covered. Having separate insurance means I don't have to think about anything more than making sure it renews every year.

 

[xlxo]

We always get ours through CAA and never had a problem.

Another vote for CAA

• when they give you a quote.... ask for a second quote with the "highest deductible" if you don't plan to use it to watch the savings.
• If you make more than two trips out of the country.... ask for an annual plan
• CAA is one of the few that will offer coverage if you have a terminal disease like cancer. Be honest with them. It will cost more, but you will get coverage.

 

[Donald - my hero]

Another vote for CAA

• when they give you a quote.... ask for a second quote with the "highest deductible" if you don't plan to use it to watch the savings.
• If you make more than two trips out of the country.... ask for an annual plan
• CAA is one of the few that will offer coverage if you have a terminal disease like cancer. Be honest with them. It will cost more, but you will get coverage.

We always go with CAA as well but your last point wasn't the case for us this time around. One of the major reasons we need it is my father is terminally ill and one-opportune virus will be the final blow. When i mentioned that, the agent flat up told me it didn't matter how much i paid they would NOT cover either the cancellation or interruption of our trip. I asked if it would if my mother became ill or God-forbid died and she said "so long as it isn't due to a pre-existing condition, then of course." SO if we need to come home early, we'll be footing the bill for that!

 

[cottontail]

Hi Thanks everyone, we just booked an annual multi trip medial insurance with CAA. Their price was alot better than some of the other companies. Also we are CAA members.

 

[xlxo]

your last point wasn't the case for us this time around

I too had a similar experience on my first visit. Talking with a cancer support group. They encouraged me to visit another CAA office. That second visit did offer us coverage.

UPDATE: Did some digging.... apparently the degree of sickness with a terminal disease can vary. While my loved one was diagnosed.... there was no indication she had less than 6 months. This document may be of interest.
https://www.caasco.com/~/media/insurance/documents/Medical-Questionnaire.pdf