bobfrombc
keremeos/melaque/FOY
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a topic we are all interested in and deal with yearly, and for us soon.
would like to hear from other travellers as to GOOD and BAD claims experiences with their travel insurance companies. many saw the CBC report on W5 last year about ManuLife and their looking for reasons not to cover a medical emergency.
if the form is filled out correctly by your doctor and lawyer there should be no problems but that is often easier said than done.
last year we were told verbally by Medipac that my wife's treadmill test to check her heart was not treatment. so we filled out he form that way. after W5 broadcast we emailed them asking for confirmation on that point only to be told that it was in fact ongoing treatment of a heart condition and therefore the question was answered incorrectly and therefore our coverage was at best questionable!! AND we should have answered NO!
for us not a big problem as we did not have a claim.
Would like to hear about companies that have made claims EASY and not an exercise in finding a way not to pay them.
I'm sure we all would like to know.
travel safe and if not be sure your covered!
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toban
Canada
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Joined: 10/31/2003
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Unfortunately, here's the bottom line as I was told by a person who we met last winter who retired from an insurance co.
1) The job of the insurance comapny is to collect premiums.
2) This creates profits for the shareholders.
3) Their job also is to pay as little as possible on claims as this effects their bottom line profit for the shareholdes.
4) Most people don't read the policy from cover to cover before they buy.
He said if you think for one minute they have a chance to get out of paying a claim, you will never get the benefit of the doubt and they will deny the claim. That's their job to do this.
Unfortunatley, you cannot guess on these applications and most Drs will not fill them out as the onus is on them and most of them will not do that even for a fee. He said to us where people get caught up is they guess. If you are not sure, ask your Dr if he will tell you as most are looking out for public liability claims or better yet, claim it on your application if you're not sure then you are covered hopefully?
The W5 show showed a couple who guessed at their answers or took it for granted they were covered. Big mistake and it cost them dearly.
Toban
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D&E Johnson
Ontario, Canada/Quartzsite, Arizona
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do you think W5 could tell the good from the bad insurers? I saw that program, even watched it twice!
Maybe I'll write to W5 and see if they could suggest a company, as we also will be looking for coverage within the next month or two. What are all of us supposed to do??? You really cant go with Nothing!
Dona
any suggestions?
Dona and Elvin
2010 Dodge Laramie 3500 4x4 Mega cab-in Pearl black/tan
2007 Open Road 359RL3S
2004 Yamaha Kodiak 400 ATV
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netjam
Canadian on the road
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Joined: 08/14/2008
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This info is a bit dated but in the winter of 07/08 my wife shattered her wrist in the US. We had coverage from PC insurance (Superstore) and they agreed to have the surgery completed in the US. It was outpatient surgery for plates and screws etc and about 6-8 weeks of follow up visits. Cost was $25000 and it was underwritten by that big US insurance company that needed a bail out (I forgot the name). In any event it was pretty much troule free. For a year or so after I received a bunch of bills, collection letters and phone threats from the hospital, doctors etc but I just told them to contact PC insurance and they eventually stopped. I used PC insurance every year since til last year (premiums never went up due to my claim) but last year the premiums rose a lot so I switched.
EDIT: Underwritten by AIG. The hospital we went to had no orthopedic surgeon on duty. They gave us a yellow pages list of surgeons to contact. The one we got to see us would not take insurance so we paid $500 cash for the consult. PC insurance paid us back.
* This post was
edited 07/20/12 08:29am by netjam *
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robatthelake
Vancouver Island
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The other little Gem that escapes many peoples attention is that the "Travel Insurance Companies" actually pass along most of the Cost of Your Claim to Your Provincial Heath Care System (BC Medical Services).
They Only pay the excess costs "If Any" to the Doctors/Hospitals and They negotiate that amount down to a much lower amount than They are Billed!
The whole thing is a Game to these Companies.
Charge High Premiums, Pay as little as Possible to settle Claims and Deny coverage if and whenever They can!
Rob & Jean
98 Dutch Star Diesel Pusher ..92 Tracker 4X2
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Almot
Vancouver BC
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robatthelake wrote:The other little Gem that escapes many peoples attention is that the "Travel Insurance Companies" actually pass along most of the Cost of Your Claim to Your Provincial Heath Care System (BC Medical Services).
They Only pay the excess costs "If Any" to the Doctors/Hospitals ...
Not always. There are at least 4 different types of out-of-Canada coverage, usually shown in policy summary:
1) Canadians with provincial Medicare plan. Note that some search engines like Squaremouth don't specifically ask about this but they need to know if you are a "resident" which I'm sure their lawyers will later construe as "met residency criteria of provincial Medicare plan". Insuremytrip - another search engine to buy insurance - actually asks if you have a provincial plan, as I recall.
2) Canadians without provincial plan (it's very easy to lose it, btw, still remaining a "resident" for OAS/GIS purposes);
3) Private coverage is "Primary" - then it covers everything that it should, up to the maximum specified in this coverage, leaving the rest to your Secondary plan which can be provincial Medicare or again some private plan or to yourself if you have no other plan;
4) Private coverage is "Secondary" - then it covers only what is left unpaid after the provincial plan (or again after your private Primary plan), up to the maximum of this Secondary coverage.
Btw, not all the travel plans require you to fill the questionnaire. Perhaps this depends on the age and amount of coverage.
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portliz
Ontario
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Best advice is to read the detailed policy!!!! Some say no medical questions required BUT if there is a claim they can check your medical history and deny your claim. Carefully read the preexisiting condition clause and stability. If you don't ask they won't tell. Even when you do ask they don't give the correct answer. W5 program is an example. Don't guess. So many people I talk to think I am overthinking this but I have read many policies in detail and you will be shocked at what you learn.
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Almot
Vancouver BC
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If there isn't any questionnaire, then there isn't.
Coverage of per-existing condition is a different matter, and the policy always says if it's covered and up to what limit and for how long after - ex, they may cover it if it occurred or was treated more than 6 month ago last time, and only will cover up to some low amount - and then a treadmill test few months ago could be considered a "treatment" and you will be denied coverage of some heart condition. But they can't deny you a coverage of broken wrist in this case. I agree that detailed policy should be read carefully before buying any plan.
Some things in travel plan polices are not clear to me even after I read it several times - may be somebody here can explain.
1) The "destination" is Mexico, and the plan says "excluding the US", which means - if I'm correct - that I am not planning to stop or stay in the US. Also, the policy says "covered treatment in the closest suitable facility". And there is a usual "evacuation plan" included which covers air or ground ambulance to such a "suitable facility". If I get sick in Baja Mexico, and they decide that the closest suitable hospital is in San Diego US and will airlift me there (which airlift will be covered) - will they cover the treatment in San Diego? Please, don't go into possible provincial coverage in this case - the province will only cover a tiny fraction of the cost of US treatment.
2) The policy explains in "Definitions" section that a trip is when you travel to some place outside your country of residence using carriers like air or bus or a car, and return back to your country. It says that travel to another permanent home is not considered a trip. So am I "on the trip" when staying in a vacation shack or a trailer (or a trailer converted into a vacation shack) on the camp in Mx for 6 month, or am I not "on the trip"? Again, let's not deviate into "annual hospital plans" because those cover you all year round in whatever country is specified there (could be world wide, but this is costly).
* This post was
edited 07/22/12 03:15pm by Almot *
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bobfrombc
keremeos/melaque/FOY
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1. if you travel in the USA you would not be covered during this portion of your trip if you needed medical and had coverage excluding the US. last time i went to mex i got multiple policies covering my trips thru the us and then lower cost coverage for my mexico winter.
2. travel to a permanent home!. your primarly place of residence is the residence you call home, presumably Canada. if you had dual residency this might be an issue but temporary residences in a trailer or even a home you own at your destination, as i understand it, are considered you permanent residence. permanent residency is where you vote, have bank accounts, keep your personal records and in the case of canada spend 6months or more in order to qualify for canadian medical.
trust this helps.
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bobfrombc
keremeos/melaque/FOY
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also,
if you only had coverage for nonUSA locations. trust me they would not treat you in San Diego or any other US location. you might die during the evacuation but youd end up in your home province as the most suitable location if one was not available in mexico.
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