Pre-departure advice for Snowbirds

You’re aptly named. Once temperatures drop, you feel called to head south. You can’t help it! Since healthcare costs are very high in the United States, you want to make sure to travel knowing you’ll be covered in the event of a problem. Read this to properly prepare for your winter adventure and enjoy peace of mind for your health.

Coverage that's worth every penny

Travel insurance generally covers most emergency healthcare costs incurred when you travel outside your home province. Those costs can be sky high, so it's important to get the right coverage.  

Let's say you had a heart attack in Florida. A 3-day stay at the hospital could set you back up to $200,000.¹ And that's before doctors' fees! Your provincial health insurance plan might cover part of it, but if you don't have travel insurance, you could be on the hook for a big chunk of change.

Pre-existing conditions

You've probably heard about the exclusion for pre-existing conditions. Here's what you need to know. It's very important to tell your insurance company about any pre-existing injuries or medical conditions you may have. You'll avoid big headaches and unexpected expenses later on. If you do declare a pre-existing condition in your questionnaire and your doctor clears you to travel, your insurer will still need to take steps to determine whether you're insurable. One standard requirement is that your condition needs to be stable for a set period of time before your trip begins.

"Stable" generally means that your condition and your treatment haven't changed during that time. The required amount of time depends on your age and the policy you choose. For example, the period of stability for Emergency Health Care coverage may differ from the period for Trip Cancellation or Modification coverage.

Medical questionnaire

You'll probably need to fill out a medical questionnaire to confirm your insurability and determine your travel insurance premium. Make sure the information you provide is accurate. When in doubt, check with your doctor. If you make a misrepresentation, you could end up having your claims denied or your policy cancelled.

Your age, your overall health, the length of your stay, your coverage and your coverage amounts can all affect your premiums. Your destination and past claims may or may not factor in.

Time limits on international travel

In order to be eligible for Emergency Health Care coverage, you must be covered under your provincial or territorial health insurance plan for the full length of your trip. To be covered, you must have been physically present in your province or territory of residence for a certain number of days. The amount of time is different depending on where you live. For example, if you live in Quebec, you'll lose RAMQ coverage if you spend more than 182 days outside the province in a calendar year (January 1 to December 31).² Under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, you can't be outside Canada for more than 212 days³ in any given 12-month period.