Report shows that travel health insurance saved Canadians more than $138 million

News of "Million Dollar Baby" and the case of an Australian who is now facing a growing six-figure medical bill are serving as a cautionary tale for other travellers buying insurance.
Yet, travel health insurance saved the majority of Canadians, research shows. 

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The vast majority (95.3 per cent) of Canadians who purchased individual travel health insurance policies had their claims paid, says a report based on a KPMG survey of Canadian providers commissioned by the Travel Health Insurance Association (THIA).  Respondents to the survey indicated that the amount of claims paid to more than 103,000 insured travellers exceeded $138 million.

“We’re delighted that more than 95 per cent of travellers had their medical claims paid but that means that five per cent saw their claims denied,” said THIA President Alex Bittner. “Insurance is designed to pay claims. Our goal is to see an increase in these high rates of successful claims.”
A recent THIA survey¹ of Canadians revealed that 18 per cent of respondents have inadvertently provided inaccurate health information on travel health insurance forms – something that is to be avoided as it can void an insurance policy.Fourteen per centhave deliberately provided inaccurate health information on travel insurance applications with half of those admitting that they did so to receive a lower rate.  And, only 33 per cent have reviewed medical forms with a physician when applying for travel health insurance.

“Responding accurately to medical forms is the best way to have a carefree holiday and ensure that unexpected medical expenses will be covered by insurance,” said Bittner. “Provincial health plans only pay for approximately 9 per cent of out-of-country medical costs.  If there is a medical questionnaire, it needs to be taken seriously.”
The top two reasons for denied claims include medical non-disclosure and misrepresentation and for pre-existing conditions that were not stable as required by policies.
THiA recommends that Canadians do the following to have carefree vacations:

• Know your health and consult a health care provider if you have any questions
• Know your trip - How long will you be gone? Are you a snowbird? Will you be travelling many times during the year? Do you plan to scuba dive or undertake any high risk activities?
• Understand your travel insurance policy – Insurance companies have staff available to assist you and answer any questions related to policies 

The THiA website has a guide available to help Canadians understand their travel insurance needs before they investigate policies.


Source: The Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada
 http://www.thiaonline.com/cgi/page.cgi?aid=115&_id=125&zine=show

What are the most important things I need to know about Travel Insurance?

There are a lot of websites which explain the coverage  
But, what are the most important things I need to know about Travel Insurance?  What is "Pre-Existing medical conditions"? What is "Eligibility"?

The Travel Helath Insurance Association of Canada has created guide to travel insurance for Canadian consumers.Obtain information as much as possible, be a smart shopper!

To download the PDF copy of the guide, please click the following link:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16465334/THIA%20Consumer%20Brochure/THIA%20Consumer%20Brochure.pdf

 Source: http://www.thiaonline.com/cgi/page.cgi?aid=109&_id=125&zine=show

Young Travellers Need Insurance Too: THIA

Young Canadians confined in foreign hospitals with no travel insurance to cover their medical bills or the costs of repatriating them by air ambulance made headlines across Canada recently even though coverage for accidental or emergency illness out of the country has never been more accessible.

In August, 2012, former Toronto cheerleader Anna Leibenko, then 24, slipped on a catamaran sailing in the Adriatic and had to be rushed to a neurosurgery hospital in Croatia for intensive emergency treatment. She had no travel insurance. Consequently, friends in Canada set up a drive to raise funds to pay the hospital bill and airlift her back to Canada.

In November, 11-year old Jaylynn Graham, vacationing in Jamaica with her father, suffered what was reported in the London Free Press as a stroke requiring brain surgery. Because she had no travel insurance, friends and local London area businesses set up a donors' fund to help pay medical and hospital bills related to her care.

In December, The Hamilton Spectator reported that Robert Sitter, a long-time Buffalo Bills football fan from Hamilton was hit by a taxi while exiting the stadium in Buffalo. He sustained a brain injury that left him in a coma, unable to be repatriated to Canada for several weeks. A public donors' fund was set up to help Sitter's family deal with what would likely be at least a six-figure hospital bill.

"What makes these stories even more tragic for the families involved," says John Thain, president of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA), "is that the burden of medical and transportation costs that accompanies accidents and illnesses abroad is so avoidable, and in the case of young, otherwise, healthy people, travel insurance is so inexpensive and accessible."

Government health insurance plans cover only a very small fraction of out-of-country health care costs, and all provincial health ministries and the Government of Canada travel websites strongly urge all Canadians leaving the country - for even one day or less - to buy private travel insurance to cover health emergencies.

Virtually all travel insurance plans in Canada offer generous benefits,some up to $5 million per policy, and they include air or ground ambulance repatriation when medically necessary, direct payments to foreign hospitals and doctors, and coverage of virtually all hospital and medical costs for applicants who meet the eligibility and health requirements.

Studies have shown that most experienced and mature travellers, and especially snowbirds, won't leave home without travel insurance. In fact, some studies show about 80 percent of snowbirds buy insurance annually. But a study done by Ipsos Reid also showed that among 18-to-34 year old Canadians, 44 percent report that they never or rarely bought insurance on any trip they took to the U.S. within the previous two years.

"Travel insurance for Canadians leaving the country for even a short trip to a ballgame, or to go shopping, or visit relatives, is not a luxury item, it's a necessity," says Thain. "One slip on the ice, or fall on a boat, or accident while crossing the street can generate medical bills that could potentially wipe out a family's savings. It doesn't have to be that way," he emphasizes.

"Travel medical insurance is readily available from most travel agents, brokers, banks, motor leagues, and companies specializing in travel insurance. Thanks to the internet, finding them is easier than ever," says Thain. "All it takes is recognition that even the young are not invincible. And hospitals and doctors don't offer cut-rates for the young."

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 3, 2013)

Protect Yourself With a Travel Health Insurance Policy

Whether you are out of the country for a few days or a few weeks, securing travel health insurance before you leave should be considered an essential part of the planning process. “Costs for medical care in the United States and many places around the world can be very expensive,” says John Thain, president of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada. “Travel insurance helps take care of you and your family and can protect your finances.” Thain recommends buying your health insurance policy from a regulated insurance company, and allowing sufficient time to complete the application process before you leave, particularly if you are required to answer medical questions.

Here, he provides some important tips to snowbirds.

Do not rely solely on your government health insurance plan
While you will have some coverage in the event of an emergency, you need to supplement the small amount the government would provide with a plan that will offer more protection. “Provincial government health plans pay only a very small portion of medical expenses incurred outside of Canada,” says Thain. “Specialists can help you navigate health-care services outside of Canada and guide you in seeking and receiving proper treatment. If something unexpected happens, you will have someone to turn to for help.” 

Know what you’re buying
Thain recommends asking your travel insurance advisor or your insurance company about different plan options: single-trip policy, an annual multi-trip policy or top-up-to-credit card coverage. Be sure to clarify anything you do not understand.

Read through and understand your policy
Rather than take a buy-now-ask-questions-later approach, make sure you understand your policy before you leave. “Insurance companies can have many different approaches to benefits, exclusions, limitations, eligibility and, especially, pre-existing conditions,” says Thain. “It is critical to read and understand your policy before you travel in order to avoid unexpected surprises.” 

Inform your insurer about changes to your health
If something happens between the time you purchase your insurance and the time you leave, you need to inform your provider. This could result in changes to your policy, warns Thain. “Be an informed consumer, know your own health and understand your travel insurance policy.” 

Three misconceptions travellers have about health insurance:

• Travel insurance is a substitute for your provincial health insurance plan while you are out of the country.
  That is not the case. Travel insurance is for unexpected emergencies only.
    
• There is no need for travel health insurance if you are cross-border shopping and will be gone for only a day or two.
  That is not the case. Emergencies can happen at any time to anyone.
• 
  
• Once I have my policy, all of my pre-existing conditions will be covered.
  That is not the case. It is essential to review your policy and understand how it defines pre-existing conditions and how terms such as “stable,” “controlled” and “treatment” relate to your personal medical history. Ask your doctor for help in answering medical questions that you are not sure about, including medications, tests you are undergoing or have scheduled and any referral to specialists you have recently had.

by Tara Nolan,

This article appeared in the Toronto Star on December 12, 2012.

Know Your Health and Your Policy When Travelling

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Aug. 21, 2012) - With more than half
(52 per cent)* of Canadians intending to take a vacation outside the
country this winter, it's important for travellers to be aware that
provincial health insurance pays only a small portion of out-of-country
medical expenses.

"It's necessary to have private travel insurance to be fully protected
against unexpected medical emergencies encountered during foreign or
inter-provincial travel," says Martha Turnbull, past president of the
Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA).

A registered nurse, as well as a travel insurance professional, Ms.
Turnbull cautions travellers that although travel insurance plans have
generous benefits, they have exclusions and limitations, and it's especially
important to know the state of one's own health when buying insurance.


Ms. Turnbull suggests the following guidelines for travellers assessing
and buying travel insurance.

Know your own health:

Know what conditions your doctor is treating you for, what medications
you have been prescribed, if and when changes have been made to your
medications (your pharmacist can help).

Ask for the results of any investigations, tests, specialists' findings
or why you are being referred to a specialist.

If you have any unanswered questions about your health, ask your doctor
to review your medical records with you.

Understand your insurance travel medical insurance policy:

Since every insurer has different approaches to covering pre-existing
conditions, it's critical to read and understand the benefits, exclusions,
limitations, eligibility, and especially pre-existing conditions.

Understand key definitions such as: stable, controlled, treatment,
emergency.

Understand the definition of pre-existing condition because policies
vary among insurers. Some policies may cover pre-existing conditions
that are considered stable and controlled for a specific period (such
as 90 days) prior to departure or booking date (which applies to trip
cancellation & trip interruption coverage). Some may not cover any
pre-existing or related condition, so understand how this applies to
you.

When completing the travel insurance policy medical questionnaire,
take your time. Read it well. If you have any questions, contact the
issuing insurance company for clarification and don't hesitate to ask
your doctor for help or for access to your medical records.

DO NOT minimize your health status to get a lower premium. Inaccurate
or incomplete answers could invalidate your claim and leave you stuck
with the bill.

When insuring travel arrangements for trip cancellation or interruption
benefits:

Book your travel insurance as soon as you place a deposit on your trip
and try to purchase your travel using a major credit card. If the travel
supplier goes out of business or suspends operations, you may be
able to recover some of your costs through the credit card company.
Travel insurers do not cover financial solvency of airlines, cruise
lines or other travel suppliers.

If there is a change in your health or medication, or if you are referred
for tests or to a specialist, contact your insurance company to determine
if this could result in any changes to your coverage.

If you're awaiting test results, a referral to a specialist, or a decision
on surgery, but want to book travel, consider it very carefully - it
may be better to delay your travel until after you are stable and
have recovered. Adds Ms. Turnbull: "Travel insurance plans are offered
by many different insurance companies in Canada and as such there are
many coverage, price and benefit options available. "To make the best
choice, you need to be informed and understand your insurance.

About THIA. THIA is the national organization representing travel insurers,
brokers, underwriters, re-insurers, emergency assistance companies,
air ambulance companies and allied services in the travel insurance
field.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance

Title: THIA Urges Insurance Cover for Hurricane Season


TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 6, 2011) - With the 2011 hurricane
season heating up, the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada
(THIA) urges all vacationers heading to the southern and eastern United
States, or into the Caribbean region, to obtain trip-cancellation/interruption
insurance to protect against the possibility of storms wiping out their
travel investments.

David Hartman, president of THIA, says that trip cancellation/interruption
policies helped many thousands of travellers affected by volcanic ash
disruptions in Europe last year and more recently in Australia and
New Zealand. \"Since then, trip cancellation insurance has become an
essential component of insurance coverage for experienced travellers
and could be just as effective for vacationers impacted by tropical
storms over the next several months,\" he adds.

Traditionally, hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with
the peak occurring during August and September, although major storms
have also caused considerable personal and property damage in July
and October in recent years.

Mr. Hartman emphasizes that trip cancellation/interruption policies
are specifically designed to reimburse travellers for monetary losses
due to trips, tours or services cancelled, delayed or interrupted because
of unforeseen natural events such as bad weather, volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes, wild fires, even man-made civil disturbances such as those
that occurred in Egypt earlier this year.

Trip cancellation/interruption insurance normally covers:
* The prepaid, non-refundable portions of airfares, tours, hotel or
resort fees, or other cancelled or interrupted trip events or services,
up to limits specified in each policy.


* Accommodation, meal, telephone, ground transportation and other out-of-pocket
costs for travellers stranded or delayed by missed flights or rerouting
of cruise ships due to weather or other unexpected contingencies.


* 24/7 emergency assistance to help insured travellers disrupted by
natural or man-made events get home safely and as quickly as possible.


* Baggage and other personal items lost to storms or other unforeseeable
disruptions.

Most travel insurers in Canada offer either stand-alone trip cancellation
policies or include such benefits in comprehensive travel health insurance
plans, says Mr. Hartman. But he cautions that plans differ, they have
limits on the amounts and the events they will cover, and travellers
need to understand their policies and discuss them with their travel
insurance advisors.

He also notes that trip cancellation/interruption plans need to be
bought concurrently with trip purchases or very shortly thereafter.
Once hurricane warnings are posted by the U.S. National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or by Canada's Department of Foreign
Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), new trip cancellation policies
will not cover losses in the affected areas.

About THIA. THIA is the national organization representing travel insurers,
brokers, underwriters, re-insurers, emergency assistance companies,
air ambulance companies and allied services in the travel insurance
field. Its website is http://www.thiaonline.com/