day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
#17
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
My wife has coverage through her current job, and prior to that we would just buy coverage when needed.
I was never insurable when living in the US due to pre-existing issues, but one hospital stay even for a minor issue can result in a huge bill, I spent 5 days in 2002 in a US hospital (before moving to Canada) and the bill was over 30,000 but under 40k.
Fastest way to being bankrupt is getting sick or hurt in the US and not having insurance.
I was never insurable when living in the US due to pre-existing issues, but one hospital stay even for a minor issue can result in a huge bill, I spent 5 days in 2002 in a US hospital (before moving to Canada) and the bill was over 30,000 but under 40k.
Fastest way to being bankrupt is getting sick or hurt in the US and not having insurance.
#19
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
My credit card gives me up to 15 days in any one trip, unlimited trips. All policies have restrictions for pre exisitng conditions and changes in medications.
#20
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 9,990
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
My opinion is that any approach to improving access to health care needs to address the excessive costs.
#21
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
Absolutely - the irony with my sons experience was that he said the service and quality of care was crap compared to here!
#22
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
for those of you that do not have coverage through an employer, would you take out medical insurance even if you travelled stateside for one day?
What about if it was a week or more, would you take out medical travel insurance?
For those under 60 years of age, have you checked the cost?
For those over 60 years of age, have you checked the cost?
Being a CAA member, doing the on line quote, I checked their rates & coverage for one person travelling. Being over 60, there was a medical questionnaire.
For a two week trip to the states, the policy cost is $55Cdn
Result, as follows
"Included in Your Policy
Emergency Medical Expenses up to $5 million CAD
Emergency Dental Expenses
Medical Repatriation
Medical Follow-up in Canada
Pet: Return / Care / Kennel Costs
Vision Care
Hearing Aid"
What about if it was a week or more, would you take out medical travel insurance?
For those under 60 years of age, have you checked the cost?
For those over 60 years of age, have you checked the cost?
Being a CAA member, doing the on line quote, I checked their rates & coverage for one person travelling. Being over 60, there was a medical questionnaire.
For a two week trip to the states, the policy cost is $55Cdn
Result, as follows
"Included in Your Policy
Emergency Medical Expenses up to $5 million CAD
Emergency Dental Expenses
Medical Repatriation
Medical Follow-up in Canada
Pet: Return / Care / Kennel Costs
Vision Care
Hearing Aid"
#23
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
Before my wife had it at work, we would buy it fir most trips but only day crossings we did then is picking up a parcel 2 mins in so we would risk it since the chance of needing medical care or being injured in that time frame is just too small to justify the cost.
Last time we bought a 9 day policy, we paid around 40 dollars for both of us which was up to 2 or maybe it was 3 million in medical and a slew of other coverage like medical flight back to Canada and such.
Last time we bought a 9 day policy, we paid around 40 dollars for both of us which was up to 2 or maybe it was 3 million in medical and a slew of other coverage like medical flight back to Canada and such.
#24
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
for those of you that do not have coverage through an employer, would you take out medical insurance even if you travelled stateside for one day?
What about if it was a week or more, would you take out medical travel insurance?
For those under 60 years of age, have you checked the cost?
For those over 60 years of age, have you checked the cost?
Being a CAA member, doing the on line quote, I checked their rates & coverage for one person travelling. Being over 60, there was a medical questionnaire.
For a two week trip to the states, the policy cost is $55Cdn
Result, as follows
"Included in Your Policy
Emergency Medical Expenses up to $5 million CAD
Emergency Dental Expenses
Medical Repatriation
Medical Follow-up in Canada
Pet: Return / Care / Kennel Costs
Vision Care
Hearing Aid"
What about if it was a week or more, would you take out medical travel insurance?
For those under 60 years of age, have you checked the cost?
For those over 60 years of age, have you checked the cost?
Being a CAA member, doing the on line quote, I checked their rates & coverage for one person travelling. Being over 60, there was a medical questionnaire.
For a two week trip to the states, the policy cost is $55Cdn
Result, as follows
"Included in Your Policy
Emergency Medical Expenses up to $5 million CAD
Emergency Dental Expenses
Medical Repatriation
Medical Follow-up in Canada
Pet: Return / Care / Kennel Costs
Vision Care
Hearing Aid"
Yes I would. If I fell and broke by leg/arm...had an appendicitis etc...I could be left with a 5 figure bill to pay.
#25
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
I bought an Alberta Blue Cross one year plan - take as many trips anywhere in the world for up to 30 days at a time. Think it was $150. Las time I bought a single one time thing for two weeks and it was $62.
Another thing people tend not to think of, is extending it a little beyond your actual return date - just in case of delays, unforeseen circumstances etc.
#26
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
Exactly - sods law, eh? You just never know and it only takes a split second.
I bought an Alberta Blue Cross one year plan - take as many trips anywhere in the world for up to 30 days at a time. Think it was $150. Las time I bought a single one time thing for two weeks and it was $62.
Another thing people tend not to think of, is extending it a little beyond your actual return date - just in case of delays, unforeseen circumstances etc.
I bought an Alberta Blue Cross one year plan - take as many trips anywhere in the world for up to 30 days at a time. Think it was $150. Las time I bought a single one time thing for two weeks and it was $62.
Another thing people tend not to think of, is extending it a little beyond your actual return date - just in case of delays, unforeseen circumstances etc.
#27
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: SW Calgary
Posts: 776
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
NEVER EVER travel without it! My son left Canada for the US last year..... speaking with him on the morning of his departure, I asked if he'd gotten health/medical cover - he thanked me for the reminder and quickly called to arrange it. A week later, he came off a long board in California and sustained several injuries including a broken elbow and a smashed nose and lots of "road rash". After surgery on his arm and week in hospital, the bill came in at $170,000 US (this however, still didn't include the physio required afterward).
#28
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
When I started going abroad more than once in a year, I bought a multi-trip policy that covered it all with some to spare.
#29
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: day trips to US from Canada/health insurance?
The company I always use let's you choose the start and end date, buy as little as 1 day for a single trip and up to I believe 6 months or maybe 1 year.
Canadian Direct is who I buy it through but another company underwrites the policy. I use them as they have an option to add cover for pre existing conditions which is helpful.
But they don't sell it flat 10 days or 15 days, you can pick the start and end date.
If I recall RBC Insurance let's you pick the start and end but its been eons since I have used them so going by memory.
Canadian Direct is who I buy it through but another company underwrites the policy. I use them as they have an option to add cover for pre existing conditions which is helpful.
But they don't sell it flat 10 days or 15 days, you can pick the start and end date.
If I recall RBC Insurance let's you pick the start and end but its been eons since I have used them so going by memory.
It's been a while since I took an out of country trip but one-off policies always seemed to be 10 or 17 days which perfectly covered the typical one or two week holidays.
When I started going abroad more than once in a year, I bought a multi-trip policy that covered it all with some to spare.
When I started going abroad more than once in a year, I bought a multi-trip policy that covered it all with some to spare.
Last edited by scrubbedexpat091; Aug 18th 2016 at 3:22 pm.