Maple Leaf

what kind of health coverage do you suggest..? and what costs are involved, for a one week visit to NY.

thanks!

md95065

Unless you are planning on doing something especially risky while in New York (such as taking a taxi or crossing the street in Manhattan) I would have thought that making sure you had a return ticket to Canada should be sufficient.

Seriously though, I personally would not bother with insurance for a trip such as the one you describe.

JAJ

Are you aware of the high costs of medical treatment in the United States?

Maple Leaf

yes *jaj*....and i am aware too!!! like you....

....and esp after seeing the movie *sicko*.~..and also..~..i have friends in the USA..so i am realy aware of the situations one can get into there...

i just remembered this morning my health insurance through my job kicked in this month..so i will check out what they offer too...personaly i wont' even cross the border without insurance......anything can happen..ooh look a speedy car....a trip on the sidewalk...sudden pains in the body..anything!! LOL

md95065

Yes - I have lived here for over 20 years and my immediate family has run up hospital bills that total well over $100,000 - but I still didn't take out any insurance for the various short (5 to 10 day) trips that I made to the US before becoming a US resident.

JAJ

Although you got away with it, don't you think you were taking a serious risk?

Jerseygirl

I read an article about this very subject a few months ago. With more and more Canadians crossing the border into the US because of the US$ vs CD$ it is becoming quite a problem. Canadians are starting to realise if they are taken ill or have an accident ie break a leg or arm while they are in the US it can cost them dearly...many are taking out appropriate insurance.

Patrick Hasler

[QUOTE=md95065;6270752]Unless you are planning on doing something especially risky while in New York (such as taking a taxi or crossing the street in Manhattan) I would have thought that making sure you had a return ticket to Canada should be sufficient.

QUOTE]

OR .... eating the local food

md95065

No - a "risk", certainly, but not a "serious" risk.

Worst case, if I had needed emergency medical treatment I would have received it, would possibly have been unable to pay for it, and since at the time I was not a US resident would have been pretty much out of reach of the collection agencies once I returned home.

For less serious matters that might still have required a visit to the emergency room I might have been out a few thousand dollars (which was a risk I was willing to take)

For anything minor I would just have either lived with it for a week or headed back to the UK early.

Maple Leaf

well......i learnt a lesson a couple of years ago....

i was planning my return trip to canada..when i went for just a check up at my local GP in australia before i left....just to get some simple blood work done..no big deal...for B12........butttttttttttttttttt

what a surprise to discover i had a lump near my stomach and as i have a history of cancer....the warning signals sounded off!!!

long story short...scans...more tests etc...revealed i had an ovarian cyst the size of a baseball and that i was unable to fly as the pressure could burst it!! OUCH...so i was grounded and not able to leave oz till i had that operation.....

so yeah...anything can happen!

Maple Leaf

you may have got away without paying for it..BUT someone else would have....being the american tax payers i spose.....and god knows they have enough of their own problems paying for their health benefits etc..that i dont' want THEM to foot the bill for mine..

Maple Leaf

and rightly so i feel.

Rete

Perhaps you might want to remain in Canada and not visit the US with all those fears. I travel to Canada all the time to visit my stepson and in-laws and my US health insurance does not cover me there. I have to go to a private clinic and pay upfront for medical care and prescriptions in Canada and believe me it is as expense as in the US for emergency care and drugs.

Rete

And my in-laws when they play snowbird in Florida use their Quebec healthcare at the medical clinics where it is fully accepted and Quebec does pay the charges.

Havnfun

I am Canadian and I wouldn't consider travelling to the US without medical insurance. It is very cheap - not worth taking the risk of not having it. We have an annual policy for 3 of us and it is $55.00 PER YEAR for any amount of trips out of Canada (maximum 14 days per trip).

We get ours from our bank (ATB Financial) through Travel Underwriters.