Travel health insurance for OHIP covered Ontario resident in laws

[lilacvioletiris 11]

My parents in law have not come to visit DH and me since our wedding in 2010 because they fear they will have some sort of medical emergency while they are in the U.S. in Michigan. We are 2.5 hours from the border with Canada.

Confounding factors include my MIL having recurrent cancer that is currently being treated and is in remission. While read the the OHIP website, the ministry of health in Canada does say get additional health travel insurance even if a person is planning to spend a few minutes or an extended time out of Canada.

Taken from http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/publications/ohip/travel.aspx

Should I obtain additional insurance coverage for my absence from Canada?

Yes. The ministry strongly recommends that you do, whether you are absent from Canada for a few minutes or for an extended time. OHIP does not insure or pay for all out-of-country medical services. Also, the amount of funding provided by OHIP will not usually cover the full cost of any health services that you do obtain outside of Canada. You should therefore, obtain supplementary health insurance from a private insurance company to provide you with additional coverage during your absence. It is also recommended that you understand the terms and conditions of the additional insurance coverage you have purchased and the implications of any pre-existing health conditions on your insurance coverage. To obtain private insurance contact a private insurance company of your choice.

Question: What companies have any of you used to get travel health insurance? How much were the premiums (my in-laws keep telling me a horror story of $5000 premium for an elderly couple who planned to spend a month in the U.S.)? Since my MIL does have a pre-existing condition of cancer would that negate her from coverage most/some plans?

Some first hand experience would be great. My in laws are not planning to immigrate and most of the threads I have seen on VJ are about K-1 visa holders concerned with the break in coverage between arriving and marrying their significant other.

[Krikit 1,164]

I used to just go online with TD CanadaTrust and purchase it from there.

[CAdreamer 14]

Manulife Financial (coverme.com) provides travel insurance to Canadians with health issues. They covered me, and I have cancer. It's not as cheap as some plans for healthy people, but it's not crazy expensive either. The last time I used them, I think it was in the range of $200 for myself and my 2 kids, for a month-long stay in the US.

The thing is, cancer is still a pre-existing condition, so if your mother-in-law has a cancer-related issue while she's visiting you, she's still not covered by her insurance. If she gets in an accident, though, or falls ill otherwise, she'd be covered by the insurance.

ETA: wherever they get insurance, make sure they read all the fine print first. It took me a while to find an insurance company that didn't state somewhere in the details that if you have advanced cancer or are currently in treatment (basically) don't even bother applying because they wouldn't cover you at all.

Edited April 6, 2013 by CAdreamer

[NikLR 13,227]

I've just gone to either Cooperators or AMA (basically CAA) and bought travel insurance that way. Any insurance provider should be able to do it and you're really only buying it for emergencies. Never cost me more than $35 for 10 days. They just need travel insurance, not actual insurance in the USA. Once at an insurance provider, they can detail what they need and the costs.

[hikergirl 277]

The last time I bought insurance was through AMEX. They have a plan that allows multiple trips through a 1 yr period so I went with that. The cost depends on how much time you are going to be away for each trip.

[canada_socks 97]

I had travel insurance through my benefits at my job before I moved here, so I was covered that way. Before I had that job, I used to go to a travel agent. I forget what insurance company it was, but I had emergency medical, which also covered me returning to Canada. I got coverage for a year, and I think it cost me like $50.