Cdn. Snowbird Health Insurance good experience

[Jack_Diane_Free]

Before we left for Florida from Ontario Canada we enrolled in Assured Assistance Inc. out of country medical care insurance through the Royal Bank of Canada.

Well sure enough I got sick, called Assure and was greeted by a most courteous and professional agent. Told them the problem, they approved the coverage, arranged the local Urgent Care unit and all was good.

I went to the Sarasota Urgent Care unit about 5 minutes from us, they were already expecting me, and already had the forms from Assured.
I did not even get the questionnaire completed when a nurse called me in for vitals and 5 minutes later the doctor came in and did the examination, wrote a prescription and I was done. All no charge.

The next afternoon Assured called to see how I was feeling and did I receive adequate medical care and said if I needed a follow up with the doctor just go and do it.

Overall a very good experience.

[quartzster]

Mountaineer42 wrote:

quartzster wrote:

joebedford wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Hi joebedford,

What is the difference between primary coverage and secondary coverage?

Well, for us Canucks, our provincial health plan is primary. The emergency travel insurance we buy is secondary. This means a lot of things but in my mind there are two things that may affect us most:

1) your insurance won't necessarily provide medical care in the USA. If you're well enough to travel, it may get you a flight home to get medical care from your primary provider (e.g. OHIP, etc.)
2) if you stay out of your province too long you lose your primary coverage and your secondary coverage (e.g. Blue Cross, Medipac, etc.) is void.

To Clarify the secondary coverage you purchase is only void if you do not comply with the conditions of the policy.

In order to get secondary coverage, you MUST have primary coverage (duh!) so joebedford's statement is correct.

No need to get nasty! thanks for the correction.

[Mountaineer42]

quartzster wrote:

joebedford wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Hi joebedford,

What is the difference between primary coverage and secondary coverage?

Well, for us Canucks, our provincial health plan is primary. The emergency travel insurance we buy is secondary. This means a lot of things but in my mind there are two things that may affect us most:

1) your insurance won't necessarily provide medical care in the USA. If you're well enough to travel, it may get you a flight home to get medical care from your primary provider (e.g. OHIP, etc.)
2) if you stay out of your province too long you lose your primary coverage and your secondary coverage (e.g. Blue Cross, Medipac, etc.) is void.

To Clarify the secondary coverage you purchase is only void if you do not comply with the conditions of the policy.

In order to get secondary coverage, you MUST have primary coverage (duh!) so joebedford's statement is correct.

[quartzster]

joebedford wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Hi joebedford,

What is the difference between primary coverage and secondary coverage?

Well, for us Canucks, our provincial health plan is primary. The emergency travel insurance we buy is secondary. This means a lot of things but in my mind there are two things that may affect us most:

1) your insurance won't necessarily provide medical care in the USA. If you're well enough to travel, it may get you a flight home to get medical care from your primary provider (e.g. OHIP, etc.)
2) if you stay out of your province too long you lose your primary coverage and your secondary coverage (e.g. Blue Cross, Medipac, etc.) is void.

To Clarify the secondary coverage you purchase is only void if you do not comply with the conditions of the policy.

[joebedford]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi joebedford,

What is the difference between primary coverage and secondary coverage?

Well, for us Canucks, our provincial health plan is primary. The emergency travel insurance we buy is secondary. This means a lot of things but in my mind there are two things that may affect us most:

1) your insurance won't necessarily provide medical care in the USA. If you're well enough to travel, it may get you a flight home to get medical care from your primary provider (e.g. OHIP, etc.)
2) if you stay out of your province too long you lose your primary coverage and your secondary coverage (e.g. Blue Cross, Medipac, etc.) is void.

[pianotuna]

Hi joebedford,

What is the difference between primary coverage and secondary coverage?

[joebedford]

pawatt wrote:
Just for reference We have paid as high as $1680.00 per month in the USA for Blue Cross, Blue Shield coverage here in the US for my wife and I.

Yahbut . . . that's PRIMARY coverage; we're talking SECONDARY coverage.

[John___Angela]

pawatt wrote:
Just for reference We have paid as high as $1680.00 per month in the USA for Blue Cross, Blue Shield coverage here in the US for my wife and I.

Good morning Pawatt and thanks for posting. Also thanks to the original poster for your informative post. Keep in mind that the original poster is just referring to emergency healthcare insurance specifically for Canadians travelling in the US. This type of insurance just covers the difference between healthcare costs in Canada and the US. The "insurance provider" actually collects the Canadian covered portion from the Canadian Government (specifically the provincial government which administers Canadian Health care) Emergency health care costs for Canadians vary depending on the country you are travelling to with the US being the most expensive as it is the greatest difference in scheduled (listed) costs. In some countries where the costs are comparable to Canadian scheduled costs insurance isn't necessary as the cost is totally reimbursable by the Canadian Government. Spain would be an example of this but there are others. Having said that it's always a good idea to have some kind of repatriation coverage no matter where you travel.

[pawatt]

Just for reference We have paid as high as $1680.00 per month in the USA for Blue Cross, Blue Shield coverage here in the US for my wife and I.

[moisheh]

Nice to hear a good insurance story. RBC is usually quite good. Just avoid Manulife!!!

Moisheh

[Community Alumni]

Our $7/day is based upon me being 66 and my wife being 63 although she looks 45 (just in case she reads this!) :B

[her_I]

As the travel insurance is age related with a jump at 71, what age group is these prices based on?

[Jack_Diane_Free]

$5.60 Cdn per day.

[Community Alumni]

As an point of reference, my wife and I pay a combined average of around $7/day.

... Eric

[pianotuna]

Hi,

May you never have to use the insurance. Any idea on the cost per day you pay?