private health insurance - pre existing medical conditions

[markmark1983]

Hello there,

i would like to get your opinions.
We are planning to land there by last week of May in Ontario.
Since there is waiting period for OHIP, we are planning to purchase private insurance before we land.

I would like to know if it is good to purchase the insurance with pre existing medical conditions even though you are not sick?

I was thinking in case before departure date you got sick or diagnosed with some sort of illness.

Any opinions are appreciated.

Mark

 

[Rob_TO]

Hello there,

i would like to get your opinions.
We are planning to land there by last week of May in Ontario.
Since there is waiting period for OHIP, we are planning to purchase private insurance before we land.

I would like to know if it is good to purchase the insurance with pre existing medical conditions even though you are not sick?

I was thinking in case before departure date you got sick or diagnosed with some sort of illness.

Any opinions are appreciated.

Mark

You need to be very careful with travel medical insurance with pre-existing conditions. In most cases the insuerer will only cover emergency costs related to those conditions, if they are stable over many months (so no changes in medication, no doctor/hospital visits related to condition, no recent emergency incidents, etc etc). Then the private insurance may cover unexpected costs related to it, but will not cover costs for regular checkup or routine prescriptions. You need to read the rules very carefully upfront, since most insurers will gladly take your money and give you a policy, but will then try to deny a claim if they feel you misrepresented the condition upfront.

That being said it's always advisable to get 3 months of private insurance while waiting for OHIP. Even if it was limited in covering pre-existing conditions, it's needed in case of any other emergency that may arise.

Also note if you purchase a policy in advance to start when in Canada, but something happens before you leave to Canada, you may need to report that to the insurer and your coverage or cost may be affected.

It's recommended to buy a medical insurance from a Canadian company, since it will be much easier in case you need to make a claim. Some policies from other countries, will expect you're only traveling temporarily and will expect you to return to home country at first opportunity if a medical emergency happened.

 

[markmark1983]

You need to be very careful with travel medical insurance with pre-existing conditions. In most cases the insuerer will only cover emergency costs related to those conditions, if they are stable over many months (so no changes in medication, no doctor/hospital visits related to condition, no recent emergency incidents, etc etc). Then the private insurance may cover unexpected costs related to it, but will not cover costs for regular checkup or routine prescriptions. You need to read the rules very carefully upfront, since most insurers will gladly take your money and give you a policy, but will then try to deny a claim if they feel you misrepresented the condition upfront.

That being said it's always advisable to get 3 months of private insurance while waiting for OHIP. Even if it was limited in covering pre-existing conditions, it's needed in case of any other emergency that may arise.

Also note if you purchase a policy in advance to start when in Canada, but something happens before you leave to Canada, you may need to report that to the insurer and your coverage or cost may be affected.

It's recommended to buy a medical insurance from a Canadian company, since it will be much easier in case you need to make a claim. Some policies from other countries, will expect you're only traveling temporarily and will expect you to return to home country at first opportunity if a medical emergency happened.

thanks for the detailed information. Are there insurance companies in Canada that covers visits to doctors as well like for a simple flu or cough? Will they cover prescriptions as well? Most of the insurance company I see only covers emergency medical and hospitalization expenses.

I would also like to know what is the average consultation costs in canada in terms of visiting doctors for simple illness as I have stated above.

Thanks.
Mark

 

[scylla]

thanks for the detailed information. Are there insurance companies in Canada that covers visits to doctors as well like for a simple flu or cough? Will they cover prescriptions as well? Most of the insurance company I see only covers emergency medical and hospitalization expenses.

I would also like to know what is the average consultation costs in canada in terms of visiting doctors for simple illness as I have stated above.

Thanks.
Mark

There are insurance policies that cover all of the above. However their rates are outrageous and you are better off paying for non-emergency care (including prescriptions) out of your own pocket. Costs of check-ups vary from clinic to clinic. I've seen costs from $60 to $100 that I can remember.

 

[Rob_TO]

thanks for the detailed information. Are there insurance companies in Canada that covers visits to doctors as well like for a simple flu or cough? Will they cover prescriptions as well? Most of the insurance company I see only covers emergency medical and hospitalization expenses.

I would also like to know what is the average consultation costs in canada in terms of visiting doctors for simple illness as I have stated above.

Thanks.
Mark

Why would you go to the doctors for a simple cold or cough? For this you can just get some over the counter meds from any drug store.

If it was something more serious, like a major unexpected cough or serious flu, that may be deemed as an emergency in which case the insurance company would cover doctor visit and any resulting tests, bloodwork, prescription meds. etc.

As mentioned above, a typical walk in clinic cost will be $75 - $120 or so.

 

[markmark1983]

thank you all for opinions, I was just used to having our child check up here that is covered everthing my insurance,,,appreciate all the inputs. Thanks!