Cruising in canada-out of province insurance

[latebuyer]

My parents may have to travel in canada as my dad is still having tests due to my dad’s heart condition but they are wondering if they could get out of province insurance instead of the global travel insurance. I found a cruise where all the ports are in canada except the last port so i thought maybe they could leave early to stay in canada. But would the cruise ship have canadian or american doctors on it so they need the global travel insurance anyways?

[Fouremco]

2 hours ago, latebuyer said:

My parents may have to travel in canada as my dad is still having tests due to my dad’s heart condition but they are wondering if they could get out of province insurance instead of the global travel insurance. I found a cruise where all the ports are in canada except the last port so i thought maybe they could leave early to stay in canada. But would the cruise ship have canadian or american doctors on it so they need the global travel insurance anyways?

You would have to check with the cruise line regarding early debarkation. If the cruise starts in Canada, there shouldn't be an issue debarking at the final Canadian port, but the cruise line needs to approve.

 

In my experience, none of the onboard doctors are Canadian or American, but a doctor's nationality is immaterial, it's the location of the treatment that matters. This is what OHIP has to say:

 

What’s covered elsewhere in Canada

When you show your valid Ontario health card in another Canadian province or territory, you will be covered for some of the same services you’re covered for in Ontario including:

• physician services (e.g. visit to a walk-in clinic)
• services provided in a public hospital (e.g. emergency, diagnostic, laboratory)

Any service or treatment you receive in another Canadian province or territory must be medically necessary for it to be covered by OHIP.

 

However, as the ship won't take an OHIP payment, your dad would have to pay the ship and submit a claim. Unfortunately, ship medical charges are significantly higher than most provincial maximums, so without travel insurance, it could be a costly venture.

 

Another question that arises is knowing which province is going to pay. If your dad start treatment while in Quebec waters, and the cruise then enters Newfoundland and PEI waters before treatment ends in Nova Scotian waters, who are you going to bill?

 

Even if your dad takes out medical travel insurance, in most cases there are limitations on coverage for pre-existing conditions. So if he falls and breaks an arm, he's covered, but anything related to his existing heart condition would not be covered unless there was a sufficiently long period of stability. This period can be up to 365 days.

 

Without knowing far more detail about your dad's condition and the specific cruise, my best advice would be to not take a cruise at this time. 

 

 

 

[broberts]

This hit suggests cruise ships would need a special license to transport passengers between two Canadian ports.

[latebuyer]

He had his heart surgery in june and wasn't planning to travel to next fall but given the slowness of the canadian health system i don't even know if it will be considered stable by then from an insurance standpoint. Thanks though and i'll read the insurance thread. It seems like separate out of province insurance isn't offered anyways, although i may suggest they ask bcaa.

[broberts]

19 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

It seems like separate out of province insurance isn't offered anyways

 

I got an online quote for travel within Canada medical insurance. 

 

https://manulife.safevisit.ca/travelling_canadians_view.php

 

https://www.rbcinsurance.com/travel-insurance/travelling-within-canada.html

 

 

[latebuyer]

Thanks! And it looks like for manulife, no preexisting medical exclusion applies

[Fouremco]

3 hours ago, latebuyer said:

Thanks! And it looks like for manulife, no preexisting medical exclusion applies

Make sure that you read the full policy very carefully and ask a lot of pointed questions about the Travel Canada policy. Don't accept vague responses. For example, there are limits to what they will pay: "Covered expenses that exceed the reasonable and customary charges where the medical emergency happens." Would they pay the much higher fees typically charged by cruise lines for medical treatment?

 

You should also determine whether or not they will even sell your dad an in-Canada policy for an international cruise, even if he gets approval from the line to disembark early. As this falls outside of the norm for cruise travel, Manulife may not be flexible on this point and only offer the Emergency Medical policy for international travel, a policy that does have pre-existing condition limitations.

 

Good luck, and I hope that your dad gets to enjoy his cruise!

 

[Tango99]

10 hours ago, latebuyer said:

My parents may have to travel in canada as my dad is still having tests due to my dad’s heart condition but they are wondering if they could get out of province insurance instead of the global travel insurance. I found a cruise where all the ports are in canada except the last port so i thought maybe they could leave early to stay in canada. But would the cruise ship have canadian or american doctors on it so they need the global travel insurance anyways?

The insurance could get complicated and expensive to recoup costs if anything were to happen on board ship or on excursion. Be assured the medical team are well equipped so they could even treat your dad in their medical centre until the end of cruise. Or he may be transferred at the next port for hospital treatment. If this is a cruise in the east it’s also likely that you’ll be travelling in international waters as the cruise ship meanders overnight. Maybe through US, or even a swath of waters of France around St Pierre et Miquelon if your in the Gulf of St Lawrence and out to the Atlantic. For peace of mind your dad should be cleared by his cardiac specialist to cruise, or any cautions explained. Some companies have just a 90 day post op wait period. So insurance may in fact be doable. If all goes well hope they have a lovely cruise. 

[latebuyer]

Thanks both. Maybe they would be better just to take a bus tour of maritimes vs. a cruise.

[RppandTlc]

Hello. We travel from BC to NS yearly and also some international cruises. We and other people from BC use TUGO

[Ex-Airbalancer]

5 hours ago, RppandTlc said:

Hello. We travel from BC to NS yearly and also some international cruises. We and other people from BC use TUGO

Crappy website 

[Human Tripod]

One thing to think about is the international waters, if the cruise line deems the patient needs a medi-Vac  where are they sending you US coast guard etc…. 
 

 

 

although TUGO’s web site is brutal, it’s because they want you to use a broker first, the travel plan are excellent and so is the response to a claim.