Travel Link
BY PETER DRUTZ
Emergency medical insurance – an ‘affordable necessity’ for every traveller
When travelling abroad, emergency medical treatment can become staggeringly expensive. Canadians are often shocked to discover how limited government hospital insurance plan (GHIP) coverage can be for medical bills incurred in other countries. Here are four striking examples of how customers of American Express Travel have been rescued financially by including emergency medical insurance as part of their trip planning.
Coping with the cost of a medical crisis
While vacationing in northern Mexico, our client suddenly experienced feverish symptoms diagnosed as encephalitis. He needed to be transferred quickly to a hospital north of the border; but first, his wife would have to pay a considerable sum up-front to an air ambulance firm. Because the couple had purchased emergency medical coverage before their trip, it took just one phone call to VoyageurTM Insurance, American Express Travel's insurance supplier, to arrange direct-billing for the air service. After six days in hospital, the patient was returned home on a flight which was also covered by the couple's travel insurance policy. The total cost of their medical ordeal reached $27,000, of which GHIP would pay just $700...less than three per cent! Happily, the entire remaining $26,300 was covered by their travel insurance.
Touring through Texas, an Alberta family was involved in a serious highway accident when their rented van flipped and rolled. Their two children needed Emergency Room treatment; however, both parents suffered injuries which required major surgery. The mother was returned to Calgary immediately via air ambulance. The father remained in a local hospital for nine days before being airlifted home. Their out-of-country medical bills came to $138,350, of which GHIP paid less than three per cent! Fortunately, they had purchased travel insurance which covered the entire balance.
Medical cost savings don't have to reach five or six figures to become significant. During an exchange visit to France, a Canadian teenager fell while hiking along a ski trail. Rescued by passing drivers, he was taken to a nearby hospital and underwent surgery for a fractured right leg. Medical expenses and an upgraded flight home to accommodate his incapacity came to over $7,000...of which GHIP would pay only $920. Young as he was, he had the foresight to carry emergency travel insurance which, to his parents' relief, covered all the remaining costs.
Even a relatively minor tumble can prove surprisingly costly for the uninsured traveller. On an Alaskan cruise, a woman slipped, fell and suffered a compression fracture of the spine. Taken ashore at the next port of call and hospitalized, she required nine days of strict bed-rest before being flown home to Canada via air ambulance. Her travel insurance covered $55,000, while GHIP paid only $4,000.
Plan ahead, for your peace of mind
Whether at home or abroad, unforeseen medical problems can arise at any time. The critical difference for travellers is the scope of potential costs involved. With only a small percentage covered by government health insurance, treatment that would cause only minimal financial impact at home can result in daunting charges in another country. Even trips within Canada can call for supplementary insurance, as GHIP may not cover medical expenses incurred beyond your home province. It's worth investigating before you go.
The professionally trained counsellors at American Express Travel are always on the lookout to see that their clients are properly protected. Working with long-established business partner VoyageurTM Insurance, our counsellors are experts in providing travel insurance packages that will best suit every individual's needs. To ensure that their clients even further receive the best possible advice, counsellors constantly invest time and effort keeping up-to-date on the latest changes in every area of travel insurance.
From a financial viewpoint, the cost of including travel insurance is relatively minuscule, particularly when you consider the potential costs. Wherever you're headed, and whether the duration of your trip is measured in hours, days or weeks, it simply makes sense to add that extra measure of personal protection and peace of mind before departing.
Peter Drutz is Vice President and General Manager
Travel Service Network, Amex Canada Inc.
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