411. Getting Medical Insurance

when traveling abroad

Questions: My parents will be visiting me from India this summer and they are in the process of getting their tickets from a travel agent in Delhi. The agent is selling them medical insurance and my question is are insurance policies for medical coverage purchased in India valid in Canada? While I realize the importance of getting medical insurance as the medical cost is very high in Canada, I don’t want to waste money buying insurance that will be useless in Canada. Any suggestion in this regard would be appreciated. Pradeep Bansal Toronto, Canada Answer: My suggestion would be that if possible, don’t buy medical insurance in India. Many people when booking airline tickets get their travel medical insurance from the companies recommended by their travel agents without doing any research or shopping for the best travel medical insurance policy that will protect them from medical bills when they are abroad, on vacation or visiting friends and family. Not many people read policies and then some of them who do, usually don’t quite understand the exclusions. Many travelers take verbal assurances from salesmen, of insurance coverage as guarantees of insurance and this is certainly not the right way to buy insurance! Regards to your question, Canadian medical providers such as hospitals, doctors and medical clinics would naturally prefer to work with Canadian insurance companies. There is direct billing between hospitals and the Canadian insurance companies on an ongoing basis. This results in faster claim processing and a minimum amount of red tape to get authorizations if required. Most of all, the possibility of paying for medical expenses and trying to claim a refund from your insurer in India is avoided. While there is an option of getting insurance for your parents in Canada after they have arrived in Canada, it is always advisable to get travel medical insurance before arriving in Canada. The reason for this is that most insurance companies will have a waiting period of a few days before your insurance coverage comes into affect. During this waiting period, there will be no coverage for sickness, although normally injury is covered. Insurance policies purchased in India may be slightly cheaper, however if they delay payments, offer questionable coverage and acceptance abroad, then there is no point in purchasing such policies. Responsibility of paying medical bills of your parents if it is found that insurance relief is not available, eventually will be yours. This may come as a surprise to some, but those who sponsor family and friends to visit them and a visa is issued based on their sponsorship, are eventually responsible for their medical bills. It makes sense to get proper insurance to protect your visitors and yourself!