Attention for immigration lawyers and consultants - medical insurance

[haver]

To your attention please.
Be aware in case of medical emergency of your clients to whom you helped in anything in any way you may be financialy responcible. You should advise them to buy Visitors to Canada medical emergency insurance. It is available online.
I have three different companies for your choice. If you need I can embed the link(s) on your websites with all necesarry explanations.

In case your clients refuse to buy medical insurance you have to get it in writing from them with their signature.
Good luck!

 

[rjessome]

To your attention please.
Be aware in case of medical emergency of your clients to whom you helped in anything in any way you may be financialy responcible. You should advise them to buy Visitors to Canada medical emergency insurance. It is available online.
I have three different companies for your choice. If you need I can embed the link(s) on your websites with all necesarry explanations.

In case your clients refuse to buy medical insurance you have to get it in writing from them with their signature.
Good luck!

A lawyer or consultant who did not advise a client to buy medical insurance is NOT liable financially for costs that may be incurred unless they told the applicant that medical insurance was NOT necessary. But the onus is not on the representative to advise the client that they need this. The client is accountable for their own decisions or lack thereof in this regard.

 

[haver]

Hi rjessome,

Thank you for your opinion. I know the case when somebody came to Canada with work permit.
The person had an accident while driving a truck and his representative did not advise the applicant to buy insurance.
His representative paid the claim. I was told about this case from the person who studed immigration law.

You may be 3 times lawyer but how can you prove that person lies when person is under the stress and telling that you advise NOT to buy medical insurance ?

I am not a lawyer but in my opinion (nothing personal) :
The only way to prove that you are NOT responsible is to advise your clients to buy medical insurance.
In such case you would have 10 other people which will prove that you advised the right thing.

 

[rjessome]

Look, it is certainly good practice to tell people to buy medical insurance until they become eligible for provincial healthcare. I do it all the time. But it is not my professional responsibility to do so. I can't force someone to buy insurance either so what if I told them to do it and they didn't. Just like you mentioned that it would be difficult to prove that I told them NOT to buy insurance, it would be just as difficult to prove that I did! Unless of course I put it in writing. But it is STILL not my professional responsibility. I would like to see the actual caselaw on what you are describing. If it's as straightforward as you say, I'll bet the decision would get overturned on appeal.