Medical insurance for Traveling 6 months or more

[echao]

Hello,

My partner and I are about to go to Canada and she is planning on visiting for at least 6 months, perhaps a year. Reason being that we have applied for common-law visa and have been waiting for over 15 months and its irritating us a lot. We have decided to go to Canada and she will wait out the application in Canada, perhaps going to school and stuff.

We are going to go to Edmonton Alberta and are looking up health coverage for her. We are confused with regards to "Emergency health coverage" and the terminology; suppose she has a bad cold and needs medicine; I take her to my family doctor...will whatever insurance she gets help cover that?

Furthermore, does anybody have any recommendations or experiences with private health insurance in Alberta for travelers?

Your help is much appreciated.

Thank you

 

[goldenbrown]

Emergency health coverage basically means that you will be covered for new sicknesses/ injuries. It excludes regular check ups but those are usually inexpensive and hey, if you don't feel sick why would you need a check up.

So, yes, if you purchase insurance and something happens after your policy starts- you'll get reimbursed by the insurance company. Bad cold would usually be considered an emergency situation and medicine will be covered under prescription drugs. Make sure you call the company prior to using any medical services- they will provide you with help and suggest the best course of action. Plus some may charge you if you don't call them first.

Any recommendations can only be based on the age of person and his/her medical history- you can look up quotes online and ask questions to make sure you are getting the right plan.

<a href=http://arbetovinsurance.com/visitorstocanada/>Private Heath Insurance Alberta</a>

 

[kriv]

Hello,

My partner and I are about to go to Canada and she is planning on visiting for at least 6 months, perhaps a year. Reason being that we have applied for common-law visa and have been waiting for over 15 months and its irritating us a lot. We have decided to go to Canada and she will wait out the application in Canada, perhaps going to school and stuff.

We are going to go to Edmonton Alberta and are looking up health coverage for her. We are confused with regards to "Emergency health coverage" and the terminology; suppose she has a bad cold and needs medicine; I take her to my family doctor...will whatever insurance she gets help cover that?

Furthermore, does anybody have any recommendations or experiences with private health insurance in Alberta for travelers?

Your help is much appreciated.

Thank you

if you have a legal status in canada (i.e permanent resident, citizen, protected person) and residing in alberta your dependents(they must also have a legal status) can be included in your alberta health card (i.e they may get a alberta health card) even if your dependents are on a visit visa (they will get a alberta health card with an expiry date which can be extended in future depending on their status).

 

[ferda]

When you are buying any type of insurance it is worthwhile asking about exactly what is covered because while most plans are similar, small differences may exist that could cause problems if you do not understand. Always ask if you have questions. But what the other posts say is true – generally medical insurance will cover you for new conditions or so-called “emergency” conditions that do not arise from a previously diagnosed condition. Although emergency does not need to be life-threatening.

 

[Petermiyuki]

Hi echao.

Check the eligibility for provincial medical plan. If she's eligible, that's the best.

Most private insurance plans for visitors for emergencies, however, some plans have benefit such as regular check-ups and vaccines on top of emergency coverage(e.g. TIC Inpatriate Plan), Those plans are designed for visitors who stay in Canada for months. Shop around and find the best plan. If you have questions, please contact info@biis.ca

Cheers!

 

[ferda]

An emergency doesn't have to be life threatening, so for example a bad cold, a flu, or a minor injury would be covered under a health plan with emergency coverage. But you also need to shop around a bit to see what other cover you will need, for example for screenings, for prescription drugs, for checkups etc. There are many different private healthcare plans that are affordable for six months or more.