By admin on January 4, 2011
If I live in Ontario, Canada and Travel to Vancouver, BC do I need to purchase Medical Insurance? Right now all I got it my Ontario Health Card and no other form of additional Heath benefits or coverage.
Posted in Travel Insurance Ontario | Tagged coverage, Form, heath benefits, Medical, ontario health card, traveling within canada |
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while visiting british columbia i needed an ambulance will ohip cover any of the costs, fo you need travel insuranse when travelling from ontario to british columbia, Is my Ontario health card valid in bc, if you get sick benefits in the yukon are you allowed to move to ontario, if i\m vacationing in british columbia and get sick can i use my ohip, if in hospital in bc but from ontario will you get a bill, if i travel to vancouver will i be covered by ohip for medical expenses?, if i get sick in another province outside ontario ohip, If I am from Ontario am I covered for hospitals in quebec, if i am from bc do i need health insurance in the yukon
If you are travelling within Canada(e.g. on vacation) you will be covered except for ambulance service and physicians in Quebec. If you are moving you need to apply for a health card for that province.
Lori is right. There is nothing I can add to that response except agreement.
Yeah Quebec is usually the only place you have issues-The Government of Quebec didn’t sign the Canada Health Act…screwing over both us and Quebecers
It’s a good idea. If you need medical attention in another province, part of the cost will be covered, but not all. For example, if you are injured, you have to pay for the ambulance ride.
It is not required, as each province will pay for what happens in another, but….
The scales of payment for each province differ. I had an accident in Saskatchewan once, and my Ontario insurance did not cover all the costs, so I had to pay. It was not a lot, but there were some costs. Where I live now (in Yukon) there is no hospital, only a nursing station. You are covered for health care, except if they have to fly you down to Whitehorse to the hospital. Yukon residents would be covered, but not those from other places. This could add quite a bit to the overall costs!
So, in general, most things would be covered, but there are things that might not. You have to weigh the risks vs the costs. I’ve travelled across the country quite a bit, and have always opted not to get extra insurance. An insurance professional would advise it is a good idea!
In general your OHIP coverage should be fine for a vacation to BC. Be advised though that Ambulance rides in BC are paid for by the “rider” and not your health plan.
My father-in-law visited BC from Ontario a couple of years ago, took sick and needed an ambulance to the ER. Cost $300 – out of his pocket.
There is also the possibility that the fee schedules between Ontario and BC are different and if BC is more expensive for a certain medical service OHIP may only cover up to whatever their schedule pays.
As an example – suppose a chest x-ray in Ontario is $100 and in BC it’s $150. If you needed a chest x-ray while in BC you might have to pay the extra $50.
Call OHIP and talk to them just to make sure whether you’ll be fully covered in BC. Better safe than sorry.
For most medical expenses, your Ontario Health Card will be enough. If you’re going to another province, you don’t have to get a health card from that province unless you’re moving there for good, and then you have 90 days to do that after you move.