Which person would you rather be? Out of country emergency travel assistance.
March 13, 2017
You are travelling in Phoenix – or Amsterdam – or Russia – or just crossed into the US for an afternoon in the Outlet Malls. Suddenly you are in the hospital, faced with big bills because of an out of country emergency travel assistance. Which of these persons would you rather be….
Happy – you called your Travel Assistance Provider and they helped you make your claim
Unhappy – you did not call your provider, and now you are fighting with your Provincial Medical Plan, your Group Insurer, and the clinic in the USA which treated you AND now they are sending you to collection!
Our firm has had clients in both situations. One business owner in his early 60’s (let’s call him Patient A) suffered a heart attack in Las Vegas. Because his travelling companion called his Travel Assistance Provider as soon as possible, all his medical care was coordinated, and all the bills went directly to his Group Insurance Carrier.
Patient B did NOT call his Travel Assistance provider when he spent 2 nights in hospital, and put the expenses on his Credit Card. He failed to get sufficient itemized receipts for his $25,000 expense, and now he cannot get reimbursement from his Insurance Carriers. It took his office, and ours, many phone calls to sort out the problem.
So…. what is this magic Travel Assistance Provider and how do you know that you have this service available?
Answer – if you have Group Benefits, check your coverage booklet for Out-of-Country Emergency Travel Assistance. There should be 2 or 3 pages outlining the coverage. Next, make sure you were given a wallet card which includes the toll-free and collect phone number you would need to call in the event of an emergency outside your home Province.
You can ask your Plan Administrator to get you a card, or you can go onto your Plan Member website through your Group Insurer, and download a card to carry with you. You may be able to download it direct onto your mobile device. Or, take a photo of front and back with your mobile device, then it will always be with you.
Finally, before you travel, be sure you know your coverage. You may not need to purchase any extra travel insurance – but depending on your coverage, you need to make sure. Check our previous blogs for how to know what your coverage is, and what items might not be covered.
These articles are not intended to dispense legal advice and should not be taken as such. You are advised to obtain legal counsel if required to address areas of concern this article may have raised. The goal of these articles has been to draw your attention to an aspect of your business which may currently be neglected.
