As of January 1, 2020, Ontarians needing dialysis services are reimbursed for treatment received outside of Canada. However, OHIP is no longer reimbursing Ontarians for emergency medical expenses incurred outside the country.

This means that a simple fall or a small car accident while travelling outside of Canada can quickly become very expensive. Fortunately, employers and their employees can avoid these risks. Consider the following options:

Employee Benefit Plan. Most employee benefit plans cover emergency health care outside the country.

  • Employers should review their group emergency travel coverage to determine if there’s a need for additional insurance. If there this, they should also prepare a communication to share an update with their employees. This could include: information for employees nearing retirement to make travel insurance a priority, as well as reminders to submit all outstanding 2019 claims by December 31, 2020.
  • Employees need to make sure they understand what the benefit plan covers outside of Canada and whether the coverage is broad enough.

Credit Cards. If company cards are offered to employees, they may have access to emergency travel insurance through the credit card. This coverage may be restricted or limited in some way.

  • Employers need to check the credit card agreement to determine what is needed to take advantage of the coverage. Is the coverage triggered when a plane ticket is purchased? What happens if an employee drives across the border?
  • Employees need to understand the level of coverage and determine whether the coverage is broad enough for their needs.

Travel Insurance. If employees don’t have access to coverage in another way, they should consider purchasing a separate travel insurance policy. These policies usually cover emergency services in the foreign country, including hotel stays for family members if someone ends up in the hospital, and even travel expenses to bring them back to Canada for continued treatment.

Additionally, travel insurance covers other travel related problems, such as lost luggage or the costs of cancelling an entire non-refundable trip.

cancelling an entire non-refundable trip. It’s more important now than ever to make sure you and your employees have the right coverage while travelling abroad. Having that safety net can give everyone a real peace of mind.

Contact a Hub advisor for up-to-date OHIP coverage changes and more information about travel insurance.