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December, 2024

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Travel Insurance

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saskskier
Posts: 4774 - Karma: 10,005
This is (mostly) for the Canadians, but I'm sure it's a reminder for everyone. I'm a social worker and recently started working at a major hospital in Calgary. A big part of my job is repatriating patients back to their home province/city (ie - hospital to hospital transfers after a major injury).

Long story short, provincial health insurance (your health card/number) does NOT cover medical repatriation. If you're from Alberta get in a major car accident or avalanche or whatever in BC and it requires a lengthy hospital stay/rehab (ie - spinal cord injury), they will send you back to Alberta once you're medically stable. And it's pricey...

For example:

Calgary to Vancouver - $12000
Calgary to Toronto - $43000
Calgary to Halifax - $50000

I honestly had no idea this was an issue for Canadians and assumed something like medical transportation between provinces would be covered, but it's not. Hopefully no one here ends up in a situation where they need to use travel insurance, but it's bad if you don't have it and figured it would be something worth passing along.
Jan 13 2023 5:40PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51961 - Karma: 166,263
Healthcare still an issue in the "1st world" in 2023. Yeee

That said somebody would toss you in the back of a uhaul for 300 bucks plus the rental and gas prolly. Yolo
Jan 13 2023 7:03PM
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mountaindewgirl
Posts: 2290 - Karma: 20,850
Damn that sucks some Canadianscan't have health insurance across province lines.

This travel insurance is what I use tho:

https://www.worldnomads.com/usa/travel-insurance
Jan 14 2023 1:45AM
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nmwninjart
Posts: 3027 - Karma: 15,368
I had to get travel insurance when I went to Canada last summer because my healthcare with the VA doesn't work there. I bought a week long plan. Thank goodness I didn't need to use it!
Jan 14 2023 6:52PM
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HypeBeast
Posts: 9820 - Karma: 72,983
That's stupid and surprising. So much for universal health care in Canada.
Jan 14 2023 11:59PM
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saskskier
Posts: 4774 - Karma: 10,005
Like, your provincial health insurance will cover your hospital stay, meds and any procedures (surgeries, pins/plates/ortho stuff, etc) you get in another province, but won't pay for long term rehab in another province and won't pay for transportation back to your home province.

I've seen some hospital bills for patients who don't have valid provincial insurance (ie - moved to Alberta years ago, but didn't get a new health card, travelled from the US w/o travel insurance, etc) and it's pretty insane. One patient was in the ICU for about a month and then in a rehab unit for a couple of months and their bill was a little over $200k. Patient was homeless and unemployed and zero chance the bill will ever get paid. Good times... ha ha.
Jan 15 2023 12:12AM
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aCHILLes
Posts: 34 - Karma: -51
just dealt/ helped out 3 Canadian with a hurt buddy, one of the first convos was" we tried to get him to buy travel insurance but...."

gonna be ugly when mom's gets the bill
Jan 15 2023 8:33AM
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maaattt
Posts: 2577 - Karma: 31,275
Op I take it you're in Saskatchewan, how close is skiing to Regina
Jan 17 2023 3:26PM
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saskskier
Posts: 4774 - Karma: 10,005
maaatttOp I take it you're in Saskatchewan, how close is skiing to Regina


Grew up there, but live in Calgary now. There is a small ski hill (Mission Ridge) about 45 minutes from Regina.
Jan 17 2023 3:34PM
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littleman34
Posts: 1355 - Karma: 4,148
Dont tell me to be safe
Jan 17 2023 8:48PM
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