Medical Incidents In 8 Examples Where Short-term Insurance Could Have Saved The Day

D’oh! They’re the last two things you want on vacation: An unplanned health emergency and an unexpected medical bill.

Though OHIP coverage extends in a limited way to Ontario residents on vacation in the U.S. (it covers parts of some emergency health services, but not ambulances, for example,) crossing the border in Eastern Ontario – even for a weekend trip – can be a roll-of-the-dice when it comes to medical coverage.

On the other side of the border, about 30 per cent of Americans purchase travel insurance, an increase from just 10 per cent before 9/11 (According to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association.) The top three reasons are: peace of mind, protection against the unexpected and concern over losing the financial investment in a trip.

If you’re planning a vacation south-of-the-border via Eastern Ontario, consider how an unplanned medical issue could affect your best-laid plans. Before you go, take a fictitious gander with us now at how some of the scenarios below might unfold with and without short term medical insurance:

Example locale: Adirondack Park, New York State
Vacation highlights: The lonely cry of the loon, the crisp scent of white pine, mist on a thousand secluded lakes in a park the size of Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks combined
Example incident: You twist your ankle on a trail…until you were seen by an ER doctor, you didn’t know if it was broken or worse.
What short-term medical insurance may have covered: Non-emergency medical evacuation (usually up to $5,000 – handy when a helicopter is involved), emergency medical treatment, return of vehicle.

Example locale: Stowe, Vermont
Vacation highlights: Hitting the slopes, shopping
Example incident: You break your leg skiing…compound fracture that needs setting and casting before you can return to Ontario.
What short-term medical insurance may have covered: Emergency medical treatment, casts, ambulance.

Example locale: Manchester, New Hampshire
Vacation highlights: Sightseeing, historical tours
Example incident: You went past your long-distance plan on your cell to communicate a medical emergency to other family members.
What short-term medical insurance may have covered: Urgent communication, message centre (24/7 alternative to phoning directly.)

Example locale: Portland, Maine
Vacation highlights: Fishing, seafood, the beach
Example incident: You break a tooth in a bizarre oyster shucking/lobster fork incident (crud, next time, you should read-up on how to use said seafood implements…)
What short-term medical insurance may have covered: Emergency dental treatment, necessary dental treatment at trip destination.

Example locale: Boston, Massachusetts
Vacation highlights: Museums, nightlife, shopping
Example incident: Food poisoning* (*The city of Boston has a comprehensive food safety policy and is renowned the-world-over for its cuisine – We are presenting this scenario here as a hypothetical one that could happen in any city.)
What short-term medical insurance may have covered: Subsistence allowance (if your medical condition prevents your scheduled return.)

Example locale: 1,000 Islands, New York State
Vacation highlights: Island tours, water sports, historical monuments
Example incident: Who knew you’d get violently seasick on a 3 hour island cruise? Now that you have recovered, how do you get back to that cottage on the water?
What short-term medical insurance may have covered: Return-to-trip-destination, family transportation (for a family member to travel with you for treatment/evaluation.)

Example locale: The beaches of Rhode Island
Vacation highlights: Soaking up a few rays, dinner and drinks by the water, sunsets, cool sea breeze
Example incident: Your family dog breaks a leg and needs immediate medical attention. (Though this might not be enough to send everyone packing, an urgent trip to a vet is a foregone conclusion.)
What short-term medical insurance may have covered: Pet care (Here, a travel insurance plan may not only cover you, but may make such a recovery cheaper for you and you cherished four-legged friend than it might be to pay the whole amount back home.)

Example locale: Green Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire
Vacation highlights: Vast mountain vistas, hiking, photography
Example incident: By the time you got home, that small touch of Poison Oak you contracted in the bush has become a raging, necrotizing inferno, threatening to cause your skin to fall onto the floor (ok perhaps the last part was an exaggeration) The whole mess has grown to require urgent medical attention now that you’re back in Ontario.
What short-term medical insurance may have covered: Medical follow-up in Canada.

While medical insurance purchases are on the rise somewhat, such purchases are skyrocketing with those going on a cruise: Approximately 70 per cent of cruisers are now buying travel insurance, of which most includes some sort of short term medical insurance.

You may think your short hop across the border is too small an investment to insure, but that’s assuming your modest trip isn’t going to yield any unwelcome surprises.

When it comes to any vacation, staying healthy is the ideal. But if that isn’t in the cards, you’ll be glad you planned ahead…

Learn more: CAA Travel Insurance

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