FAQ

Why buy visitor insurance?

Do you know health care cost in Canada is very expensive?

Hospital in Canada can charge thousands of dollars per day. Many of them charge a service fee to person not covered under a Provincial Health Care program. Without insurance, you and your family could be responsible for these high cost, which can create a severe financial burden.

Travel insurance protects in the case of medical and family emergencies that can happen to both frequent and occasional travelers. Without travel insurance, a broken arm, even something as basic as the flu could turn into substantial medical bills costing thousands of dollars.

We all know that uninsured hospital stays can be expensive, but how much does a stay in a Canadian hospital actually cost?

This information is especially important for visitors who are not covered for unexpected medical expenses while traveling in Canada. Accidents can happen, as do unexpected illnesses and other emergency situations such as heart attacks, etc.

The following table outlines the daily costs of a stay in a hospital’s general ward or intensive care ward. While there are cost variations throughout Canada, this does serve as a good approximation: 

Regardless, an unexpected accident or illness that results in a stay in an intensive ward can quickly result in a very large bill!

 

Hospitalization Examples

The following lists several examples of people that had visitors to Canada insurance and had to stay in a Canadian hospital while visiting Canada. Note that their costs were covered by their visitor to Canada insurance:

  • A 77 year old person from Spain was visiting in Toronto (Ontario, Canada) where he suffered a subdural hematoma. The total hospitalization cost was $26,808.44 (Canadian dollars). This was covered by his visitor to Canada insurance policy.
     
  • A 28 year old from Greece was visiting friends in British Columbia. Soon after his arrival he developed a high fever, and went to the nearby hospital. It turns out he had Sepsis, which is an illness where the bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria. Total cost was $48,682.80 CAD.
     
  • A 63 year old from Saudi Arabia was on vacation in St. Catharines (Ontario) when he experienced chest pains. His diagnosis was a heart attack, with an incurred hospitalization cost of $27,327.13.

 

Visitors to Canada Insurance

Visitors to Canada insurance plans are designed to cover unexpected medical expenses of people visiting Canada. This can be immigrants, foreign students and workers, or people that are just visiting.

More info please see the website: Canada Travel Insurance Online 

Why do I need insurance?

Travel insurance protects in the case of medical and family emergencies that can happen to both frequent and occasional travelers. Without travel insurance, a broken arm, even something as basic as the flu could turn into substantial medical bills costing thousands of dollars.

Health care costs in Canada are very expensive. Hospitals can charge thousands of dollars per day. Without emergency hospital and medical insurance, you and your family would be responsible for these high costs, which can create a significant financial burden.

What is covered by the Visitors Insurance?

Travel insurance is intended to cover sudden, unexpected, and unforeseeable circumstances. Please read the Benefits section for a summary of the available coverage.

What is not covered?

Travel insurance does not cover everything. This insurance has exclusions, conditions and limitations. Please read and understand the policy before you buy Visitors Insurance.


The definition varies from policy to policy. Common exclusion is accidents or illness caused by abuse of drugs or alcohol. Also not covered are routine health-care, elective or cosmetic surgery, and follow-up, non-emergency care that could be done in your home-country or province. Many plans limit benefits if insured fail to get advance approval for treatment. Some policies don't cover risky sports like bungee jumping, rock climbing, scuba diving or hang gliding. Self-inflicted injuries are not covered, nor are injuries caused while a policy-holder is committing a criminal act.

What is a Pre-existing Condition?

Generally, pre-existing conditions are defined as any sickness, injury or medical condition for which the insured consulted a physician, has symptoms, has been hospitalized or was prescribed medications within a certain period before the effective date of coverage. Each insurance company treats pre-existing conditions differently and this is a major reason for declined medical claims. The look back period may vary from 3 months to a life time. Please, read the exclusion section in the insurance policy booklet for exact definition. 


There are certain visitors insurance plans in which coverage for stable pre-existing conditions is possible. Please call our customer service at 1-866-338-7097 for more information.

Who is eligible for visitors to Canada medical insurance?

 Canadians who have returned to Canada who are not covered under a provincial health plan.

✔ Visitors to Canada who are here on business or vacation.

✔ Immigrants to Canada who are waiting on government health coverage.

My parents are healthy, should I buy Visitors Insurance?

No one can predict the future. Medical treatment in Canada is very expensive and it is always advisable to buy medical travel insurance from a reputable company.

How to buy travel insurance?

Purchasing travel insurance is actually very simple.  It is convenient and safe to buy online or by phone or Wechat . Whether you are in Canada or China, There are the following five ways you can choice:

  • A、Buy Online: www.16safety.ca (easy and safe) , or

  • B、Call directly:  click on "Contact Us" and find the Telephone No. , or 

  • C、Send personal information to my e-mail: niujun176@gmail.com , or niujun176@yahoo.com or

  • D、Wechat : niujun176

  • E、Make appointment to our office,  and visit office at: 30 Fulton Way, Unit 8, Suite 102, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1E6 (Please make an appointment before you visit our office)

 

You need to provide the following information when you purchase:

  1. The insured's name, gender, date of birth;

  2. The date of entry into Canada;

  3. The policy start and end dates;

  4. The name of the selected Plans;

  5. The coverage and deductible of the policy;                                                         

  6. Contact information: address in Canada, telephone number, and EMAIL;

  7. Method of payment: you can choose to pay by credit card or check.  

 

After you make a payment, You will receive the E-package for the insurance within one day.

 

When should I purchase visitors to Canada travel medical insurance?

 

 

Air Canada passenger suffers 'horrible pain' after being stuck in cramped seat

Colin Savage has spent a lifetime staying fit and healthy, but one long airplane flight changed that.

Until recently, the 64-year-old Victoria man would cycle an average of 400 kilometres a week and run marathons. Now he is short of breath and has trouble moving around.

"I have much less energy because I can't take a lot of oxygen in. I'm shuffling around like a senior," Savage told Go Public.

"Doctors in hospital emergency told me that I nearly lost my life."

In January, Savage travelled to Argentina on a hiking trip. The trip home included a 10-hour flight from Chile to Toronto on an Air Canada 777 airplane.

Savage says for most of the flight, passengers were discouraged from getting out of their seats because of turbulence. At 6-2", that was a problem for Savage.

"In their seats, my knees were up against the seat in front of me. I was constantly squirming around trying to get comfortable."

A day and a half after he returned home, he felt a sudden sharp pain in his lower back. When it was still there the next morning he went to a hospital.

"I went through horrible pain, I don't know if you've broken a rib, I have, and this pain was a hundred times worse," Savage says.

Two CT scans later, doctors told Savage he had deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which was likely the result of having to sit for most of the 10-hour flight, and that blood clots had migrated up his leg, through his heart and into his lungs.

What is DVT?

DVT is a condition where a blood clot develops within a deep vein, usually in the thigh or leg. It can break off and make its way to the lungs, where it can cause breathing problems.

According to the World Health Organization, passengers traveling in cramped areas for more than four hours are at risk.

Savage raised the DVT issue with Air Canada and got this response:

"Medical evidence has shown that deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the result of a pre-existing personal medical condition, related to an individual rather than a transportation system. International courts have confirmed that based on the aforementioned evidence there is no liability to air carriers for DVT that occurs during a flight."

Air Canada told Go Public in an email there is no conclusive medical evidence specifically linking deep vein thrombosis with flying.

"The WHO have advised there is no risk with air travel for healthy passengers, and that long periods of immobility in trains, buses or cars carry similar risk," the airline wrote.

'Public health risk'

There have been a lot of studies that look at the link between DVT and flying, but not a lot of well done studies, says Dr. James Douketis, the director of vascular medicine at St. Joseph's Healthcare in Hamilton.

"Most are not what we call methodologically rigorous or of a high scientific standard. What that means is, it makes a lot of the results murky," says Douketis, who is also president of Thrombosis Canada.

"We do know that airline travel increases your risk of blood clots. We know that the longer you travel the higher the risk, and we know that if you have predispositions — like recent surgeries or previous blood clots — your risk is highest."

DVT is the third most common vascular disease next to stroke and heart attack. Douketis says one in 5,000 travellers on long flights are affected.

Air Canada and WestJet combined fly more than 57 million passengers a year. It's not clear how many of those are long-haul flights.

"Even though the risk of a blood clot is low, given the number of people who fly, it became a public health risk," Douketis says.

Air Canada says many of its airplanes now have "slimline seats" that "save cabin space while maintaining the same personal space for passengers."

WestJet tells us it doesn't warn passengers about the risks of DVT and encourages travellers to speak with their doctors before flying. 

 

Seat size shrinking

According to the website seatguru.com, the average distance between seat rows has declined to 79 centimetres, from more than 89 centimetres in the last two decades.

The average seat size is 43 centimetres, down from 46 centimetres.

Seth Kaplan, the editor of Airline Weekly, an online magazine that covers the airline business, says airlines are packing in more seats to make more money.

"In some respects, Canada is very much the epicentre of this densification sensation, of airlines crowding more seats on airplanes ... Both the major airlines, WestJet and Air Canada, have done that," he said.

Kaplan points to a battle in the U.S. to stop the space shrinkage. Earlier this year, a Tennessee congressman introduced an amendment to a Federal Aviation Administration bill that would have mandated the amount of legroom for passengers. In the end, the idea was rejected.

"For airlines it's very simple: this is economics, they have one airplane, same two pilots, same two engines burning about the same amount of fuel, so they can can take those costs and divide them among more seats," Kaplan says.

This side of the border, Canadian passenger advocate Gabor Lukacs is calling for seat size standards in this country.

"I'm not proposing that everyone get more legroom. What I'm talking about is safety issues … how it affects health. Not simply comfort," Gabor says.

As for Savage, he says he is slowly recovering and starting to get his energy back. "The airlines need to take a good hard look at what they're doing and the government needs to lead them in that direction," he said.

Transport Canada does regulate the maximum number of seats allowed on different types of airplanes, but says those numbers are based on safety-related criteria like emergency evacuation times, not design or comfort.

"As long as the air operator meets specific safety-related criteria, they are permitted to install as many seats as they require," Transport Canada spokeswoman Natasha Gauthier tells Go Public.

The federal agency also says it has no plans to review the minimum requirements in seat size or pitch (a measure of leg room), adding "the size of the seat occupied is not known at this time to be a risk factor."

Can I buy Visitors Insurance at the time of an emergency?

Insurance companies have waiting periods from 48 hours to 8 days for illnesses if Visitors Insurance is purchased after the arrival in Canada. Injuries are covered immediately but from the time of purchase, not before that.

Will Visitors Insurance cover me for trips outside Canada?

Yes, provided that the majority of your period of coverage is spent in Canada. Some insurance plans have a limit for the time spend outside of Canada. Expenses incurred in your country of origin will not be covered.

Do you offer travel insurance for Canadians?

Yes, we work with the major insurance companies on the Canadian market for travel and visitors medical insurance.

Can I purchase insurance for visitors over the age of 85?

Some insurance companies offer limited coverage for visitors over the age of 85.
 

Please, call our customer service at 1-866-338-7097 for more information.

Why choose us?

Insurance premium is the same whether the plan is purchased directly from an insurance company or through a broker.

Working with us gives you some advantages:


 We offer compare one stop shopping for Visitors to Canada Travel Medical Insurance.
 We work for our clients, not for an insurance company.
➩ We offer 24/7 customer service. Insurance companies have limited office hours.
 We offer claim support for our clients.
 We offer experience and knowledge to help you make the right decision. 

 

 

What amount of insurance benefit should I purchase?

We recommend at least $50,000 of medical insurance coverage as hospital costs for visitors to Canada can run up to $2,500.00 per day.

When should I purchase visitors to Canada travel medical insurance?

In fact, you can purchase medical coverage at any time, but we strongly recommend that visitors insurance should be purchased prior to arrival to Canada. If the effective date is after the arrival date, most of the insurance companies do not cover expenses within 48 hours up to 7 days as a result of sickness occurring immediately following your policy effective date. Injury coverage is effective immediately.

Do new immigrants need to buy medical insurance?

New immigrants - Do you know that you have to wait three months before you can receive a provincial health plan?

Some hospitals won't even admit patients without proper health insurance.

Would you want a safe, worry-free and enjoyable stay?

Sickness or Accidental injury can happen any time. When a medical emergency happens, the emergency assistance personnel of the insurance company will assist you in locating the nearest medical facility; contact your family; monitoring to ensure proper care and/or to get you home.

Our company provides the most comprehensive and affordable Visitor Insurance Plans to meet your special needs.

Can I go to any doctor/hospital, or am I limited to specific medical practitioners?

There is no restrictions where you seek medical service in Canada, as long as the amount charged by the providers is Usual, Customary and Reasonable for a particular service, treatment, or supply.

Can I cancel an insurance policy and receive a refund?

Most plans can be cancelled and the premium can be refunded before the effective date of the policy. Some administrative charges may apply. Partial refunds (less cancellation fee) after the effective date, are available if the policy is terminated because of early departure to the country of origin or the insured become eligible for a provincial or territorial government plan, and no claim has been incurred.

Can I buy visitors to Canada insurance, if I have a pre-existing medical condition?

Yes. If you choose a policy that covers pre-existing conditions, you also will be covered for new sicknesses and injuries. The pre-existing conditions must be in stable conditions before effective day. for example, stable before 120 or 180 days.

Be honest and disclose all details for your pre-existing medical condition. If you have a $50,000 claim after suffering a heart attack in Canada, the insurance company will most likely check into your medical history.

Is it possible to extend a Visitors Insurance policy term?

Most Visitors Insurance policies can be extended. Just call us or your insurance company prior to the expiration of the policy. At the time of extension , the insured person must be in good health and not have any pending medical claims or ongoing treatments.

Can I cover a pre-existing condition with a Visitors to Canada insurance policy?

Some insurance companies cover people if their medical conditions is under control and stable for certain period (3 to 6 months) before travel. Be aware that a simple change in medication can mean that the medical condition is not considered "stable". Policy definitions are critical and the rules vary depending on the age of the policy-holder. It is up to each policy holder to make sure they qualify. Some insurance companies are able to underwrite and give individual quotes for people with pre-existing medical conditions.


Even policies that include pre-existing conditions do not reimburse expenses to maintain the condition, but complications that require medical attention, hospitalization or death from that pre-existing condition are covered.


Be honest and disclose all details for your pre-existing medical condition. If you have a $50,000 claim after suffering a heart attach in Canada, the insurance company will likely check into your medical history.


Please, call our customer service at 1-866-338-7097 for more details.

 

My parents will stay in Canada for 1 year. Can I pay per month for their Visitors Insurance?


Yes, you can. This is considered "extension" or "re-issue" from the insurance companies.
The disadvantage is that if they have a medical claim during the month before, this will be considered pre-existing medical condition.

What is a Deductible?


This represents the amount of eligible medical expenses that must be paid by the insured before the insurance company begins to reimburse for covered expenses. As an example, if you purchase a plan with a $50 deductible and incur $200 of expenses, the insurance company will begin to reimburse for expenses after you have paid the first $50 of your medical bills.


There are two different kinds of deductibles, per-claim and per-policy period. A per claim deductible means that the insured must pay a new deductible for each separate incident. (Example: pay the deductible once for a broken leg and then a second time for a flu treatment). A per-policy period deductible means that the insured must pay the deductible only once during the period of the insurance policy. If your plan has a $100 deductible, you pay the first $100 of the expenses and then the insurance company picks up the rest. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium cost and vice versa.

Is there any medical test required before we can buy Visitors Insurance?


No, there is no medical examination required for purchasing any Visitors Insurance plan. You can buy the policies online any time and get coverage from the following day.

Are there any discounts for Visitors Insurance?

The published premiums from the insurance companies are the only rates available. Offering discounts from these prices initiated by an insurance broker or travel agent is strictly forbidden under the Codes of Conduct that apply to our operation. Any agent caught doing it could lose their license.