Ontario ends out-of-province health care, increasing travel insurance premiums for Ontarians

Seniors travelling

Our Ontario members were faced with a less-than happy New Year announcement from the provincial government—they no longer have health care coverage from OHIP while they are travelling.

Previously, OHIP covered up to $400 per day for in-patient services and up to $50 per day for emergency out-patient services. This meant that for larger issues like long (and expensive) hospital stays, additional protection was already needed. In fact, CARP offers members its own insurance program for this critical protection.

The OHIP program did, however, reduce both the costs and risks of out-of-country medical coverage and, now that the government of Ontario has eliminated this program, there will be increased financial hardship experienced by seniors traveling outside Canada, in the way of increased premiums.

“We have already heard anecdotally from our members who are securing quotes to travel next year that, because of the rate increase, it’s affected their ability to travel,” says Marissa Lennox, CARP’s Chief Policy Officer. “We are concerned that the government has taken this step without fully considering the number of people who could be affected, and the financial burden imposed on them.”

No other province has taken this step.

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