In April, Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care proposed an amendment to the province’s out-of-country medical coverage (Regulation 552 of the Health Insurance Act), which would put an end to OHIP’s coverage of emergency services for Ontarians travelling outside of Canada. The revision will take effect on January 1, 2020.

To date, the province's coverage of out-of-country expenses maxed out at $400 (Canadian) per day. Medical bills for care while out of country often far exceed this amount. THIA’s long-time position has been that travellers should ensure they have the right travel insurance coverage for their trip. According to THIA’s 2018 consumer survey, 65% of travellers don’t understand what their provincial medical insurance covers when out of province. The coverage represents less than five per cent of out-of-province medical expenses and thus Ontarians should not rely solely on OHIP to take care of the expenses they incur in the event of a medical emergency while travelling.

The Province’s upcoming change may encourage Ontario travellers to be more certain about their coverage, and it is always a good thing for travellers to understand what their coverage is so that they can avoid unexpected large medical bills for out-of-province care.

As always, THIA continues to encourage all Canadian travellers to understand the Golden Rules for travel insurance:

1. Know your Health 
2. Know your Policy
3. Know your Trip
4. Know your Rights