Travel worry-free!

Do you need medical care outside of your province? If so, your provincial health insurance plan will reimburse a portion of your medical and paramedical fees, but only for emergency medical or paramedical care received after a sudden illness or accident.

If you see a health professional (doctor, optometrist or dentist), the insurance plan will reimburse you according to the rates in effect in your province. You may have to pay a supplement, unless the professional agrees to be paid the rates as per your plan.

Some fees are not reimbursed by provincial insurance plans. For example, the Régie d'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) does not reimburse:

• medication purchased outside of Québec, even if prescribed by a doctor;
  
• emergency transportation fees;
  
• living expenses;
  
• repatriation expenses.

"That's why you should always get travel insurance as soon as you leave your province of residence, even for a few days," insists François Morel, Direct Marketing Advisor, Travel Insurance, at Desjardins Financial Security. You should also check any other coverage you might have, such as your group insurance or your credit card coverage.

Interesting links

1. Pour voyage l'esprit en paix, RAMQ (in French only)
   
   
2. Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)
   Brief description of the insured services outside the province and elsewhere in the world.
   
   
3. Go on a trip (Desjardins Group)
   Indispensable Desjardins products and services for your trip : travel insurance, travellers' cheques, foreign currency, credit card, etc.