Time for a check up

By Sanja Sekaric

June 17, 2019

Earlier this year, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care proposed an amendment to Ontario’s out-of-country medical coverage. If passed this amendment would put an end to OHIP’s coverage of emergency services for Ontarians travelling outside of Canada.

With health care costs under the microscope across Canada, it seem likely that other provincial jurisdictions could follow Ontario’s lead.

In this issue of Canadian Travel Press, Voices of Travel host, Ron Pradinuk talks with Will McAleer, the executive director of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA).

McAleer is an assistance veteran – as well as being the president of World Travel Protection Canada and vice-chairman of the Supervisory Board of the International Assistance Group (IAG).

While the conversation focused on how the amendment would impact Ontario travellers, Pradinuk also probed deeper into how travel clients should rely on travel agents – and equally importantly how travel agents must be knowledgeable in the various aspects of the insurance policies they sell in order to make sure their travellers are adequately covered.

While the changes in the OHIP program will have some impact on potential travel costs, it will also be a wake-up call to all consumers on the importance of being covered before they travel.