Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/402160
(above) curtis comeau, (infographic) stesha ho w i n t e r 2 0 1 4 | W e s t W o r l d a l b e r t a 39 government health care program while you're travelling out of the prov- ince or the country. But that is not the case," says Thain. "The premium rates that would have to be paid to replace that type of coverage would be multi- ples of multiples of what Canadian travellers are currently paying for emergency care." 2. unsTablE PrE-ExisTing mEdical condiTions. Yes, people with existing medical issues like high blood pres- sure and diabetes can buy travel medical insurance. But most policies stipulate that existing conditions must be stable, meaning there have been no changes – no new medica- tions, symptoms or hospitalizations – for a specified period prior to the policyholder's trip. At AMA, it's three months for travellers under 70 and six months for those over 70. If the condi- tion is unstable and the individual decides to travel, medical emergen- cies related to that condition likely won't be covered. However, says Pam Murray, manager of travel medical insurance sales at AMA: "We don't exclude the person from coverage, we just exclude issues related to the unstable condition." 3. PoliciEs PurchasEd Too laTE. In cases like these, a client has bought the policy after leaving the country – sometimes post-injury or illness – to try and obtain coverage after the fact. That isn't going to fly anywhere. "We don't want to sell you a policy when you're sitting in front of the emergency room," says Murray. "That's like buying home insurance when the house is already on fire." The Price of an air ambulance ride around the World *The average cost of an air ambulance, including medical personnel and crew. U.S. INTERNATIONAL $38,000 U.K. $53,793 CUBA $38,000 MEXICO $48,080 THAILAND $215,000 FRANCE $88,700 $20,000 FLORIDA $37,000 MONTANA $24,000 ARIZONA $28,000 HAWAII $68,500 $38,000 U.K. $53,793 CUBA $38,000 MEXICO $48,080 THAILAND $215,000 FRANCE $88,700 $20,000 FLORIDA $37,000 MONTANA $24,000 ARIZONA $28,000 HAWAII $68,500 ONTArIO CAlgArY edMONTON B.C. Thinking of leaving home without travel medical insurance? Here's what you'll cough up for an air ambulance ride back to Alberta, if you're within Canada, or to a local medical facility, if you're outside the country's borders: CANAdA