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Whenever you are planning to travel, you should always considering purchasing additional medical insurance.
In particular many Canadian snowbirds spend 4 to 6 months out of the country every year. It’s likely you will need medical intervention at some point. This can include a visit to the doctor, an emergency trip to the hospital, or even needing a dentist.
In this day and age with the internet, there are a myriad of travel and medical insurance companies that can offer Snowbirds’ tons of various options specifically tailored to their needs.
However, you need to be very careful as to what you purchase. The last thing you want is to be critically or catastrophically injured in a foreign country without proper insurance coverage.
In general, Canadian Snowbirds and their families tend to travel with quite a bit of insurance. For example:
A) if they are involved in a car accident – Accident Benefits (SABs) are immediately available to help out with medical expenses regardless of fault. Subject to which Canadian province and the severity of the injury, SABs can provide up to $1,000,000 per person of medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care funds. In addition, nearly every car policy provides underinsured or uninsured motorist protection;
B) most purchase private medical travel policies;
C) most have travel cards such as Visa, Mastercard, and Amex which provide very short term travel medical and death benefits;
D) Government-funded universal health insurance programs; and,
E) if employed, most have supplementary major medical and prescription benefits.
As mentioned above, even though many people have travel medical insurance, you should never assume you’re covered. Look over your policies in detail to make sure that you are properly covered when travelling.
Most US hospitals, and health care companies are exceptionally efficient when dealing with local accidents and insurers. Unfortunately, when dealing with Canadian insurers, submitting claims can become exceptionally confusing. Remember – you, the injured person, is the one responsible for the payment regardless of how much insurance you have. The health care expenses need to be submitted correctly, and in a timely fashion. If not, health care services can be delayed or denied. Furthermore, US hospitals and health care companies have common law rights and rights of subrogation in any action you might bring against a third party.
Car Accident Benefits assist in the immediate payment of hospital and health care accounts. It allows hospital discharge planners, social workers, and health care workers to facilitate your return home. The benefits, when properly accessed, help ensure the appropriate care is seamlessly provided on both sides of the border.
In general, when an accident happens you are responsible for all of the bills and services you need. Subject to your insurance – you need to submit to them your claims.
Health care companies, with your permission can remit its’ accounts directly to your insurer for payment. Remember your insurance policies have claim limits and will only respond when certain requirements are met. Probably the most confusing aspect is what is known as “priority of payment”. If you have multiple insurance policies there is always a question as to which insurer pays first and how much.
For example, in Ontario, Canada, medical and rehab accounts need to be submitted as follows:
Needless to say ”priority of payment” varies on a multiple number facts. Give us a call if you need some advice.
Each state, province, and private insurer has different Statutory time limits in which to bring contractual insurance claim. If a claim or action is not made within the prescribed time period, it will be statute barred.
Most hospitals, private insurers, and health care companies have the right to recover outstanding accounts either by contract and/or common law.
Cross-border accidents are complicated. Fortunately, at Snowbird Accidents, we can help claimants, insurers, hospitals, and healthcare companies quickly identify and process these Canadian cross-border claims. We can arrange for some of the best personal injury lawyers who work collaboratively throughout various jurisdictions, to ensure claimants, hospitals, private insurers, and health care companies’ claims and remedies are properly protected.
Any personal injury law firm, personal injury lawyer, or personal injury attorney we recommend has shown they have extensive knowledge and expertise you can trust when faced with the challenge of a cross-border accident. In most instances, you can deal directly with them by going to their website. As an alternative, you are welcome to complete the contact form or give us a call.
Snowbird Accidents is not a law firm. We are an International “Qualifying Referrer”. We provide information about car accidents, car insurance options, medical insurance options, personal injuries, and more. We do not provide legal advice. That is the job of the personal injury attorney or lawyer that you end up retaining.
We can recommend personal injury lawyers familiar with the complexities of cross-border accidents in the province you reside in and the state you were injured in. The lawyers and attorneys recommended by us are leaders in their field and frequently deal with catastrophic car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents.
The Snowbird Helpline offers peace of mind if the unthinkable happens. We are here to connect you with a team of lawyers and attorneys that are knowledgeable about personal injury claims, no matter what province or state you were injured in.
When a serious personal injury happens in a different country, you quickly need help. That’s where Snowbird Helpline comes in. Our team has extensive knowledge and expertise that you can trust when faced with the challenge of a cross-border accident.
We are not lawyers or a law firm. No legal fees are paid or shared with us. Instead, we offer advice on what your next steps should be and who you should contact. We recommend personal injury lawyers and attorneys that are familiar with the complexities of cross-border accidents.
For over 35 years, we have assisted Canadian snowbirds involved in car accidents and other personal injury accidents in the United States.
Snowbird Accidents assists people experiencing serious personal injuries of all kinds. Primarily we assist with those who have been involved in serious car accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, or trucking accidents.
We are here to help organize the steps you have to take with your insurance company and connect you with experienced personal injury lawyers and attorneys, and more.
Snowbird Accidents is a USA corporation with headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida, and offices in Toronto, Canada.
We offer expertise and personal injury lawyer recommendations in over 50 states and 10 provinces. To quickly get in touch with us about your situation, give us a call at 1-800-436-0353.
Our goal is to be accessible at all times to snowbirds who require assistance. You can fill out our online contact form or give us a call at 1-800-436-0353.
Additionally, you can contact the lawyers mentioned on our site directly through their websites or online contact information.
Your health and safety, plus the health and safety of your family or other injured parties is always top priority. Be sure to seek out medical attention immediately. It is important to make sure the police are contacted.
If possible, while still on the scene, obtain the driver’s license and insurance information of those involved in the accident. If possible, get contact information for all witnesses. Additionally, you should take notes and pictures of everything you can. This includes the scene of the accident, the other car, any visible injuries, and what caused the accident if known.
Make sure that your doctors are informed about the accident and all of your injuries. Take notes of what the doctor advises and keep a record of your injuries and healing process.
As soon as you are able, contact Snowbird Helpline. We can help advise you of the next steps you should take.
1-800-436-0353
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