If you're planning to travel outside of Canada in the new year, you'll have to purchase private travel insurance because OHIP will no longer provide you with out-of-country medical coverage.
Current travel coverage under OHIP includes $400 per day for emergency in-patient services and up to $50 per day for emergency outpatient and doctor services.
That coverage will continue until December 31, according to The Toronto Star, but come 2020, it'll be no more.
ONTARIO residents. Do not leave Canada without medical travel insurance as OHIP will not cover any of the expenses as they used to do. Unfortunately, private insurance weasels out of paying g if treatment can be even connected (even feebly) to "pre-existing conditions".
— Bonita🇨🇦 (@BonitaCanadian) November 26, 2019
The only remaining coverage will provide kidney dialysis patients with $210 toward each treatment, though in reality U.S. dialysis prices range from $300 to $750.
The Ford government announced plans to scrap out-of-country emergency health care coverage back in April, saying the current plan only covers five per cent of typical medical emergency costs for Ontarians travelling outside Canada, so residents have to purchase travel insurance no matter what, according to the CBC.
The government also said scrapping the coverage would help their efforts to address the province's $11.7 billion deficit.
According to The Star, administering $9 million in emergency medical coverage abroad costs the provincial government about $2.8 million each year.
Ministry of Health spokesperson David Jensen told The Star he "strongly encourages" people to purchase sufficient travel insurance, as travellers can face "catastrophically large bills" for medical care without it.
by Mira Miller via blogTO
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