In the age of the internet, it’s become easier and easier to maintain friendships with people living outside of Canada. Perhaps, you have friends who are expatriates, or maybe you immigrated to Canada yourself. Regardless, Canadians often play host to friends and family members who live in other countries. But there’s more to be a good host than just setting up the guest room. Remember to talk to your guests about health insurance.
Health Benefits are Only for Canadians.
While you and I are able to see a doctor for free when we’re ill or injured, this isn’t true for our foreign friends. Health benefits are only for Canadian citizens, and even if your family member was born in Canada, if they’ve lived outside of the country for more than six months of the year, their health benefits will likely be revoked by their home province. That means if your visiting-niece or -nephew has an accident on a bike or if grandma falls down the stairs, they won’t be able to access the health care they need for free.
Health Care isn’t Cheap in Canada.
Often, Canadians will joke about or be aghast at the crazy costs for health services in the States. But the difference in expense for health care isn’t actually that different in Canada. The real difference is the province pays the bill from our taxes, so we never see those costs. This isn’t true for your British bestie or Chinese cousin. If your foreign friend or family member ends up hospitalized, their bill could be catastrophic.
Point Them to Health Risk.
Fortunately, this doesn’t mean you need to cancel on your guests. All you have to do is point them in the direction of private health insurance. Just like many Canadians choose a private plan to help pay for dental costs and other benefits not paid for by the province, visitors of Canada can use a private plan to get the coverage they need to tour without worry. The costs of plan will differ between companies, and will be based on the age, sex, and health of your guest as well as the length of their trip. But don’t worry these plans are often surprisingly affordable — especially for young, healthy individuals.
Do you have friend or family members visiting from other countries? We hope you have a great time showing them around our wonderful nation, but don’t forget to have them buy the travel health insurance they need to be safe during their visit. Call Health Risk today to get a quote.
