Albertans encouraged to get medical insurance before travelling

“It is important for Albertans to understand the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan may only provide partial reimbursement for some health care services provided outside Canada. The costs of these services can be significantly higher than in Alberta. Many Albertans travel outside of Canada over the holidays - don’t have your holidays ruined by having to pay out of pocket for very expensive medical services in other countries.”

There are a number of things Albertans can do to ensure they will be adequately covered for unexpected health care expenses when they travel. Before leaving the country, Albertans should:

• Make sure they understand which services the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan covers outside of Alberta and what is not covered.
• Purchase travel medical insurance and make sure they understand what is covered under this policy and what is not covered. Some policies will restrict or limit coverage for certain factors, such as a pre-existing medical condition.
• Disclose all the medications they take in the health section of the travel insurance form.
• Pack their Alberta Personal Health Card, travel insurance documents and the emergency contact number for their travel insurance.

Anyone unsure about what their travel medical insurance policy covers or what is considered a pre-existing medical condition should talk to their insurance provider.