Question 1. How much will my Travel Medical insurance cost? And where can I buy it?

 Your travel medical insurance premium can be based on your age, health, length of stay, and even destination.  Some of our carriers charge lower premium for non USA destination since the US is the most expensive in terms of  claims expenses payments on Canadian Travel Medical Insurance Plans. 

Some of our Insurers have flat rated premiums to certain ages. Generally as you get older the daily premium will increase, usually in units of 5 years.  The increase is due to increased morbidity costs due to aging. (Older people have more health claims)

If you are a Visitor to Canada,  the premium will also be based on age and will vary from company to company. Our office is one of the few offices in Canada which can provide Pre-existing conditions on most conditions and ages.  Call me for restrictions and explanations.

There are many sources of  travel insurance:  A Broker (like Ray Battiston), an Agent who traditionally sells or represents only one company,  Banks and Trusts Companies, some General Insurance Brokers,  perhaps your own group insurance at work, associations, Credit Card Companies, to name a few. Then there is online purchases- more about this later.

 Some Brokers including our office also have Business to Consumer sites (B2C).  This type of purchase can work very well if you also speak to the Broker on your requirements prior to purchase. Otherwise you may simply be filling out the wrong form or buying the wrong insurance if you try to "buy direct".  So why have these sites?  One obvious advantage is that you can buy insurance anytime, including off hours, like 11:30 PM on a Sunday night.  You can speak to one of our Brokers during business hours, get the information you need from us, be directed to the correct web page, and complete your own application and policy confirmation when you are ready to buy.

Dealing with the right  specialist Broker is essential. You assume when you phone  a travel insurance office you will be speaking to a professional  Insurance Broker.  Actually the person you speak to may be an Agent or a Broker. A true Agent represents only one Insurance Company. They might even be newly newly licensed or a career Insurance Broker like myself.  Some insurance offices are now operating more like "call centers".    Don't be afraid to ask your Broker what their insurance experience is and if they sell Travel Insurance as a specialty or side business.  My office specializes in all types of travel medical insurance.  We don't sell warranties.  We don't sell airline tickets. We don't sell vacations.  We just sell insurance and most of it is travel insurance including Visitors to Canada, Out of Canada and Out of Province, Expatriate, Student, Trip Cancellation, Interruption and Delay, Air Flight Accident, 24 Hour Accident and Baggage Insurance.

Question 2. Can I order brochures or actual policy wordings (for free) from you before I buy?

I have almost all my policies on my web pages with policy wording details, brochures, rate sheets, and applications. Pages have to be edited regularly to show the current information on file  I can also mail you original hard copies of a particular company or program.

Question 3. How do I pay safely without using the Internet, plus I'm a little concerned about E-Commerce!

 You can fax me your credit card number and expiry or just phone me. My fax is 705-752-5198. Or you can mail your payment to my office via snail mail.  The pages on my site which have secure payments will be indicated as such.  You can also Google "ray battiston insurance" . You won't find anything but good praise on our office.

Question 4. After my purchase, do you send me a policy?

We will confirm coverage is in place via e mail, then mail your original policy out.  For last minute purchases I can verbally bind your coverage and confirm your policy number and Claims Hotline number, or fax or email you this information. A "hard copy" in your hand is always appreciated. If you are in a rush and have to leave immediately, I can always arrange to fax the hard copy of the policy confirmation to your hotel or motel, while you are on the road, or at your travel destination. Just make sure you arrange the insurance with me BEFORE you cross the border! Once you have purchased insurance from me, you will feel very comfortable about your next purchase.
 

Question 5. What about those Pre-existing conditions? Can I get coverage on conditions I have now?

 Pre-existing conditions are defined differently by different insurance companies, since there is no standard Travel Medical Insurance policy used by all Insurers.  Depending more on the number of "stable" days prior to travel, you may very well be able to get coverage on even life threatening pre-existing conditions, like Heart Bypass surgery, heart attacks, strokes, etc. Generally, companies will exclude pre-existing conditions that have a short life prognosis, like terminal cancer. Or if you are in such a state of health that a prudent person would assume medical assistance would probably be required on your trip. Or if you are already sick, or traveling against Doctor's orders.

I do have access to some companies that will cover most pre-ex conditions with a short or almost zero stability period on short trips. I have other companies which require 90 days of stability, 180 days or even 12 months.  However there are some cases which simply can not be insured.

Question 6. I have a whole busload of kids crossing into the US from Canada for just one day. Can I get coverage?

 Yes!  Just call me for details.  

Question 7. Do you just insure groups, Business, seniors? Schools? What else do you sell?

I currently represent more than 10 Travel Medical Insurance Companies and Programs. I sell all ages, and all types of groups. Both Out of Canada Travel Medical Insurance Plans, and Visitors to Canada Medical Plans, Ex-Patriate Medical Insurance for Canadians who no longer qualify for Canadian government Health Insurance, and medical insurance for returning Canadians and immigrants who are awaiting government health insurance. I just added Trip Cancellation, Interruption and Delay on a "stand alone" basis. I sell short term and long term travel medical plans!

As an Insurance Broker, I represent the various Insurance Companies I hold contracts with.  Depending on their administrative requirements, I either issue the policy from my office, with a copy to the Company, or submit an application to the Insurance Company and they issue the policy.  Credit card payments are always debited by the Insurance Company or the MGA (Managing General Agent). Most premiums paid by cheque are paid directly to me, held "In Trust", as part of my Agent/Broker Licensing requirement, and submitted to the Insurance Companies on demand.  As a legally licensed and insured Insurance Broker I also hold Errors and Omissions Insurance and Fraudulent Acts coverage.  I am required to complete mandatory training or refresher courses each year.  Claims are paid directly by the Insurance Company or Administrator of claims.

I have extremely competitive rates due to a large selection of companies and programs. In fact, even some of my largest competitors only offer one insurance plan, or a very limited choice of companies. Visit my home page for more details! I sell Life, Accident, Flight Accident and Extended Health Insurance, and I have been a Licensed Life Insurance Agent since 1973. I was also one of the first Insurance Brokers to advertise on the web in 1996, and one of the first to post full policy information on the web. I can call myself a Broker as I represent various Life and Health Insurance companies-including Industrial Alliance Pacific Life,  Canada Life, Unity Life, and Union of Canada.

A word about Pregnancy

First, congratulations. Second,  the bad news: Pregnancy is normally an exclusion in individual travel medical insurance plans, or at the very least has severe limitations in coverage.  It is not usual for the insurer to exclude Pregnancy, child birth, etc, within the last 8 weeks of the expected delivery date.  Possibly worse, the new born would not be covered, since it is not a named person in the policy.  So a premature baby is not covered for all the potential catastrophic medical care it might require in hospital.

At this time our office is not aware of any insurer  in Canada offering carte blanche cover on pregnancy.

Do not hesitate to call me directly or E MAIL  ANY QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE PERSONALLY ANSWERED raybattiston@on.aibn.com