What to do in a medical emergency abroad

A medical emergency in another country is stressful enough without wondering who pays. Knowing the order of steps before you leave means you act quickly and your coverage does its job when it matters.

Get safe and get care first

Your health comes first. If the situation is life-threatening, call local emergency services or get to a hospital immediately. Do what is needed to be safe and stabilized. The insurance process matters, but it never comes before urgent medical care. Once you are receiving attention, or as soon as it is safe, move to the next step.

Contact 24/7 assistance as early as possible

The single most important insurance step is to contact your insurer’s emergency assistance line as early as you can. Our assistance is available around the clock and in multiple languages. Calling early lets the team direct you to an appropriate facility, coordinate your care, and — where possible — guarantee payment to the hospital so you are not paying large amounts out of pocket. It also opens your claim on the spot. If you cannot call yourself, have a companion, relative or hospital staff do it for you.

Keep every record

Claims are settled on documentation, so gather it as things happen rather than trying to reconstruct it later. Keep itemized bills and receipts, diagnoses and medical reports, prescriptions, and proof of any payment you made. If the emergency involves an accident, theft or a cancelled onward trip, keep the relevant police, carrier or incident reports too. Hold on to originals where you can, and photograph documents as a backup. Note the names and dates of the facilities and clinicians who treated you, since those details are often needed later and are easy to forget once you are home.

Understand the OHIP gap

Many Ontarians assume provincial health coverage follows them abroad. It does not. OHIP pays little or nothing for care received outside Canada, and it never pays a foreign hospital up front. Most out-of-country OHIP coverage ended in 2020. That gap is exactly what emergency medical travel insurance is designed to fill — covering eligible emergency treatment, hospital stays and related costs up to your policy limit, with assistance coordinating the logistics.

Use the services available to you

Not every problem needs an emergency room. For a minor issue — a mild infection, a medication question, a rash — telemedicine through services such as 1.800MD or Maple can connect you to a professional without a clinic visit, and can sometimes resolve things without a formal claim at all. If a flight delay disrupts your plans, MyFlyt flight-delay support may help. Knowing these options exist can save time and worry.

Follow through on the claim

Once the immediate situation has passed, submit your claim to TripCovered with your policy number and the documents you gathered. Provide complete information the first time to avoid back-and-forth, and respond promptly to any follow-up requests. Policies set a deadline for submitting claims, so file as soon as you reasonably can after the event. If you contacted assistance during the emergency, reference the case or file number they gave you, as it links your claim to the care that was already coordinated.

A little preparation goes a long way. Save the assistance number where you can reach it without internet, carry your policy details, and tell a travelling companion where to find them. If you have not arranged coverage yet, compare your options and get a quote before you travel.