Make Sure Travel Insurance Suits You

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Last winter, Eugene Gushuliak was in the kitchen of his Mexican time share when he collapsed and blacked out.

Gushuliak, 73, doesn't remember the events that followed - the ambulance that took him to the Puerto Vallarta hospital, the three specialists enlisted for his care, or the flight that brought him back to Winnipeg.

What he does know is that the three-day hospital stay to treat a heart problem, along with the flight home with his wife, nurse and doctor, added up to $90,000. It was a bill his travel-insurance company took care of completely.

Virginia Gushuliak said she and her husband have been vacationing in Mexico for years and have never taken chances when it came to buying travel insurance.

Alex Bittner, the head of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada, said while the cost of a policy can put people off, the value should be weighed against the potential of receiving a bill for thousands of dollars.

"I always say, know your trip, know your policy and know your health," said Bittner, who is president of the volunteer-run industry group.

Other tips on buying travel insurance:

Ensure that the policy will cover you for the length of your trip and can be extended for any reason.

Know what medical conditions and emergencies are covered. For example, some policies exclude treatment stemming from high intensity sports, such as hockey.

Check the payout cap. A good travel insurance plan can have a payout of up to $5 million.

Read the fine print on pre-existing health conditions that could result in a rejected claim. Last month, a Saskatoon couple made the news when they were hit with $900,000 medical bill after their baby was born prematurely while on vacation in Hawaii. Even though Jennifer Huculak-Kimmel's doctor had cleared her for travel, Blue Cross rejected the claim.

[readon1 url="http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/Make+sure+travel+insurance+suits/10457118/story.html"]Source:www.montrealgazette.com[/readon1]