This has been a year of change for provincial health care under the Ontario government, with the trend continuing and no stone remaining unturned – including OHIP coverage. With many changes already having taken place in 2019, and a few still to come at the start of 2020, several services have been delisted from OHIP offerings. Though the PC government has claimed that the changes will improve health care for Ontarians overall.
New Year, New Changes to OHIP
While our provincial health insurance plan has never been robust in the area of international travel, starting January 1st 2020 Ontario residents will have even less OHIP coverage for Out of Country (OOC) medical emergencies. No longer will residents be eligible for $400 per day for hospital care – a decision made independently by the Ontario government, not suggested by the panel of physicians who provided review and recommendations on the previous changes implemented earlier this year.
Residents will be expected to find their own private health coverage for travelling, as hospital room and doctor’s fees, treatments, and any other emergency medical services will not be covered by OHIP.
New Renal Program Coverage
Despite the removal of some coverage previously offered, the Ontario government is establishing a new program to focus on providing Ontarians with renal difficulties and failure with health coverage when they travel.
The new program, the Ontario Renal Network, will fund physician needed care, and hospital and dialysis services for Ontarians travelling outside of Canada, and will also assist Ontario residents who are moving to other Canadian provinces or territories with physician and hospital service coverage.
Take Care with Personal Coverage
Whenever you travel (be it across Canada or internationally), it’s always crucial to be aware of what your health coverage is. Many employers already offer health insurance, but not all offer comprehensive international coverage in case of an emergency. With our flexible Custom Group Benefits Plan, you can ensure that employees have the coverage they need both at home and abroad.
Knowing the details of what is offered in your employee health benefits plan will help you determine whether or not you will need to seek additional coverage – either through your group plan or via another venue.
The Benefits Trust helps successful business owners build a better benefits plan than they can get anywhere else. Get in touch with us today!
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