It’s safe to say many of us are dreaming of travelling once again, whether near or far. In those dreams, our trips are flawless, with great sites, great food, great people. If all your past trips have gone smoothly, or even if you’ve had a minor health issue in a destination with accessible, affordable healthcare, you may be questioning whether you can get away without travel insurance.

While chances are your future travels will be just as smooth, seasoned travellers know not everything always goes according to plan. And as insurers, we’ve seen the costs of an accident or illness on vacation.

To help you prepare for your next trip, let’s break down what travel insurance can offer.

Emergency Health Coverage

This is the most important type of coverage you should have when travelling. Emergency out-of-country medical coverage will pay if you have an accident or unexpected illness during your trip. Healthcare costs in some countries can be staggering, including our southern neighbour where a hospital stay can be thousands of dollars per day. Another benefit that is often overlooked is support in navigating the health system in a foreign country and finding quality care quickly. This can make the difference to your health and potentially salvage your trip.  

Health Plus plans include emergency health coverage for up to 60 days per trip. Coverage includes:

• 24/7 access to a travel assistance hotline, for help accessing safe, local medical care
• Medical costs such as exams and hospitalization
• Emergency medical transportation or repatriation, if necessary
• Certain out-of-pocket expenses in the event of hospitalization (e.g.child care)

What about COVID?

At the beginning of the pandemic, many insurers limited coverage for COVID-19 related expenses in accordance with travel restrictions. Most of those limitations have since been lifted, although specific coverage will vary by insurer. Cooperators, who provide the travel insurance included in Health Plus plans cover COVID-19 while travelling. Tests required for travel purposes such as border crossing are not covered.   If you have a pre-existing condition or any chronic health issue, make sure you check your policy for any exclusions related to travel.  

Trip Cancellation, Interruption & Lost Baggage

Many people focus on these areas of coverage, because let’s face it, having to cancel or reschedule a trip or losing your belongings is disappointing, stressful, and expensive. Others take the approach, don’t travel with anything you can’t afford to lose. After all, your belongings can be replaced, your health cannot. If you do choose to purchase this type of travel insurance (it’s not included in Health Plus plans), it is important to read your policy as many have restrictions and limitations.

It’s always up to you to determine how much risk you’re willing to take. But when it comes to your health, we advise you to protect yourself when travelling. The risk to your wallet, health, and trip just isn’t worth it. Check your existing coverage to determine exactly what you’re already covered for and work with a qualified advisor to fill in any gaps.

How to Restore Balance When You've Hit the Pandemic Wall

While we’re all looking forward to a better summer, we’re not quite there. On the good days, we’re thinking about travel – some around the globe, some across town to see loved ones. On the bad, COVID fatigue and distress can make it hard to muster the energy for anything at all. Re-openings are no guarantee of instant relief and the ongoing stress and demands can stop us in our tracks. If you’ve hit a pandemic wall, whatever form that takes for you, here are a few ways to restore resilience. And as you move forward, these strategies will help keep you going. 

Don't Look Down

A lesson from aerialists: when you’re on a tightrope, look straight ahead, not down at the distance to solid ground. Unfortunately, when we’re anxious and exhausted, looking down is exactly what we tend to do. We catastrophize and imagine the terrible what-ifs. While worry in tough times is natural, psychologists point out there are two kinds. Constructive worry is when we’re faced with problems, risks and uncertainty but choose to focus on what we can do rather than what we can’t. Destructive worry is when we loop the unknown and worst-case scenario over and over in our heads and regard disaster as inevitable. Do your best to recognize the difference. Awareness will help you catch yourself before worry brings you down. 

Take one step forward

Tackling an entire problem or big project may not be possible, at least not right now. Taking one simple action in the direction of a larger goal can nudge us out of a hole. Psychologists confirm that the sense of accomplishment from a single small step leads toward a more optimistic outlook and provides motivation to do more. Think about your goals and wish list, then think of one thing you can do. Getting exercise and fresh air is one step that benefits emotional and physical health. Even a 10-minute walk or a short stretch break relieves stress and boosts energy and focus. If you haven’t already, book your vaccine. It’s a small step with a very big impact. 

Reach out

Just when we’ve needed our support systems most, this year has disrupted contact with the people, places and activities that nourish our well-being. Our connections are lifelines but despite good intentions and virtual options, some may have slipped as the pandemic continued. When we’re in a dark and discouraged mood, it’s tempting to retreat even more.

Now is the time to reach out to friends, family and colleagues. Reconnect with a community you’ve missed –a club, team, class or favourite coffee shop. Some people in our lives offer a strong shoulder and understanding ear when we need to talk. Others give us a lift with a laugh, a memory and escape from our cares. Both kinds of connections are good for our health.

Sometimes our personal circle is not enough. Sometimes we need the advice, support and coping tools a professional can provide. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re feeling overwhelmed. 

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

If you’re a Health Plus plan member, you have access to extensive free professional Wellness Resources including confidential individual and group counselling, and self-directed resources for stress management.

Despite hope on the horizon, the pandemic wall is real. The best way through is to do what we can and take care of our mental health. It’s essential to regain the ability to thrive.

This Wellness Moment is from Health Plus Insurance. While we offer information about healthy living, it is not meant to provide professional advice. If you feel you need medical advice, please consult a qualified health care professional. From our family to yours, take care. If you have a comment on these ideas or more to share, please send us a note. We’re always glad to hear from you info@healthplusinsurance.ca.

How a Spring Financial Refresh Can Boost Your Health 

Spring is typically a time for renewal. Birds chirping, flowers blooming. But this year with lockdowns and pandemic burnout, it can be hard to see the bright side. Financial uncertainty has taken a toll on Canadians, and not just our bank accounts. Studies link financial stress and anxiety to physical and mental health issues. That’s why a spring financial refresh is so important to wellness. A simple check-in on your financial habits will have a surprisingly positive impact on your overall wellbeing. 

Consider Your Savings

2020 forced many of us to reevaluate our savings and prioritize building (or replenishing) a healthy emergency fund. If you set savings goals for 2021 maybe it’s time to check in to see how you’re doing. Making savings or investments automatic is a great way to keep on track but it’s always useful to check in periodically to see how your savings goals fit your real-life budget.  

Practice Mindful Spending

Finding a spend-save balance that’s right for you can be a challenge. Here’s where mindful spending comes in. Taking the time to consider your spending will lead to more meaningful purchases that align with your goals and values and lessen the guilt and stress that can accompany large or impulsive purchases. Beyond essential expenses, mindful spending also means spending within your means, supporting local business and donating to charity if that’s what matters to you. And as the pandemic stretches out farther than we ever imagined, as important as saving, taking care of ourselves is equally important. Mindful spending also includes making room in the budget to occasionally treat ourselves. 

Review Your Insurance

When was the last time you looked at your health, dental, life or disability coverage? Have recent life changes left you underinsured or uninsured? Checking insurance off your to-do list adds to your resilience. Good insurance you can depend on provides huge peace of mind, knowing you’re protected against the unexpected.   

Tackle Your Taxes

If you haven’t filed yet, the deadline is almost here. Make sure to claim your health insurance. And remember, if you earned less than $75 000 and received at least one COVID-19 benefit in 2020 the government is providing interest relief; you don’t have to pay interest on any amount owing until April 30, 2022. But do make sure you file on time because late filing fees still apply. 

Health Plus Financial Resources

If you’re a Health Plus plan member your Shepell Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) provides free financial resources. These include debt and estate planning support as well as confidential counselling. More resources are available from the Government of Canada. You’re not on your own if you are facing undue stress or anxiety surrounding your finances.  

Even if 2020 threw you way off course, financial planners stress that keeping our finances in order is a work-in-progress. It’s not about perfection. It’s about the peace of mind that comes with taking charge of challenges and taking the right steps, even the tiny ones.  While a financial refresh may not rank with a massage on your relax scale, you can rest assured it’s good for your overall wellbeing, especially this Spring.    

This  Financial Wellness Moment is from Health Plus Insurance.  From our family to yours, take care and stay safe.  A Health Plus advisor is always available for any questions about your insurance needs.  

In 2021 You Deserve a Health Plus Plan Upgrade ... 

We designed our Health Plus PRIORITY and OPTIMUM plans to provide small business owners, freelancers and contract workers with better coverage for less than the big-name company plans. To ensure we continue to meet that goal, we’ve added to our plans every single year. 2021 is no different. In an especially tough year for business owners and freelancers, we want to make sure Health Plus plans are there to help. So we made a few changes.  

Paramedical Services  

To make it even easier for plan members to get the treatment they need we’ve increased the paramedical maximum from $150 to $250 per person / practitioner / year without pre-approval. All practitioners are still covered up to $750 per person / year with approval.  

Dental  

For OPTIMUM Plan Members we’ve increased the Basic and Preventative Dental Maximum from $1000 to $1500 per year, effective after 2 years plan membership. (Annual maximums are measured on a calendar year basis and begin January 1st.) 

Always Low Rates  

We’re committed to keeping rates low. In fact, we have never raised our plan premiums. Most insurance companies raise rates every year. We know our clients trust us to provide the best value coverage.  

Wellness Resources Always There to Support You 

Health Plus plans continue to come with extensive professional wellness resources to help with life and business challenges. The Shepell EAP provides professional counselling, online health, financial and family resources and programming – all free of charge.  

When you’re shopping for personal health insurance, you'll likely see plans encouraging you to simply sign up …no medical questions asked. Sounds appealing, of course.  While ‘no medical questions’ health insurance plans are ideal for some people in some circumstances, for others they are clearly not the best choice.  In  fact, taking a 'no questions' plan may mean you end up paying more than necessary for less coverage than you could readily get elsewhere.  Here’s what you need to know to help you get the right plan for you and the most for your money.    

When reviewing health insurance plans there are two kinds to be aware of ...

This is ‘no medical questions asked’ health insurance.  It’s ideal for people with serious health issues (pre-existing conditions in insurance jargon), or people who have high ongoing prescription drug bills. If that’s your situation, you may not qualify for other insurance.  Or if you do, your rates will be high based on your health history and coverage for your particular condition may be excluded. A guaranteed acceptance (GA) plan which doesn’t ask anything about your health and guarantees your acceptance may well be what you need. Some of your health bills will automatically be covered and fortunately there are a few good GA plans out there.  But please read on before you come to any conclusions.  

You may be skeptical of whether health insurance is really necessary for you. That's understandable. If you're young, healthy, don't spend a lot on healthcare now, why is it worth it? If you're considering whether you need health insurance we're willing to bet at least one of the following reasons has crossed your mind. But how do they measure up in the real world? 

1. I don't take drugs 

That's fantastic. Hopefully, that won't change. However, most people who require medication didn't plan on needing it. While some conditions can be managed holistically through lifestyle changes, others cannot, and the cost for prescription drugs in Canada is rapidly rising. New specialty medications costing over $10 000 per year make up 30% of overall drug spend by working-age people¹. Of those meds, most are for chronic, ongoing conditions. We bet you can think of better ways to spend your money. 

2. I'm healthy

Again, that's great. You likely have a combination of genetics and your own effort to thank. Keep up the good work. Despite what you might have heard about insurance people, we don't like to be all doom and gloom, but we've seen enough to know that even with your best efforts, good health is not guaranteed. 

3. I'm young

Oh to be young! It's true that the likelihood of serious physical illness is lower at a younger age. And you're more likely to recover well if you're injured. But adolescents and young adults also have higher prevalence of mental illness. One in two Canadians have had or will have a mental illness by the time they reach 40². It's a good idea to have support in place. Plus, insurance rates are lower for most plans the younger you are because you're considered lower risk. (Health Plus plans have equal low rates across all ages but we're special) We hate to break it to you, but you're not getting any younger. 

4. I'm active 

Physical activity is repeatedly shown to have many health benefits, from reducing the likelihood of heart disease to stress management. That said, if you strain your knee training for a marathon or break a bone hang gliding, you likely want to get back  to those activities as quickly and pain-free as possible. Registered therapists paid for by your insurance can help with that. 

5. I don't spend that much now.

It's reasonable to be concerned about spending money you might not get back. But, insurance isn't a chequing account that you put money in and take money out of to pay your bills. It's a safety net that protects you against risk. While the chance of break ins, floods, and fire are all relatively low, you still insure your home or apartment because you value your belongings and know the cost of replacement would be both financially and emotionally taxing. Your personal health is the same.  

6. Provincial coverage will pay

While we're lucky to have a lot covered by provincial healthcare plans, unfortunately there's still a lot lacking. The bills for out-of-hospital medication, rehabilitation and care are completely up to you. Coverage also varies from province to province, which means that even if you're travelling within Canada, you may be surprised with a bill you wouldn't expect at home. 

7. It doesn't cover pre-existing conditions

It is true that medically underwritten plans (plans with a health questionnaire to apply) require evidence of good health and may deny or limit coverage due to a pre-existing health issue. However, there are other options available. Depending on your condition, you may still qualify for coverage with an adjusted rate, or you can apply for a guaranteed acceptance plan. These 'no medical questions asked' plans will automatically cover a portion of your expenses, regardless of what you're spending now. 

8. I'll get benefits when I find a new job/career

Getting benefits through an employer is ideal. Plans typically offer good coverage and your employer foots at least a portion of the bill. However, with the rise of contract positions, benefits are no longer guaranteed. Even if your new gig comes with insurance, companies often require a waiting period of at least 3 months before you're eligible. Personal health plans can always be cancelled if your new job comes with benefits, or once they kick in. Meanwhile, you're protected. 

9. I'm rich

Lucky you. Any secrets to share? If you're independently wealthy, and can afford to self-insure, insurance might not be necessary for you. Just be sure you have a healthy enough emergency fund to get you through even the worst-case scenario. 

10. It won't happen to me

If you have a crystal ball, can we have a peek too? Of course, you don't want to think of a health crisis or serious injury befalling you or a loved one, no one does. But because you can't be 100 percent confident, why not prepare?

The insurance industry often gets a bad rep for pushing sales. We aren't going to do that. Our job is simply to make sure you understand your options, including the risks of being uninsured. The choice is always up to you. 

Sources:
1. Telus Health 2020 Drug Data Trends & National Benchmark Report
2. The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health 

Summertime Tonic ... especially in 2020

8 Essentials for Re-opening that are good for your business and your team