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20 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday November 1, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Signing up for adventure B udgets are tight and we're all cutting back to have our vacation. Do not, I repeat do not, try to save money by cutting back on travel insurance -- it is the most essential item you pack. Anytime you leave Canada -- even for a few hours -- without travel medical insurance, you're taking a big risk. When you travel outside Canada, you leave up to 90 per cent of your government health insurance plan behind. Government health insurance plans also typically cover only a limited portion of medical costs once you leave your home province or territory, even if you are still in Canada. A few days in a hospital in the U.S. could cost you your house, if you don't have insurance. I have never travelled without insurance and when my husband died in the airport in Vancouver, it was the first time I'd ever used it. I didn't know insurance may be null and void from the time we bought it. I assumed because we paid for it and got a receipt, we were covered. Najma M. Rashid is a lawyer with Howard Yegendorf and Associates in Ottawa. She has explained it in easy-tounderstand terms. "The insurance company may deny a claim because the policy is full of exclusions and situations (a) your emergency medical care was related to a pre-existing (i.e. pre-departure medical condition, (b) there is another exclusion in the policy that negates coverage, or (c) you made a material misrepresentation when you completed the application form." Travel insurance is a form of retroactive underwriting. Approval for coverage only means that the policy is now in place. It is only after you have become ill, or died while on vacation and later submit your medical bills to the insurer, that the insurance company does its investigation directly or indirectly related to a medical condition for which you have seen a doctor, have had treatment or been prescribed medication, in the last 12 months. · expenses incurred for a medical condition for which you sought treatment for a related condition in the 12 months before your departure date. · health care costs incurred as a result of a reasonably anticipated medical 728-condition. · expenses for a medical condition for which symptoms occurred, or which required medical consultation, treatment or prescription medication 120 days preceding departure date. "These exclusions are so broad they allow the insurance company to interoperate them. Indirectly related medical conditions can catch any pre-existing medical condition. Who decides what constitutes a `related' condition? Will a brief visit to a drop-in health clinic for a minor ailment be considered a `medical consultation' so as to exclude coverage? Would someone who has had high blood pressure for many years, but is otherwise in perfect health, be denied coverage for medical expenses incurred as a result of a heart attack in Florida, on the basis that the high blood pressure is indirectly related to a heart condition? If you see similar wording ask the insurance company, and your doctor, for clarification." I read my policy carefully before I buy it now, and so should you. Oops, I got the phone number for Honduras Shores Plantation wrong two weeks ago. It should be 905-728-0806 -- Sam Ion can be reached at sion10@cogeco.ca. BEAVER TRAILS TO DOMINCAN REPUBLIC: The Bruno Family from left to right, Eric and Anthony Bruno and cousins Nicholas and Kayla Bruno took The Oakville Beaver to the Grand Paradise Resort Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Take along a copy of The Oakville Beaver on your next vacation and send it in for publication to Beaver Trails, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4 or e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. ESCORTED CRUISES Cruising is a spectacular way to travel ­ the ultimate way to visit several ports while enjoying leisurely days at sea between each. And, as a member of Ensemble Vacations, McTavish Travel is very pleased to be able to provide our clients with Ensemble Hosted Cruises. These sailings are even more glamorous and convivial; led by sociable, well-travelled Ensemble Hosts, guests are treated to a private onboard cocktail party and accompanied on a customdesigned shore event. Ensemble Hosted Cruises appeal to people who enjoy the spontaneity of travel, but also like the assurance that everything will run like clockwork. They enjoy the intimate excursions and appreciate that their hosts are passionate travellers who have trotted the globe and enjoy sharing their favourite travel experiences with others. Whether you are visiting Christchurch, Montevideo or Vienna, you can be sure that your Ensemble Host has experienced the best the destination has to offer and wants you to do the same. On each Ensemble Hosted Cruise, you will be treated to a private on-board cocktail party. The Ensemble Host will be on hand to introduce you to the other travellers in the group, who will all share your sense of adventure and thirst for culture. You'll have the opportunity to mingle over cocktails and form bonds with new friends that will share in the excitement that the coming days hold. One of the highlights on an Ensemble Hosted Cruise is the Ensemble Experience, a private shore excursion designed just for Ensemble travellers. The Ensemble Experience is led by expert guides as well as your Ensemble Hosts. You'll have the opportunity to experience the very best that the destination has to offer ­ whether it's whale watching in Maui, taking part in a private cooking demonstration by a famous Indian chef or combing the magnificent ruins in the ancient city of Ephesus. With literally hundreds of Ensemble Hosted Cruises to choose from, and sailings available with a multitude of cruise lines, travellers will be able to find a ship that suits their tastes ­ whether it's an intimate yacht or a glittering liner. For a complete list of Ensemble Hosted Cruises ­ give us a call! u outt A As k ab o y arty our Part s o s ate Pass rate P Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford Rates valid to Nov 30, 2008 (fuel surcharge is applicable) Jetways offers daily one-way and round-trip airport shuttle transfers from/to, Burlington, Hamilton and now Brantford to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Visit McTavish At: www.mctavishtravel.com (1-866-953-8929) into whether you are entitled to be reimbursed. The application forms are one or two pages of broad questions about your prior medical health. If you provide information to an insurance company when you apply, and the company learns later the information was wrong or incorrect, the insurance company can declare the policy null and void. The forms ask about your past medical history. This is where most misrepresentations occur. If you later make a claim for expenses, the insurance company will seek to obtain your pre-travel medical records and review them. You may have forgot you had a mild heart attack and not mention it, or you might not have understood the medical terminology. A misrepresentation or failure to disclose is a valid basis for denying insurance coverage." Rashid says to read the application form and policy booklet carefully before paying the premium. Go through the medical questionnaire with your doctor, especially if you are over age 65 and/or have a history of medical problems. Do not buy a policy online and do not shop around for the cheapest premium. Get a copy of the policy and study it before buying. Exclusions relating to preexisting medical conditions cause the most difficulty. For example: · expenses incurred Voted Best Travel Agency Best Cruise Company Best Travel Agent Thanks Oakville! Hopedale Shopping Centre 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville Relax... you're with us 221 Lakeshore Road E. (905) 827-1100 fax: (905) 827-4982 e-mail: travel@mctavish.com 905-337-2228 www.hookedoncruising.com For Local Travel and Sunshine Destinations visit www.oakvillebeaver.com