Emergency travel coverage is designed for sudden and unforeseen medical emergencies that could not have been reasonably anticipated based upon the patient’s prior medical condition while travelling away from their home province. It is the expectation that every traveler be stable at the time they leave for their trip.

When deciding whether or not travelling is appropriate based on your health, here are some ‘rule of thumb’ questions to determine ‘stability’:

During the 90 days immediately preceding your departure:

‐ (If you have a medical condition) You have been consistently using the same medications at the same dosages to control your condition. If your dosage has changed, it must be part of your regular treatment or because your condition improved. All medications must be prescribed by a legally qualified medical professional.
‐ (If you have a medical condition) You haven’t needed additional treatment for a recurrence or complications related to your condition.
‐ You haven’t been diagnosed with, or had tests or a medical consultation for, a new medical condition for which you haven’t had any treatment.
‐ You don’t have any future appointments scheduled for non-routine examinations, tests, or investigations (including results) for an undiagnosed medical condition.
‐ You are not scheduled for any exploratory surgical procedures for an undiagnosed medical condition or surgical procedures for a diagnosed medical condition.

If the member has to seek medical attention while away, they are encouraged to contact GSC Travel Assistance immediately (if medically able) and the travel assistance team will be able to direct them to the closest appropriate facility that meets their medical needs. Once the emergency is over, if the member is recommended to return home upon discharge and decides instead to stay on for the rest of their vacation, no further medical care will be paid due to any recurring issues.

Unfortunately, sometimes Canadians forget the actual cost of medical care and are not prepared to pay the out of pocket cost for not cutting their trip short or choosing not to go at all. It is always best for the member to call GSC Travel Assistance ahead of time to discuss any concerns prior to travel.

Payment guarantees for hospital, surgical and medical expenses incurred under this plan will be provided by Green Shield through Green Shield Travel Assistance (World Access Canada), in addition to special assistance regarding facilitating claims payment and funds transfers. Under some circumstances, World Access Canada will pay out-ofprovince hospital, surgical, medical expenses, to the provider or to yourself, if the expenses result in financial hardship, subject to proper claims submission. A call to Travel Assistance should be made immediately after the emergency 1-800-936-6226 USA or 1-519-742-3556 elsewhere.