Your “Savvy Retiree” Newsletter for July 2023

To facilitate the reading of the different articles, just click on one of the titles below

 

Exclusions in travel insurance, think about it, it pays !

Depending on the protection status held, whether individual, single parent or family, travel insurance protects the member and, if insured, the spouse, their dependent children and the person with a functional disability.

Expenses are eligible to the extent that they are incurred as a result of a death, accident or sudden and unexpected illness that occurred while the insured is temporarily outside the province of residence and requires emergency care.

The exclusions in travel insurance are numerous and varied.  It is important to read your insurance brochure before planning a trip. Some exclusions include: 

  • If people already have a known disorder, they should make sure that their health is good and stable before they leave.  No symptoms should indicate that complications may occur or that care is required for the duration of the trip outside the province of residence. In other words, the disease or condition known before departure must be under control. It is therefore important to tell the truth and not to hide anything. If in doubt, we suggest you contact CanAssistance.

  • The abuse of drugs or alcohol by the insured person and the medical conditions that follow are not eligible for any claim.

  • Participation in extreme sports, gliding, hang-gliding, paragliding, bungee, mountaineering, parachuting or any other similar activity is not covered by the insurance, including parasailing, a very popular activity in the South (boat-pulled parachute).

 

Fraud and its subtleties

Group insurance fraud mainly affects members of the scheme. It is wrong to believe that only the insurer will be affected, all policyholders will be cheated.

There may be situations where an error is made that will be considered an unintentional action in the transmission of erroneous information in a claim.  An incorrect date or amount, a non-conforming receipt, and a misidentification of the insured will usually be considered as a seizure error.

However, circumventing the rules is considered an abuse.  For example, high claims behavior for a given care or maximizing the family’s allowable amounts are actions that will be seen as an overuse of contractual provisions in order to take advantage of them.

Fraud is a deliberate action that enables an insured person or supplier to obtain a refund of costs to which he is not entitled.  False receipts, the making of false records and the unauthorized use of receipts from a professional are intentionally misleading.

By preventing fraud, we can limit the increase in the cost of your group insurance.  Everyone must pay the fair price, in all fairness.

 

Link to Preventing and reporting fraud

 

Drugs - Pharmacists Say Mistakes Should Be Avoided

Here are some tips to avoid mistakes when taking your medicines because the consequences can harm your health and your recovery.

  • Forgetting to take your medicines is one of the most common mistakes that may harm your treatment.  To make taking your medicines part of your routine:

    • Use a tablet container if you have several medications to take at different times of the day. Your pharmacist can even take care of it and prepare it for you every week according to your unique needs.

    • Take your medicines with a daily gesture, such as brushing your teeth.

    • Store your medication in a place where you can see it easily and frequently.

    • Schedule alerts to your virtual calendar.

          Call your pharmacist to find out what to do if you forget to taking a medicine.
 

  • If you are taking a medicine twice rather than once in the same day, you should look out for certain symptoms of an overdose: vomiting, fainting, difficulty breathing, abnormal heart rhythms or abnormal movements.

           Consult a pharmacist, medical clinic, or emergency department if these symptoms occur.
 

  • Heat, cold, direct light and humidity can affect the effectiveness of your medicines.  Do not store in the following places:

    • the bathroom

    • by the oven and stove

    • on the edge of a window

    • in your car

           Each medicine has its recommended storage temperature.  Check the instructions on the packaging.

 

 

Line St-Cyr, Coordinator, ACR