Anyone covered through OPSEU's retiree out-of-country coverage?

[BatchawanaBabe]

We have the optional emergency out-of-country coverage through OPSEU Pension Trust for retirees for which we pay a monthly premium.  I'm not able to get much information about coverage, exclusions, etc. online and am concerned how good/bad the coverage is not just for cruises but for our winter stay at our Florida condo.  Has anyone had any experience with this coverage? 

[trtog7]

53 minutes ago, BatchawanaBabe said:

We have the optional emergency out-of-country coverage through OPSEU Pension Trust for retirees for which we pay a monthly premium.  I'm not able to get much information about coverage, exclusions, etc. online and am concerned how good/bad the coverage is not just for cruises but for our winter stay at our Florida condo.  Has anyone had any experience with this coverage? 

I emailed them and had an answer re covid and cruising. They say they will cover both but no idea about long term in Florida

 

[willing292]

We have a provincial one, not sure if its OPSEU or not.  It fo 90 days and is excellent.

[BatchawanaBabe]

4 hours ago, willing292 said:

We have a provincial one, not sure if its OPSEU or not.  It fo 90 days and is excellent.

OPSEU is the Ontario Public Service Union, so if you worked at a provincial ministry, etc you'd be a member.  We've never had to use this optional coverage but have heard from others who did that once they left the hospital for emergency treatment, there were few options left for continued treatment.  

 

Also, I noticed it's now for 90 days but don't remember that time frame when it was first introduced a few years ago.

 

Anyone else?

[BatchawanaBabe]

23 hours ago, trtog7 said:

I emailed them and had an answer re covid and cruising. They say they will cover both but no idea about long term in Florida

 

Thanks, we'll contact them too to get more details although our friends who used this coverage while in Florida were very disappointed, so I'd be doubly concerned about coverage while cruising.

[willing292]

90 days.  We took it out when it was first offered

[Tango99]

On 10/4/2021 at 6:13 PM, BatchawanaBabe said:

We have the optional emergency out-of-country coverage through OPSEU Pension Trust for retirees for which we pay a monthly premium.  I'm not able to get much information about coverage, exclusions, etc. online and am concerned how good/bad the coverage is not just for cruises but for our winter stay at our Florida condo.  Has anyone had any experience with this coverage? 

Call and ask for information as to what is current. And get the name of the person who advises you. Our federal PS plan and benefits are the same as while employed including first 40 days out of country. We buy extra insurance beyond that time though now. with the tests and stuff back and forth we will buy more days and stay put. What we learned in 2020 while still in Florida and already in the middle of a trip, was that our PS plan was still in effect for the first 40 days and would cover us for any sickness anywhere including Covid. And that the extra insurance plan kicked in on day 1 for trip interruption and on day 41 for anything health wise  … except illness that takes place while a ‘non-essential travel ban’ is in effect.  That was in the small print. And the travel ban has not yet been rescinded. (Border crossing) So currently the existence of the ‘non-essential travel ban’ is key across the insurance industry. Not that your service plan won’t cover you for Covid, some do and some don’t. You have to ask that question. And you may have limitations for out of country. I know, there’s not many positive answers. Watch the news October 20/21 for updates from the US and Canada. 

[iancal]

We have out of country medical with my pension plan.  60 days.  Not OPSEU

 

We travel frequently.  The one thing that I do each year since retiring 10 years ago is go to the insurer's site and carefully read the T's and C's that concern us. 

 

  This past year we actually sent the insurer a query on covid coverage and rec'd a detailed written response.

Edited October 6, 2021 by iancal