Travel Outside of Canada
It pays to be prepared when you travel. Remember, being on holidays doesn’t mean taking a vacation from prescribed treatment, special diet or prescription medications.
Before you leave:
- Contact Canada Foreign Affairs and International Trade to see what the travel recommendations are for your destination.
- Check with your health care provider. If you’ve had surgery, a stroke or heart attack, a bone fracture or other significant illness, your health care provider will advise when it is safe to travel and what precautions, if any, to follow. High altitudes and severe air pollution may make your holiday a health risk if you have high blood pressure, anemia, respiratory or cardiac conditions.
- Take care of routine dental and medical matters before you go.
- Review immunization records and update them. Contact your health care provider or the For Your Health line (1-888-431-5875) for a list of immunization clinics in your area.
- Carry medications in original containers, with typed labels, in your carry-on luggage, and take extra for emergencies. Pack clothing appropriate for the destination, including a comfortable/sturdy pair of shoes. Wear your medical alert bracelet and take a first aid kit.
Remember that staying healthy while travelling is a matter of preparation and being attentive to cleanliness, insects, food, water and security. Bon voyage!
Coverage
If you have Extended Health Care benefits with ASEBP, you also have emergency travel coverage for outside Canada.
When you travel, you are covered for specific emergency expenses – defined as any unexpected or life threatening accident or illness arising suddenly and requiring immediate medical attention.
ASEBP will pay reasonable and customary charges for emergency services only in excess of the amount paid by your provincial health care coverage for:
- emergency travel assistance
- medical evacuation
- medical care, including surgery and semi-private hospital accommodation (must be a public general active treatment hospital)
- the usual services and supplies covered by your Extended Health Care plan when directly related to the emergency
Emergency travel coverage is automatically effective when you leave Canada. This means you are covered from the time you cross the Canadian border (or the time your plane takes off) until you reach the Canadian border again (or when your plane lands).
If you have an emergency, contact the travel assistance service as quickly as possible.
Claim process
To submit the Emergency Out of Country claim form, you need
- original receipts/invoices (translated to English if applicable). Alberta Health Care does not return receipts, so photocopy them before submission.
- the diagnosis and details of the services rendered.
- details of any other health/travel benefit plans you may have.
- the patient’s provincial health care number and the patient’s ASEBP identification number appearing on your ASEBP card.
Expenses are first considered by your provincial health care plan. Either submit the information directly to your provincial health care plan or submit it to ASEBP on a completed Emergency Out of Country Claim form. ASEBP will forward it to your provincial health care plan on your behalf.
After your provincial health care plan completes their assessment, payment will be sent to you with a statement of account explaining the payment. It is up to you to forward the provincial health care plan payment to the service provider if expenses are still outstanding.
Send your completed Emergency Out of Country Claim form, the photocopy of receipts/invoices and the provincial health care statement of account to ASEBP for assessment of payment eligibility for the balance of expenses.
ASEBP then pays the eligible outstanding balance directly to the service provider OR to you if payment was made already made. ASEBP does not cover any accrued interest charges. Emergency Out of Country Claim forms can be downloaded from the ASEBP website at www.asebp.ab.ca. If you would prefer mail, contact your employer or ASEBP.
Contacting the travel assistance service
In an emergency, call within 24 hours to:
- Toll free in Canada and U.S.A.
1-888-772-2583
Toll free in Europe 00-800-4873-2583
In other countries or if you have difficulties with numbers listed above, call 1-403-225-4289 collect.
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