Aetna International, an American-based international health insurance provider, has announced that it will be expanding its services for expats moving into, or moving abroad from, Canada.
The insurance plans will provide cover for everyone, regardless of whether they have provincial health insurance or not. It will also be tailored to specific groups and can be accessed through employers, brokers and other mediators. Expat clients will be able to access medical services through Cowan Insurance Group, Aetna International’s partner in Ottawa. What’s more, all members will receive access to more than a million healthcare providers in the US, as well as over 100,000 providers in the rest of the world. This will, of course, hugely benefit Canadians looking to move abroad.
Currently, temporary expats living in Canada have no access to public health insurance, known as Medicare, until they gain permanent resident status. Even then, Medicare does not cover all nationalities and it can take up to three months to receive a Medicare card, so many have to purchase the more expensive option of individual private medical insurance (IPMI). Evidently, this new international health insurance plan will be very advantageous for expats moving to Canada, allowing them to settle into the country knowing that they have a comprehensive healthcare plan.
Image: Bryce Evans