Health Insurance & Cellphone coverage for trip to Canada

LI-camper - regarding out-of-country insurance - we use Seven Corners (DW on medicare) when we go north - look on line. You pay based on length of stay, you can choose level of coverage. Always get it, never needed it so far! If you just want a sim card, check out a chain electronics store called The Source www.thesource.ca - they were recommended to us, but I just went with a temporary global plan from Verizon. Pay-as-you go from Walmart would also work - either way you need to distribute your new phone number to anyone who may need to reach you, too... ST

Headed to NB, NS & NL as well. Total time will be about 2 months.

Current phone plan is to get a Rogers prepaid simcard & put it in an unlocked phone.

I'm the OP. I am on Medicare. My cellphone plan, Consumer Cellular, does not have a provision for out of US use. I thank all of the forum members for their input. Does anybody know if I can get a SIM card to use while in Canada? I am exploring the health insurance plans available for travelers.

If you are on Medicare, you are not covered outside the USA or its territories.

Thanks-I'm not there yet so I wasn't thinking along those lines. We are still lucky enough to have a high-end plan.

Please please don't tell me you are suggesting to not get health insurance. That would border on being incredibly bad advice.

X2, as does being unreachable while on the road. I speak from experience on this.

donn0128 wrote:
Three weeks? Turn off your cell phone, dont get sick. If you have to have a cell phone, stop at the first wall mart across the border, buy the cheapest pay as you go plus 50 minutes.

Please please don't tell me you are suggesting to not get health insurance. That would border on being incredibly bad advice.


Gary Haupt

Crowe wrote:
Your health insurance should cover you out of the country-ours does. I'd check with them before I bought anything extra. It may constitute "out of network" coverage but the difference between that and in-network coverage may be less than a separate policy.

Check with your cell coverage provider and see what they offer. As stated above, AT&T has cheap monthly plans.

If you are on Medicare, you are not covered outside the USA or its territories. For many RVers, Medicare is their primary health care insurance.
As a retired military member with service connected injuries, while Medicare will not cover me outside the US, TRICARE will cover some medical expenses if the member is abroad. It pays to check with your insurance provider regarding your coverages while outside the country.

Your health insurance should cover you out of the country-ours does. I'd check with them before I bought anything extra. It may constitute "out of network" coverage but the difference between that and in-network coverage may be less than a separate policy.

Check with your cell coverage provider and see what they offer. As stated above, AT&T has cheap monthly plans.

Thanks Canadafan. I will check that website. Recently we traveled to Indiana to pick up a motorhome being repaired. Both me and DW got very ill the day after we arrived. I had to go to the ER for IV fluids as I became dehydrated. It turns out we both got a Norovirus. When we got home several days later, we gave it to our sons. I don't like to be without insurance.
As far as a cell plan, we usually don't make reservations, but we call ahead as we travel and know where we will be for the night. Can we buy a SIM card to use for a few weeks?

AT&T has a passport plan for 30.00 per month that gives you a reduced rate for talk and data.
60.00 a month if you use a lot.

Three weeks? Turn off your cell phone, dont get sick. If you have to have a cell phone, stop at the first wall mart across the border, buy the cheapest pay as you go plus 50 minutes.