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aMa members get a discount on travel medical insurance with this type of situation .” Murray says . “ They ’ ll need help to make sure they understand the treatment being proposed ,”
“ The day it happened , we spoke to a state trooper , as well as medical staff and Drew ’ s friend ,” says Dave Riviere , Drew ’ s father . “ But we weren ’ t able to talk to Drew until 10 p . m .” Dave and his wife Jackie flew to Sioux Falls the next day to be with their son . The couple is thankful for the seamless support provided by their AMA travel counsellor , as well as the Assistance team at Orion Travel Insurance *, who helped them navigate Drew ’ s medical situation and their own travel needs .
“ We flew down , not knowing if Drew was paralyzed ,” Jackie says . “ That was hard . You just don ’ t know what to expect .”
In January 2017 , Drew Riviere and a friend drove to Florida for a winter escape . On their way home to Calgary , they went through South Dakota to visit Mount Rushmore . “ We were an hour and a half away when we had a head-on collision at highway speed ,” says Drew , who was 23 at the time . “ Both cars were totalled .”
Though his friend was able to walk away from the crash , Drew wasn ’ t so lucky : “ Both my ankles were shattered , and I suffered a burst fracture to the L3 vertebrae in my lower back , which in layman ’ s terms means it exploded .”
start them early Fortunately , Drew had travel medical insurance ; buying insurance coverage is part of his routine when preparing for a trip .
AMA members with young-adult children who love to travel — be it for
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Have “ The Talk ” About Travel Medical Insurance
it ’ s time to tell your kids why they need protection By BOnnIE STarInG
rock-climbing in B . C . or a post-grad trip to Australia — can ensure they aren ’ t burdened with unexpected medical bills by taking care of their kids ’ travel medical insurance .
Even when travelling within Canada , some costs , such as ambulance rides , the return of a vehicle and air-ambulance expenses , aren ’ t covered by provincial health plans . “ If a person is unable to fly home commercially , an air ambulance ride can cost $ 50,000 from a North American location to more than $ 200,000 from Australia , Asia or Europe ,” advises Pam Murray , travel insurance sales manager at AMA .
Be by their side In addition to medical expenses , policies also cover travel expenses for you to assist and support your loved one . “ This is especially important for a young person , who may be unfamiliar confidence in coverage “ Before that day , I ’ d never even broken a bone and I was never in any accidents ,” Drew says . “ I didn ’ t think something like that could happen to me this early in my life .” But it did happen , and the aftermath was serious .
After the collision , Drew was transported by ambulance to the nearest hospital , where he received emergency care . Later he was airlifted to Sioux Falls . He underwent back surgery and remained hospitalized for nine days before being airlifted back to Calgary .
The total estimated cost ? Nearly $ 300,000 . “ A $ 60 policy saved us hundreds of thousands ,” Drew says .
All members of the Riviere family consider themselves lucky that Drew had that policy . “ Without insurance , the medical costs would ’ ve been devastating for us financially ,” Dave says .
More good news : Following months of rehab , Drew is now able to walk without using a cane . To celebrate his recovery , Drew and his friend are planning a repeat trip to Florida — with travel medical insurance policies in hand , naturally . “ The only difference ,” Drew laughs , “ is that we ’ ll be flying this time .”
To learn more and get a free quote : AMATravel . ca / TravelInsurance
Leonardo Patrizi / istock
24 sPring 2018
AMA insider
* aMa travel insurance is underwritten by orion travel insurance . caa assistance is provided by active care Management inc .