Super Visa insurance claims, step by step: who to call, what to send and when you get paid
The first phone call decides most of what follows. Make it before treatment, or as soon as you can.
When a parent on a Super Visa falls ill in Canada, the family has two jobs: get the right care, and keep the claim payable. Every policy Pankaj sells works the same basic way. You call the insurer's 24-hour assistance line, the assistance company guides the care and often pays the hospital, and you send the rest of the bills with receipts within the deadlines in the wording.
In short
Call the insurer's 24-hour assistance line before treatment, or within 24 to 48 hours of a hospital admission. If you skip the call, many plans pay only 70% to 80% of the claim, or cap it at $25,000. Large hospital bills are often billed directly to the insurer; for clinic visits and prescriptions you usually pay and claim. Report the claim within 30 days, send itemized bills and medical records within 90 days, and expect payment within 60 days of complete proof on most wordings. If the claim is refused, appeal in writing, then go to the free OLHI ombudservice.
The claim process in seven steps
The order is the same with every Super Visa insurer Pankaj works with. Only the phone number and the exact deadlines change.
- 1. Call the assistance line firstUse the 24-hour number on the policy or wallet card. In a real emergency, go to hospital or call 911 first, and have a family member call the line the same day. Most wordings ask for the call within 24 hours of an emergency, or 24 to 48 hours of a hospital admission.
- 2. Show the policy at the hospital or clinicGive the policy number and the assistance company's name at registration. If the assistance company has confirmed coverage, it can deal with the hospital's billing office directly.
- 3. Get approval before surgery or tests that need itMany wordings require pre-approval for surgery, MRIs and similar services. Without it a claim can be reduced or delayed.
- 4. Keep every paperItemized bills, receipts, the discharge summary, prescription labels and any ambulance bill. A credit card slip alone is not enough.
- 5. Report the claim within 30 daysSend the claim form, or start the online claim, as soon as treatment ends. Written notice within 30 days is the usual rule.
- 6. Send full proof within 90 daysMedical records, bills and proof of travel. The insurer may also ask your parent's doctor at home for past records.
- 7. Payment, or a written decisionMost wordings say payment follows within 60 days of complete proof. If part of the claim is refused, the letter should say which clause was used.
Direct billing or pay and claim?
Which one applies depends on the size of the bill and whether the assistance company was called.
| Direct billing | Pay and claim | |
|---|---|---|
| Usually used for | Hospital admissions, emergency surgery, large emergency-room bills | Walk-in clinics, doctor visits, prescriptions, small emergency bills |
| Who pays the provider | The insurer or its assistance company, after it confirms coverage | You pay, then the insurer reimburses you |
| What you pay | The deductible, and anything not covered | The full bill first; the deductible is taken off the refund |
| What makes it work | The call to the assistance line before or soon after admission | Itemized receipts, the claim form and the medical notes |
| Common problem | No call, so the hospital bills the family directly | Receipts lost, or the claim sent after 90 days |
Canadian hospitals bill visitors at non-resident rates. Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa, for example, charges non-residents $1,242 for an emergency visit and $4,005 a day on a ward from April 1, 2026, before doctors' fees. That is why the first call matters.
Assistance numbers and claim rules by insurer
From the insurer pages on this site and the policy wordings, reviewed October 2026. The wallet card on your own policy is the final word.
| Insurer and assistance company | Call (Canada and USA) | If you don't call | Deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secure Travel (RIMI) MSH Assistance | 1-800-203-8508 collect +1-416-646-3107 | Pays 80%, up to $25,000 | Notice 30 days; proof 90 days |
| 2 Visit Canada MSH Assistance | 1-800-203-8508 collect +1-416-646-3107 | See wording | Claim form with itemized bills |
| MSH Discover Canada Intrepid 24/7 | 1-800-203-8508 collect +1-416-646-3107 | You may pay 20% | Call within 24 hours of admission |
| Destination: Canada Assistance line on wallet card | 1-855-286-7467 collect +1-519-913-8034 | You pay 20% | Report 30 days; proof 90 days; 1 year at most |
| TuGo Claims at TuGo | 1-800-663-0399 collect +1-604-278-4108 | See wording | Notice 30 days; proof 90 days |
| TruStone Health Trident Global Assistance | 1-833-370-8777 collect +1 416-814-7615 | Cut by 20%, up to $25,000 | Call within 48 hours of admission; documents 90 days |
| JF Visitor to Canada Ontime Care | 1-866-209-5804 collect +1-905-707-9555 | Pays 70%, up to $150,000 | Notice 30 days; proof 90 days |
| 21st Century Assistance Centre | 1-877-882-2957 collect +1-519-251-7856 | You may pay 20% | Report 30 days; proof 90 days |
| Manulife Active Care Management | Number on the wallet card | You pay 20% | Report 30 days; proof 90 days |
| GMS GMS Travel Assistance | 1-800-459-6604 collect +1-905-762-5196 | See wording | Call within 24 hours; submit 90 days |
| Allianz Allianz Global Assistance | 1-800-995-1662 collect 416-340-0049 | Can delay or reduce the claim | Call within 24 hours in a serious emergency |
| TravCare, Travel Shield Epic Health Solutions | 1-844-879-8379 collect +1-416-285-1722 | 80%, up to $25,000 | Claim within 90 days of treatment |
| AwayCare TrueNorth Penfield Care | 1-833-268-0551 collect 1-514-657-8654 | You may pay 30% | Call within 24 hours of admission; 90 days |
Claim deadline calculator
Enter the date of the emergency. You'll see the usual notice and proof deadlines, and when payment is due if you send everything today.
Uses the common rule of 30 days for notice, 90 days for proof, one year at the latest, and payment within 60 days of complete proof. Your wording may differ.
Documents to send with the claim
The claim form, signed by your parent, or by you if you hold a power of attorney. Several insurers take claims online.
Itemized bills from the hospital, doctors, labs and ambulance, showing each service and date. Hospitals and doctors bill separately, so expect more than one.
Proof of payment for anything you paid yourself: receipts and card slips.
Medical records: the emergency report, discharge summary and prescription receipts.
Proof of travel: the passport page with the entry stamp, or the boarding pass. The insurer checks that the emergency happened during the policy period and after any waiting period.
Records from home, if asked. For older parents the insurer often asks the family doctor in the home country for the last one or two years of records, to check whether a pre-existing condition was stable. Ask the doctor to send them quickly.
Numbers to know
- Assistance call
- Before treatment, or within 24 to 48 hours of admission
- Written notice
- Usually within 30 days
- Proof of claim
- Usually within 90 days
- Latest
- One year after the event, on most wordings
- Payment
- Within 60 days of complete proof, on most wordings
- Appeal
- In writing; TruStone allows 30 days
If the claim is refused or cut
The reasons insurers refuse claims are covered on our page on why visitor and Super Visa claims get denied. This is what to do once it has happened.
Get it in writing
Ask for the decision letter that names the policy clause. A phone answer is not enough to appeal.
Appeal to the insurer
Write to the claims or appeals team with new evidence, such as a letter from the treating doctor or the home doctor's records. Meet the insurer's deadline.
Ask for the final position
Follow the insurer's complaint process to the end and ask for its final position in writing.
Go to OLHI
The OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance reviews health insurance complaints for free: 1-888-295-8112. It aims to close most files within 120 days.
You can also contact your province's insurance regulator at any point. Pankaj helps his clients with appeals at no charge.
Questions about Super Visa insurance claims
What is the first thing to do when my parent needs a doctor in Canada?
Call the 24-hour assistance number on the policy before going for care, unless it is a true emergency; then go to hospital and have someone call as soon as possible.
The assistance company confirms coverage, points you to a clinic or hospital, and can arrange to pay the hospital directly. Most wordings ask for the call within 24 hours of an emergency or 24 to 48 hours of an admission.
What happens if we forget to call the assistance line?
The claim is not automatically refused, but many plans pay less: for example 80% up to $25,000 on RIMI, 70% on JF, or 20% off on Destination and Manulife.
Most wordings waive the cut if calling was medically impossible. Save the number in your phone and your parent's wallet on the day the policy is bought.
Will the insurer pay the hospital directly?
Often, yes, for hospital stays and large bills, once the assistance company has been called and has confirmed coverage.
You still pay any deductible. For walk-in clinics, small bills and prescriptions, you usually pay first and claim back with the receipts.
How long do we have to send a claim?
Most visitor wordings ask for written notice within 30 days and full proof within 90 days of the date the claim arose.
Destination's wording, for example, accepts late notice or proof if it was not reasonably possible to send it sooner, but no later than one year after the event. Do not count on that.
How long does a Super Visa claim take to be paid?
Many wordings say the insurer pays within 60 days after it receives complete proof of claim.
Missing records are the usual cause of delay. The insurer may ask the home-country doctor for records to check the pre-existing condition history, which adds time.
What documents does the insurer need?
The claim form, itemized bills (not just a total), proof of payment, the medical report or discharge summary, prescription receipts, the passport stamp or boarding pass, and sometimes records from home.
Send copies, keep the originals, and write the policy number on every page.
What can we do if the claim is refused?
Ask for the reason in writing, appeal with new evidence within the insurer's deadline, and if you still disagree, ask the free OLHI ombudservice to review it.
TruStone, for example, gives 30 days to appeal in writing after its first decision. See why claims get denied for the common reasons.
Can we still get a refund after a claim?
Usually not. Most insurers refuse a refund once a claim has been paid or is pending.
See Super Visa insurance refunds for the rules by insurer.
Written by Pankaj Bhatia, CHS, PFA
Insure In Canada Inc. · Licensed in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
Pankaj has sold Super Visa and visitors insurance for 11 years. His clients call him when a parent ends up in hospital, and he helps with the assistance call, the claim form and any appeal at no charge.
Sources and related pages
- TuGo Visitors to Canada policy wording (statutory conditions)
- Destination: Canada visitor policy wording (09/2026)
- TruStone Visitors to Canada policy wording
- Manulife Visitors to Canada Enhanced policy wording
- OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance (OLHI)
- FCAC: how to file a complaint about your insurance company
- Saskatchewan FCAA: travel insurance and complaints
General information, not legal advice. Claim procedures, phone numbers and deadlines are set by each policy wording and can change; the wording on your policy confirmation governs. Phone numbers are as shown on the insurer pages of this site in October 2026; check the wallet card on your own policy.