We strongly recommend you call OTIP Travel Assistance during a claim incident for support on finding the correct provider and help during the claim submission process. Please use the phone numbers below:

• Canada/U.S.: 1-800-936-6226
• Outside Canada and the U.S.: 519-742-3556

Helpful tip: Dial 00 for an international operator. If calling from a cell phone, you may need to dial 00-519-742-3556 and request with an operator (not an automated system) to make a collect call. After providing the number you are trying to reach, the operator will confirm that we accept the charges.

Travel claims are paid directly to the provider by OTIP Travel Assistance where possible. Travel claims, must be received by OTIP Travel Assistance no later than 12 months from the date the eligible expense was incurred.

If you need to pay up front, be sure to ask for an itemized bill from the service provider and detailed physician’s notes including an assessment of your medical condition. Be sure to contact OTIP Travel Assistance prior to making any payment, if feasible.  

You can submit your claims to OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) in one of two ways: 

• Online at  canassistance.com/en/policyholder/claims.
• By mail. Please contact OTIP Travel Assistance at 1-800-936-6226 to obtain a claim form and detailed claim submission instructions.

Make sure you tell OTIP Travel Assistance about all the travel coverage you have when submitting claims. Claims must be submitted together with supporting original receipts to OTIP Travel Assistance. At time of claim, you will be required to fill out a claim form which includes questions regarding services rendered. Claims cannot be assessed until the claim form and all required documentation is submitted.  

To find more information on RTIP travel coverage and access frequently asked questions, please visit otip.com/for-retirees/travel.

If RTIP members have questions regarding certain benefits before trip departure, OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) can help. Along with your government issued ID and RTIP ID card, travelers should always bring their provincial health card and a credit card.

The pre-travel inquiries team is ready to provide the following optional services:

• Evaluation of known medical conditions prior to departure and medical review (medical questionnaire): OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) can establish over the phone if your known medical condition is eligible for coverage during an upcoming trip and, if need be, recommend that your treating physician complete a medical questionnaire prior to departure (limitations apply).
• Information on the destination: Global Affairs Canada warnings, vaccines, visas, general questions on currency and rates, time zone differences, international dialing codes, provider references, embassies, etc.
• Information on benefits, exclusions, and confirmations of coverage: Confirmation of your coverage and verify specific exclusions that may apply. OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) can also provide, upon request, a confirmation of coverage letter, which includes: your first and last name, travel dates, insurer’s name, RTIP ID number, people covered under the plan, and amount of coverage ($). The confirmation also provides instructions on how to reach us abroad.

If it is medically impossible for the covered person to call prior to obtaining emergency treatment, it is important to have someone (family member, caregiver, friend, etc.) call OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) on the covered person’s behalf within 48 hours and alert them of the treatment. If possible, please ensure the individual calling has your OTIP ID handy.

You can find your OTIP ID on your RTIP ID card or RTIP plan member site.

If you need to pay up front, be sure to ask for an itemized bill from the service provider and detailed physician’s notes including an assessment of your medical condition. Travel claims must be received by OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) no later than 12 months from the date the eligible expense was incurred, or within 90 days for terminated benefit plans.

All travel-related claims must be submitted through OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance), not through the RTIP plan member site. If you have incurred out of pocket expenses,  please submit your claims to OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) in one of two ways: 

• Online at https://canassistance.com/en/policyholder/claims
• By mail. Please contact OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) at 1-800-936-6226 to obtain a claim form and detailed claim submission instructions.   

Note: Make sure you tell OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) about all other travel coverage you may have when submitting claims. Claims must be submitted together with supporting original receipts to OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance).

When travelling Out-of-Province/Out-of-Country, a medical emergency is defined as an acute, unexpected or unforeseen sickness or injury that requires immediate, non-discretionary medical attention.

A Medical Condition is considered Stable when all of the following statements are true during the 90-day period immediately preceding the date of departure:

• There has not been any new Treatment prescribed or recommended, or change(s) to existing Treatment (including stoppage in Treatment).
• The Medical Condition has not become worse.
• There has not been any new, more frequent, or more severe symptoms.
• There has been no Hospitalization or referral to a specialist.
• There have not been any tests, investigation or Treatment recommended, but not yet complete, nor any outstanding test results.
• There is no planned or pending Treatment.
• There has not been any change to an existing prescribed Drug (including an increase, decrease, or stoppage to prescribed dosage) or recommendation or starting of a new prescription Drug.

The following are not considered changes to existing prescribed Drug Treatment:

• Routine dosage adjustments of Coumadin, Warfarin, or insulin, as long as these medications have not been newly prescribed or stopped;
• A change from a brand name to a generic equivalent product as long as the dosage is the same – including a transition from a Biologic to a Biosimilar Drug product;
• A decrease in the dosage of a medication due to the improvement of a condition.

Note:  All conditions above must be met during the 90-day period before departure to be considered medically stable.

You or your dependant may have trip cancellation/interruption coverage in the cases of:

• A Medical Emergency of the Covered Person or, if the Covered Person has already departed on the trip, a Medical Emergency of the Covered Person or Travelling Companion;
• A Medical Emergency or death of a Covered Person or a member of the Covered Person’s immediate or Extended Family;
• The death of a Covered Person’s Travelling Companion or of a member of the Immediate or Extended Family of the Travelling Companion;
• A travel advisory issued by the Government of Canada after the purchase of the travel tickets, recommending that Canadians avoid non-essential travel to that destination;
• If the Covered Person has not yet departed on the trip, a call for jury duty, a subpoena to appear as a witness or a required appearance to be a defendant in a civil suit, during the period of the trip;
• If the Covered Person has already departed on the trip, damage to the Covered Person’s principal residence by a disaster making it uninhabitable; or
• If the Covered Person has already departed on the trip, a natural disaster at the place of destination.

Please note: OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) (CanAssistance) may request proof of non-refundable travel arrangements (i.e., unused tickets, receipts/coupons for transport, etc.), a Physician's statement, and/or documentary evidence of emergency which has caused the cancellation/interruption.

You can purchase extra coverage if you want to increase the number of days out of province/country over the 100-day limit. For more information, call Allianz at 1-866-520-8823 or 519-742-9013.

To purchase extra coverage, you need:

• a valid health card/Provincial Health Plan card number (ID),
• to be a resident of Canada who maintains a permanent place of residence in Canada, and
• to be present in a province or territory for a minimum period of 153 days within 12 months.

We recommend coverage for a trip exceeding 100 days be purchased prior to departure by calling Allianz (email is not applicable).  If you need to purchase top-up travel insurance while out of province/country, you must call Allianz at the number above. Coverage must be continuous and cannot be purchased once your current coverage ends (100-day limit).

In the event of an illness or medical emergency, you or your covered family members must call OTIP Travel Assistance as soon as possible. RTIP members have access to 24-hour emergency assistance while travelling. Emergency travel numbers can be found here.

A pre-existing condition refers to any medical condition that exists prior to the date of the covered person’s departure. Emergency travel insurance excludes treatment of a pre-existing condition that was not medically stable (see above for medically stable definition) for the 90-day period before the covered person’s departure.

If you are medically stable when travelling and experience a medical emergency, you will be covered as per the terms of your RTIP contract. We recommend you discuss your medical conditions with your physician before travelling to ensure you’re considered stable.

Please note: We cannot guarantee coverage as claims are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. However, we can offer pre-trip assistance. OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) can establish over the phone if your known medical condition is eligible for coverage during an upcoming trip and, if need be, recommend that your treating physician complete a medical questionnaire prior to departure.

Travel Advisory Level One and Two:

• Coverage is not affected for these travel advisory levels. We do recommend closely monitoring government-imposed restrictions or advisories before departure and while travelling.

Travel Advisory Level Three and Four:

• If the advisory is issued prior to departure, the plan member has the opportunity to use their trip cancellation coverage to receive reimbursement.
• If an advisory is issued while the member is travelling, coverage will not be affected; however, we recommend that the plan member utilizes their trip interruption coverage to return home immediately, as per the government website instructions.
• If the member decides to travel during a Level Three or Four advisory, there may be no assistance or coverage.
• If you book a trip to a location with a Level 3 (or higher) travel advisory, you cannot claim trip cancellation or trip interruption.

Before travelling, we recommend that members:

• Follow the advice of the Government of Canada and local government when booking trips and travelling at travel.gc.ca.
• Read your RTIP contract for full coverage details to understand your benefits. Visit otip.com and click the Log In button at the top of the webpage, then select RTIP (for retired members) from the drop-down menu to log in and view your contract.
• If you have further questions, you can call OTIP Travel Assistance (CanAssistance) at 1-800-936-6226 for information on the destination, benefits, exclusions, and confirmations of coverage.

If you or a covered dependant are placed in a medical quarantine or government-imposed lockdown while travelling, but are not having a medical emergency, your policy does not provide any coverage for trip interruption costs (e.g. accommodations, food or transportation). This is because the plan is intended to protect you if you have a medical emergency.

Subject to the terms of your contract, if you or a covered family member experiences a medical emergency while travelling  and are quarantined/locked down, you may be eligible for coverage under your emergency Out-of-province/Out-of-Canada benefit. In addition, Trip Interruption coverage (part of your Emergency Travel Assistance plan) may cover your costs for food, accommodations and return transportation home (e.g., if you miss your originally scheduled flight). This is also subject to the terms of your policy.  

Eligible travel benefits are limited to 100 days per trip. The 100-day limit will reset once the Covered Person(s) returns to their province or territory of residence for a minimum of 24 hours. You must also maintain Canadian residency requirements, which include:

• Having a valid health card/Provincial Health Plan card number (ID),
• Be a resident of Canada who maintains a permanent place of residence in Canada, and
• Be present in a province or territory for at least 153 days within 12 months.

Coverage begins on the date of departure from the Covered Person’s province/territory of residence. Coverage ends the earlier of the date the Covered Person returns home, or the date the Covered Person reaches the maximum number of days permitted for each trip. Exceptions for hospitalizations and emergencies apply, please refer to your RTIP contract for more information on the 100-day limit.

RTIP travel insurance covers eligible members and dependent children (listed under your policy) for $10 million per lifetime for emergency services while travelling outside your province of residence. Coverage is for up to 100 consecutive days per trip with an unlimited number of trips per year  subject to eligibility through your provincial plan.

To find more information on RTIP travel coverage and to access frequently asked questions, please visit otip.com/for-retirees/travel. For more details on your specific RTIP travel coverage, please check your RTIP contract.

Eligible expenses for covered dependent children studying outside their province of residence will be considered under the health care plan on the same basis as if expenses were incurred in their province of residence (provincial government health insurance coverage must remain in place).

Emergency travel coverage is limited to 100 days. Therefore, it will be important to purchase individual travel insurance to cover your covered dependent children after the 100 consecutive travel days. Top-up travel insurance can be purchased through Allianz Global Assistance at 1-866-520-8823 or 519-742-9013.

For frequently asked travel questions or instructions to make an emergency travel claim, please visit otip.com/for-retirees/travel.

Travel coverage for overage disabled dependants 

There is no age limit for unmarried, dependent children who are incapable of self-sustaining support due to a mental or physical disability that occurred prior to age 21. Please note that any two family members can qualify for couple coverage.

If you do not have an eligible spouse, you and your dependent child can qualify for couple rates under RTIP.If you have questions about your current RTIP travel coverage, please contact the RTIP Contact Centre by calling 1-833-318-2811 or emailing planchangesandbilling@rtip.otip.com.

Third-party liability coverage can protect you in cases where you may be held legally liable (or responsible) for injuries or damage to someone else's property in a collision. It is important that if you’re driving outside of Canada, you have enough liability coverage to cover potential lawsuits due to an accident as lawsuit rewards in the U.S tend to be higher than Canada.

For current RTIP insurance policyholders: Before leaving Canada, contact our Broker Service team at 1-800-267-6847 to ensure you have the right level of coverage for your trip.

Looking for Auto Insurance? Call us at 1-833-536-2184 to speak with an OTIP Broker or get a fast online quote!

Most insurance companies will insure your Canadian car in the U.S. for up to six months, but this period can vary depending on your insurer’s limits and your specific policy.

For current RTIP insurance policyholders: It’s important to contact our Broker Service team at 1-800-267-6847 to ensure you understand your policy’s restrictions and period of coverage outside of Canada.

Looking for Auto Insurance? Call us at 1-833-536-2184 to speak with an OTIP Broker or get a fast online quote!