Dear Bird Talk, We were astonished when many of our snowbird friends had to end their vacations abruptly because their out-of-country medical insurance providers announced that they would not cover COVID-19 virus claims. It is unbelievable to me that any reputable insurer would do this. Their sudden announcement that policies would be cancelled in 10 days ruined the plans of many snowbirds and travellers and caused not only serious emotional stress, but financial losses as well. For years, we have recommended Medipac to our friends with complete confidence and perhaps now, the insurers who left their clients high and dry will see a dramatic decrease in their business. Thank you, Medipac, for honouring our policies! We never once doubted that you would do so. Carol Dover Kingsville, ON Ed.:We can end on a high note. Medipac policies for this and next year’s travel WILL cover COVID19, again. And annual policies left over from last year will also insure the COVID-19 problem. We are fixing our website now to reflect this. Make sure to purchase our Early Bird plan for best prices and best results, and purchasing online is by far the best way to do this as our staff is limited with all of the emergencies created by COVID-19 rules and regulations. BirdTalk Featuring the letters & concerns of our members SEND YOUR LETTERS TO Bird Talk, c/o CSANews 180 Lesmill Road Toronto, Ontario M3B 2T5 or by e-mail: csawriteus@snowbirds.org Bird Talk Dear Bird Talk, We opened a bank account in Florida on January 2014, at Wells Fargo, to pay expenses for our Florida home. Wells Fargo closed our account this week, May 2020, without our knowledge, stating that we had not provided our social security number. Is this legal? Cheri Fotheringham Palmerston, ON Ed.: Legal – Yes; Ethical – No. U.S. banks are not like our Canadian banks and are probably 10 years behind when it comes to computer systems. This is simply a clerical “error” on someone not trained on a Canadian customer’s account. I would call the branch and ask for the manager and explain that you are a Canadian snowbird. They will reinstate your account and probably put in the first eight digits of your Canadian SIN to keep the computer happy. Dear Bird Talk, Will Medipac cover the cost of vaccination in the United States if a vaccine is approved for COVID-19 and available during the coverage period? I realize that this would not normally be considered an emergency medical expense, but these are not normal times and the cost would be considerably less than for medical treatment of an infection. Larry Mantle Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON Ed.: The immediate answer is “No,” as it is not medically necessary. But it is a very interesting question nonetheless. My guess is that the U.S. government may pay for it to save the stress on their medical systems. Depending on the cost and availability, Medipac may consider it as a one-time future benefit, as well. It is too early for those kinds of decisions, but we will keep this in mind when we redesign our programs. Dear Bird Talk, Many fellow snowbirds use Spectrum for telephone/internet/cable on a seasonal basis. Upon first inception, they were somewhat hard to deal with…especially over the phone. I must congratulate themon cleaning up their customer service. Upon early return this year, I tried in vain to check my account online. After numerous attempts using different methods, it was a no-go. I reluctantly made the phone call and, to my surprise, got great service. When questioned, the representative didn’t knowwhy I couldn’t log in. She passed me to tech support and he had to put me on hold to find out. Bottom line is that their website can’t be accessed outside of the U.S. This is a security protocol to prevent any foreign hacking or other interference. Hope that this information saves others from the frustration and waste of time which I experienced. Jim Pearson Calgary, AB Ed.: Thanks for the tip, Jim. It sounds like you just call for the information you need. We rarely get a complaint about Spectrum, and it resolves very quickly. We like them. CSANews | SUMMER 2020 | 11
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