A Secure Travel claim starts with a call to MSH Assistance, the claims administrator, on the 24-hour number printed on the certificate, as soon as possible and before treatment. MSH’s visitor wording requires contact within 24 hours and before any surgery, or 20 percent of eligible expenses becomes yours. MSH confirms cover, coordinates direct billing where possible, and sends the claim form. Submit it with original itemized bills, prescription receipts and travel documents within 90 days. The underwriter is iA Financial Group; RIMI Insurance Solutions owns the brand.
The general claim rules are on the claims hub. The plan is reviewed at Secure Travel.
What do you need before you start?
The MSH Assistance number from the certificate, because it is not the same as Secure Travel’s sales line, and the policy number. Then the passport, ticket, hospital details, and later the originals of every bill and receipt.
| Item | Why MSH needs it |
|---|---|
| MSH Assistance 24-hour number (on certificate and wallet card) | The only line that opens a claim file; confirm it at quote time |
| Policy number | Identifies the iA-underwritten Secure Travel certificate |
| Passport pages confirming travel dates; airfare ticket | Required claim documents; prove the policy was in force on entry |
| Hospital name, ward, attending physician, admission time | For cover confirmation and the 24-hour test |
| Original itemized bills from each provider | Required; copies may be rejected |
| Original prescription drug receipts | Required for drug reimbursement |
| Medication list with dates; home-country doctor’s contact | Needed if MSH checks the 90 or 180-day stability period |
Sources: PolicyAdvisor Secure Travel review and PolicyAdvisor MSH review. Secure Travel’s policy questions line is 1-833-366-0878 and [email protected] per HelloSafe; use it for date changes and refunds, not emergencies.
How do you make a Secure Travel claim, step by step?
Seven steps. The call takes minutes; assembling originals takes days; the decision takes weeks.
- Call MSH Assistance before treatment, and in any case within 24 hours of admission and before any surgery. Give the policy number, hospital, diagnosis and a callback number. Note the file number, the agent’s name and the time of the call.
- Ask MSH to confirm cover to the hospital’s billing office and set up direct billing. MSH “offers 24/7 emergency assistance and direct billing where possible.” If the hospital insists on a card from a non-resident, which Ottawa’s Queensway Carleton states as its policy, pay only against an itemized receipt and tell MSH; see direct billing.
- Request the claim form from MSH. It is “a duly completed claim form provided by MSH Assistance,” so do not use a generic form from another insurer.
- Collect originals: itemized bills from each medical provider, prescription receipts, the airfare ticket and passport pages with travel dates. Photograph everything before sending.
- Sign the medical-records authorization. If a pre-existing condition is involved, ask the home-country doctor now for a dated prescription history covering the stability period, 90 days to age 69 or 180 days from 70.
- Submit written proof of claim within 90 days of the medical services, by the channel MSH specifies on the form. Keep the courier receipt or email confirmation.
- Follow up every two weeks in writing, quoting the file number, until the decision letter arrives.
Sources: PolicyAdvisor Secure Travel review and Queensway Carleton Hospital. The first hour is covered on emergency: what to do first.
How long does it take?
MSH publishes no service standard for Secure Travel claims, and Secure Travel has no independent review footprint we could verify, so there is no public pattern of delay. Direct-billed hospital claims settle between MSH and the hospital; reimbursement claims depend on when the originals and any records arrive.
| Stage | Deadline or typical time |
|---|---|
| Call MSH Assistance | Before treatment; within 24 hours; before surgery |
| Cover confirmed to hospital | Same day to a few days |
| Claim form issued | On request after the first call |
| Written proof of claim | Within 90 days of the medical services |
| Decision | Weeks after the complete file |
| Refund of premium if visa refused | Request within 60 days under MSH terms, less administration fee |
Sources: PolicyAdvisor MSH review and PolicyAdvisor Secure Travel review.
What if it goes wrong?
The risks specific to Secure Travel are calling the sales line instead of MSH, losing originals, a lapsed monthly instalment, and a stability denial. The appeal route runs to iA, not RIMI.
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Called 1-833-366-0878 in an emergency | Hang up and call the MSH number on the certificate; the sales line cannot open a claim |
| Missed the 24-hour window | Call now; explain the medical reason in writing; ask for the 20% penalty to be waived |
| Hospital demands payment up front | Ask billing to call MSH’s file number; pay only with itemized receipts; claim back |
| Monthly instalment missed before the event | Check whether cover lapsed; a lapse is a full denial ground; see monthly plans |
| Denied for a pre-existing condition | Get the written decision and clause; obtain the prescription history; appeal to iA Financial Group’s complaints officer; see denied claim, what next |
| No decision after 60 days | Written complaint to MSH citing the THIA “timely and transparent communication” commitment; then iA; then OLHI |
Do not confuse Secure Travel with MSH’s own Discover Canada product, which has its own numbers and terms; use the number on the Secure Travel certificate. SuperVisaDirect helps with the appeal file: [email protected] or a callback, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm Eastern Time.
How does Secure Travel compare on claims handling?
Secure Travel was the lowest-priced of the eight carriers we track on 18 October 2026, and its claims process is standard MSH: 24-hour call, 20 percent penalty, 90-day proof. What it lacks is a public claims record. If that matters, read Secure Travel vs GMS for a direct insurer alternative.
Questions people ask
Who do I call for a Secure Travel medical emergency?
MSH Assistance, the claims administrator, on the 24-hour number printed on the certificate and wallet card. Secure Travel's own customer line, 1-833-366-0878, and email [email protected] are for policy questions, not emergencies. The underwriter, iA Financial Group, does not take claim calls. Confirm the MSH number at quote time and store it in the host's phone.
What happens if I do not call MSH within 24 hours?
You may be responsible for 20 percent of eligible expenses. The MSH wording used on visitor plans requires contact within 24 hours and before any surgery. If the parent was physically unable to call, say so in writing and ask for the penalty to be waived; keep the hospital's admission time as evidence.
What documents does MSH need for a Secure Travel claim?
A duly completed claim form provided by MSH Assistance, original itemized bills from each medical provider, original prescription drug receipts, a copy of the airfare ticket, and the passport pages confirming travel dates. MSH may also ask for medical records to check stability. Written proof of claim should be submitted within 90 days of the medical services.
Does Secure Travel pay the hospital directly?
MSH Assistance provides direct billing coordination where possible, which means it gives the hospital a guarantee of payment once cover is confirmed. Some Ontario hospitals still require a credit card from non-residents at registration. If you pay anything, get an itemized receipt and claim it back through MSH.
Who decides an appeal on a Secure Travel claim?
The insurer, iA Financial Group, through its complaints process, after MSH Assistance has given its decision in writing. RIMI Insurance Solutions, which owns the Secure Travel brand, is a managing general agent and cannot overturn a denial. Once iA issues a final position letter, OLHI can review the complaint free of charge.
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Sources
- PolicyAdvisor, Secure Travel (RIMI) Visitor to Canada Insurance Review
- PolicyAdvisor, MSH Visitor to Canada Insurance Review (MSH Assistance claims rules)
- HelloSafe, RIMI travel insurance review 2026 (contact details)
- Queensway Carleton Hospital, Patients without Ontario health insurance (credit card at registration)
- THIA, Travel Insurance Bill of Rights and Responsibilities