OLHI, the OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance, is the free, independent review body for complaints against Canadian life and health insurers, and super visa medical insurance is within its mandate. You must first finish the insurer’s internal complaint process and obtain its final position letter. Then file through OLHI’s online portal with a signed authorization and your documents. OLHI aims to conclude most complaints within 120 days of acknowledging them. Its recommendations are non-binding, but the insurers fund and participate in the process.
The steps before OLHI, from written reasons to final position letter, are on denied claim: what next. This page covers the OLHI filing itself.
What do you need before you start?
The final position letter, the policy, your complaint correspondence, your evidence, and OLHI’s authorization form. The complaint must be against the underwriter, which is an OLHI participant, not against the brand.
| Item | Why OLHI needs it |
|---|---|
| Insurer’s final position letter | OLHI “reviews the final position letter and decides whether the complaint is within its mandate” |
| Signed authorization form (OLHI provides it) | Lets OLHI obtain your file from the insurer |
| The insurance policy | “Your insurance policy, which the Analyst will review” |
| Your written complaint to the insurer and its replies | Shows the internal process was exhausted |
| Evidence: medical records, prescription history, hospital bills, call log | The substance of the dispute |
| Underwriter’s correct name | The participating company is iA, Manulife, Zurich (Canadian Branch), CUMIS, Old Republic or GMS, not TuGo, 21st Century, Secure Travel, Destination, Allianz or Travelance as brands |
Source: OLHI process. Which company is the underwriter on each plan is set out on underwriters explained.
How do you file with OLHI, step by step?
Seven steps. Filing takes an hour if the documents are ready; the review takes months.
- Confirm you hold the insurer’s final position letter. If the insurer has not issued one within 90 days of your formal complaint, call OLHI at 1-888-295-8112 and ask whether it will accept the complaint without it.
- Check the exclusions. OLHI will not review a complaint already in court or before a tribunal or mediator, one where you have accepted the insurer’s resolution, or one against a non-participating insurer.
- Go to OLHI’s complaints page and open the “Submit a request” portal at olhi.caseiq.app/portal. Create the request in English or French.
- Upload the final position letter, the policy, your complaint correspondence and your evidence. Write a one-page summary: the claim, the denial clause, why it is wrong, and the outcome you want.
- Sign and return OLHI’s authorization form so it can obtain the insurer’s file.
- Wait for the acknowledgement. A Complaints Analyst contacts you, reviews the policy and the file, and either closes the complaint with written findings if the insurer’s position is reasonable, negotiates informally, or escalates to an OmbudService Officer.
- Respond to every request within days. If the OmbudService Officer makes a settlement recommendation and the insurer declines it, a Senior Adjudicative Officer may investigate further and attempt a settlement.
Sources: OLHI process and OLHI home page. Phone: 1-888-295-8112 toll-free in Canada; 1-866-582-2088 toll-free in Quebec; 1-800-855-0511 Bell Relay Service; fax 416-777-9750.
How long does it take?
OLHI’s targets are 120 days from written acknowledgement to conclusion and 45 days for an OmbudService Officer investigation. Add the weeks spent at the insurer before that.
| Stage | OLHI target |
|---|---|
| Eligibility check of the final position letter | On receipt |
| Acknowledgement and analyst contact | After eligibility |
| Analyst review, informal negotiation or closure | Within the 120-day overall target |
| OmbudService Officer investigation and recommendation | 45 days |
| Senior Adjudicative Officer, if the insurer declines | Further investigation; no published target |
| Overall | “Within 120 days of the acknowledgment date” for most complaints |
Source: OLHI process. While the review runs, tell the hospital’s patient accounts office in writing that the claim is under ombudsman review, with OLHI’s file number, and ask for collection to be held.
What can OLHI do, and what can it not?
It can find that the insurer’s position is unreasonable, negotiate, and recommend a settlement. It cannot order payment, award damages, review a complaint already before a court, or act as your advocate.
| OLHI can | OLHI cannot |
|---|---|
| Review a denied or partly paid super visa claim against a participating insurer | Force the insurer to pay; recommendations are non-binding |
| Review a refund dispute, such as a withheld pro-rata refund | Review a complaint against a broker or MGA for advice (that is FSRA’s remit) |
| Obtain the insurer’s file with your authorization | Act as your lawyer or consumer advocate |
| Close with written findings you can use elsewhere | Review a matter already in court, tribunal or mediation |
| Work in English or French, free | Award costs or damages |
For complaints about SuperVisaDirect’s own conduct, the route is SuperVisaDirect first, then FSRA, whose complaint page states it cannot settle contract disputes or obtain compensation; see complaints. Refund disputes, such as an insurer refusing a pro-rata refund after early return, follow the same OLHI route; see refunds.
What if it goes wrong?
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| OLHI says the complaint is outside its mandate | Ask for the reason in writing; if the insurer is not a participant, check the underwriter’s name on the certificate |
| Insurer never issued a final position letter | Ask OLHI to accept the complaint on the basis of the 90-day silence |
| Analyst closes the file as “position reasonable” | Request the written findings; consider legal advice; the Ontario limitation period is generally two years from the denial |
| Insurer declines the OmbudService Officer’s recommendation | Ask for Senior Adjudicative Officer review; prepare for court if needed |
| Hospital sends the bill to collections during the review | Send the collector OLHI’s file number and the dispute in writing; ask the hospital for a hold |
Super Visa Direct Insurance Services helps you assemble the OLHI file and the one-page summary, by email at [email protected] or callback, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm Eastern Time. The THIA Bill of Rights requires that your policy “clearly identify the underwriter of your travel insurance and the process to file and resolve complaints,” which is where the complaints officer’s address should be printed; our THIA page summarizes the rest.
Questions people ask
What is OLHI?
The OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance, an independent dispute-resolution service for consumers of Canadian life and health insurance. Its site describes its services as free, independent and impartial, in English and French, and it states it is not a consumer advocate. Super visa medical insurance from a Canadian insurer is health insurance within its mandate.
Do I need anything before I contact OLHI?
Yes: the insurer's final position letter, its written decision at the end of its internal complaint process. OLHI reviews that letter to decide whether the complaint is within its mandate. You then sign an authorization so OLHI can obtain your file from the insurer. Without the letter, OLHI will refer you back to the insurer.
How do I file an OLHI complaint?
Online through the 'Submit a request' portal at olhi.caseiq.app/portal, linked from OLHI's complaints page. Upload the final position letter, the signed authorization form and any supporting documents. You can also call 1-888-295-8112 toll-free in Canada, 1-866-582-2088 in Quebec, or 1-800-855-0511 via Bell Relay Service.
How long does OLHI take?
OLHI aims to complete its review within 120 days of acknowledging the complaint in writing. If a Complaints Analyst finds merit and escalates to an OmbudService Officer, that investigation targets 45 days. If the insurer declines the Officer's recommendation, a Senior Adjudicative Officer may investigate further. Complex medical files can run longer.
Is OLHI's recommendation binding on the insurer?
No. OLHI describes the OmbudService Officer's settlement recommendation as non-binding, and the insurer may decline it. If so, OLHI's Senior Adjudicative Officer may investigate and try to negotiate a settlement. The process is the insurers' own ombudservice, so declining is unusual, but the court route remains open afterwards.
What will OLHI not review?
Complaints already in court or before a tribunal or mediator, complaints where you have already accepted the insurer's resolution, business complaints, administrative-services-only plans, and complaints against insurers that do not participate in OLHI. OLHI may also decline a complaint when too many years have passed, though it states no fixed deadline.
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