The parent answers the medical questionnaire, with their medication list and doctor’s notes in front of them, while the host reads each question aloud exactly as written. Each question names a look-back period, usually 90 to 365 days before the effective date. Answer about that period, not about how the parent feels today. A wrong answer lets the insurer void the policy at claim time, even if the error was honest.
The stakes are the whole policy. In April 2025 CP24 reported an 88-year-old super visa holder whose $96,311 Hamilton hospital bill was initially denied for undisclosed heart failure. Thirty careful minutes on the questionnaire is the lowest-cost protection you will buy.
What do you need before you start?
The parent on the call, every medication box, the pharmacy printout for the past year, and a note from the family doctor listing diagnoses with dates of any change. The host needs the policy’s definition of “stable” and “pre-existing condition” open in another window.
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Parent present, by video if abroad | They know what was prescribed, tested and said |
| Medication boxes and pharmacy printout | Names, doses and dates of change; memory is unreliable |
| Doctor’s one-page summary | Diagnoses, dates, pending tests and referrals |
| Hospital discharge papers from the past 2 years | Admission dates are a common question |
| Policy definitions of “stable” and “pre-existing” | The questions are tested against these at claim time |
How long does it take?
Fifteen minutes for a parent on no medication. Forty-five minutes for a parent with two or three conditions. Longer is fine. The insurer does not time you, and the claims department will read every answer if a claim is made.
The 9 steps to answering correctly
- Open the policy’s definition of “stable” first. Most insurers require no new diagnosis, no new or stopped medication, no dose change, no new symptoms, no hospitalization, and no pending tests or referrals during the look-back period. The stable definition page compares wordings.
- Work out the look-back window on a calendar. Count back from the effective date, not from today. Allianz uses 90 days under 60 and 180 days from 60 to 89; TuGo 90 days to 59, 120 to 69, 180 to 85, 365 at 86 and over; Manulife and GMS 180 days; Secure Travel 90 days to 69 and 180 from 70 to 84; Destination 90, 120 and 180 days by age band; 21st Century Enhanced 180 days.
- Read each question aloud, word for word. Do not paraphrase. “Have you been prescribed” and “have you taken” are different questions.
- Let the parent answer, then check the answer against the documents. If the doctor’s note says a dose changed in the window and the parent says it did not, the note wins.
- Treat “tests ordered” and “referrals made” as medical events. A scan booked for next month, or a specialist appointment pending, usually makes the condition unstable even with no result yet.
- List every medication, including over-the-counter and herbal, if the question asks. Some questionnaires ask only about prescribed drugs; answer as asked.
- If a question is ambiguous, email the insurer and keep the reply. A written answer from the insurer about how to interpret a question is evidence in your favour later.
- Review the completed answers with the parent before paying. Read them back. Correct anything that is not exactly right.
- Save a copy of the questionnaire as submitted. Insurers send it with the policy; if yours does not, screenshot it. At claim time, this is the document the adjuster will compare against the parent’s medical records.
What do the questions usually cover?
Questionnaires differ by insurer, but they ask about the same ground: heart and circulatory conditions, lung conditions, diabetes and its treatment, cancer, stroke, kidney and liver disease, hospital admissions, medication changes, and tests or referrals pending. Some plans skip the questionnaire entirely under a certain age; GMS asks no medical questions under 55.
| Question area | What a “yes” typically includes |
|---|---|
| Heart and circulation | Heart attack, angina, bypass, stent, heart failure, irregular rhythm, high blood pressure on medication |
| Lungs | COPD, asthma needing daily medication, home oxygen |
| Diabetes | Any diabetes treated with insulin or tablets; some ask about diet-controlled diabetes too |
| Cancer | Diagnosis, treatment or follow-up within a stated number of years |
| Hospital admissions | Any overnight admission in the look-back period, for any reason |
| Medication changes | New, stopped or dose-changed prescriptions in the look-back period |
| Tests and referrals | Investigations ordered or results awaited, specialist appointments pending |
A plan with no questionnaire is not a plan with no exclusions. It still excludes unstable pre-existing conditions at claim time, which is exactly how the Hamilton case arose. The pre-existing conditions page explains the trade-off.
What are the common mistakes?
Answering from memory, answering about today instead of the look-back window, and treating a dose change as too small to mention. Each one hands the adjuster a reason to void the policy.
| Mistake | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| Host answers without the parent | Host does not know about the test ordered last month |
| “She feels fine” | Feeling well is not the test; the medical record is |
| Omitting a blood pressure dose change | A dose change restarts the stability clock at every insurer we compare |
| Ignoring a pending scan or referral | Pending investigations make a condition unstable under most wordings |
| Listing the condition but not the medication | The questionnaire asks both; a mismatch looks like concealment |
| Answering “no diabetes” because it is diet-controlled | Some questions ask about diabetes of any kind; read the wording |
| Choosing a no-questionnaire plan to avoid the questions | The exclusion still applies at claim time; see CP24 case above |
What if you got something wrong?
Tell the insurer in writing before the effective date. They will re-rate, exclude the condition, or decline, and you can cancel within the free look for a full refund under the THIA Bill of Rights. Discovering the error after a claim is the worst case, and the claims page explains how adjusters compare the questionnaire with medical records. Condition-specific guidance is on the hypertension and diabetes pages.
Questions people ask
Who should answer the medical questionnaire?
The parent, because the questions are about their body and their doctor's records. The host can type the answers and read the questions aloud. Answering from memory on the parent's behalf is how undisclosed conditions end up in a denied claim. If the parent is abroad, do it on a video call with the medication boxes visible.
What does 'stable' mean on the questionnaire?
Unchanged for the stated period before the effective date: no new diagnosis, no new or stopped medication, no dose change, no new symptoms, no hospitalization, no pending tests or specialist referral. The period runs from 90 to 365 days depending on insurer and age. Feeling well is not the test; the medical record is.
Does a change in blood pressure pill dose count?
Yes, at every insurer we compare. A dose increase or decrease, a switch to a different drug, or a stopped drug restarts the stability clock for that condition. Some wordings exempt routine adjustments of insulin or warfarin; most do not exempt blood pressure medication. Read the exact definition in the policy.
What if my parent does not know the names of their medications?
Stop and get them. Photograph every box and the pharmacy printout, and ask the family doctor for a one-page summary with dates of any changes. The questionnaire asks about the look-back period, which the parent cannot answer accurately without the dates. Guessing is worse than a short delay.
Can I answer 'no' to everything if the parent is healthy?
Only if it is true for every question as written. Many questions ask about tests ordered, symptoms investigated or medications prescribed, not about diagnoses. A cholesterol pill, a referral for a scan or a check-up for chest pain can each turn a 'no' into a 'yes'. Read each question fully before answering.
What happens if an answer turns out to be wrong?
The insurer can deny the claim and void the policy. In April 2025, CP24 reported an 88-year-old super visa holder whose $96,311 Hamilton hospital bill was initially denied over undisclosed heart failure under a no-questionnaire plan. If you discover an error after buying, tell the insurer in writing before the effective date.
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Sources
- CP24 — Ontario family hit with $96,311 hospital bill after visiting mother hospitalized
- GMS — Immigrants and Visitors to Canada policy wording (180-day stability)
- THIA — Travel Insurance Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
- PolicyAdvisor — Super visa insurance cost tables (stability periods)
- BestQuote — Super visa insurance rates (stability periods)