No authorization is needed to take the participant to a doctor or hospital for an examination or for care required for a minor medical problem.
In metropolitan France, as well as in all host countries, AFS offers a 24/7 emergency hotline.
Emergency Phone Lines
- During business hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time):
(514) 288-3282 or 1-800-361-7248 - After business hours, call collect:
(514) 575-5084
This number connects you with an AFS office employee in Montreal. When calling about an emergency, please provide the student’s name, your name and phone number, and the reason for your call, specifying the level of urgency. If you need to leave a message, someone will return your call within 30 minutes. If not, please call the emergency line again.
You are hosting a student at your home.
Illnesses and accidents
Problèmes mineurs
Serious accidents
All hospitalizations for physical or mental illness and all serious accidents must be immediately reported by telephone to the AFS Interculture Canada office.
Surgery
If surgery is required, you must obtain authorization from the AFS office before proceeding. However, in the case of an emergency operation, you should inform the AFS office as soon as possible.
Car accidents
When injuries result from a road accident, the host family and the student are asked not to sign an insurance liability waiver and to provide the AFS office with the names of other people involved in the car accident.
Natural parents
Regardless of the seriousness of the situation, you must contact the AFS office, which in turn will communicate with the biological parents.
You are hosting a student at your home.
AFS medical and dental care coverage
Illnesses and accidents;
AFS covers medical expenses (including medication) related to illnesses or accidents incurred during the exchange program, provided that they are not pre-existing conditions.
Not covered
AFS does not cover the costs of eye exams, prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses, or elective surgical procedures. It does not cover dental care unless approved by the AFS office due to exceptional circumstances.
Travel
The participant is covered when travelling outside of Canada if they have obtained the authorizations required by the regulations of AFS Interculture Canada; they lose AFS coverage when they violate the regulations.
Payment methods for medical and dental expenses
There are two payment options:
Direct Billing – Either the doctor or hospital bills the AFS office directly: the doctor or hospital is asked to complete the medical report and send it, along with their account information, directly to the AFS office, and payment will be processed quickly. Presenting the card given to the student by the AFS office at the beginning of the year can facilitate this process.
Reimbursement – If the doctor or hospital refuses to bill directly, the participant pays the bill themselves (if this is not possible, they should contact the AFS office via the emergency hotline). They will be fully and promptly reimbursed by the AFS office, provided they send the doctor’s or hospital’s bill, the medical report, and the pharmacy receipt, if applicable. The same procedure applies to dental care, if the AFS office has expressly authorized any procedures.
Required information – On the papers sent to the AFS office, do not forget to write the student’s name, their country of origin and indicate to whom the reimbursement should be paid.
Civil Liability Insurance
AFS does not have liability insurance covering participants; they are normally covered by their biological parents’ insurance (note that in some countries, liability insurance does not exist). To simplify the necessary procedures (for example, reimbursing a neighbor for a window broken by the student), host parents can add the student to their home insurance policy (liability coverage) for a very small additional premium.
Your child is abroad
In the event of political crises, natural disasters or any other emergency situation affecting the host country, AFS will immediately contact all students in the country to ensure their safety.
In case of evacuation
If we believe evacuation is necessary, we will relocate the students either to another country or return them to Canada. Placement in a second country will be considered, depending on the number of months remaining in the program and only if another host family is available in that new country.
Emergency in your family
Should an emergency arise in your own family (death or serious illness of a family member), please contact us. Staff in our partner countries are trained to provide your child with the support they will need while navigating these family difficulties.