Dear Bird Talk, When renewing my automobile insurance, the agent recommended that anyone travelling south should carry five million dollars of liability coverage. Is this a reasonable amount to carry, or is the insurance company doing a sell job? Keith Johnson Response: The answer to both of your questions is “yes.” There is an old […]

Dear Bird Talk: I hope you will consider alerting other snowbirds to a terrible experience we had down south this winter. My friend was not feeling well, so I took her to the hospital. We were told that we could use their fast-track facility, which is like a clinic. After registering with the receptionist, she […]

Dear Sir: For the past 16 years I have spent my winter in Florida, and last year 1999-2000, I was covered with your insurance carrier (Medipac Travel Medical Insurance). Unfortunately, I took sick March 27th and was in Cape Coral Hospital for a week with heart problems. I just want to let you know how […]

Dear Bird Talk, I appreciate the opportunity to alert your readers to the unfortunate experience I encountered with an insurance company named Pure Insure with offices in Toronto and Vancouver. On April 4, 1999, my flu condition progressed to the point that I encountered a severe cough. As a result, my husband took me to […]

Dear Bird Talk, I have been a member of CSA for many years and have been insured by Medipac without claim. There is one facet of my dealings with Medipac that I believe to be completely unfair. In our dealings with Medipac, they ask the question, Have you ever had cancer? I had bowel cancer […]

Dear Bird Talk, I feel the following letter would be helpful to all snowbirds if it were printed in the CSA News. It might keep them from making the same mistakes as we did. Fellow Snowbirds, We have been fortunate to have been able to spend six months in Florida for the last several years. […]

Being from the Okanagan, I was delighted to read your article about the South Okanagan. However, I was disappointed that you didn’t go slightly further to the lovely town of Summerland. In addition to many beautiful sights, wineries and beaches, it is the home of the Kettle Valley Steam Railway. This heritage train is almost […]

My wife and I enjoy the information and articles found in your magazine. However, I keep being disappointed at the lack of diverse representation depicted in the individuals represented in your articles and features. The most recent issue [summer 2017] is a case in point: there is diversity on the back cover for the Medipac […]

I submit the IRS Form 8840 annually, but do not receive any confirmation from the IRS that it has been received. Is there any way to determine whether the IRS has received this form? Peter Nigel Bradbury Toronto, ON Response: Ed.: The IRS is unresponsive on this and will not, or cannot, confirm the receipt […]

Can anyone comment on what happens if you overstay your 182 days in the U.S.? I understand that the IRS can consider you taxable on worldwide income, but do they contact you? Has anyone had this happen to them? If it’s over by a few days, are they still going to make an effort to […]