Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need travel insurance coverage for trips inside Canada?
As government health insurance plans vary among the provinces and may not provide emergency return home benefits, you should consider travel accident insurance for trips both inside and outside of Canada.
Provincial and territorial health insurance plans may have limits on the reimbursem*nt of the medical emergency expenses incurred while in another province. For example, ambulance services, emergency dental treatments, and prescription drugs might not always be covered by insurance plans outside your province of residence, so you may need to pay out of pocket for these services.
To protect yourself from any unexpected medical emergency, illnesses, or injuries, you should always buy additional health insurance coverage for emergency medical even when you’re travelling within Canada.
What is the average cost of travel insurance in Canada?
The cost of travel insurance is determined by many variable factors including the type of insurance you purchase, your age, the duration of the trip, and the amount of coverage you are getting. A rule of thumb is travel insurance should typically cost 5% of your trip. Of course, these costs can elevate for extended stays outside of Canada, such as a long vacation, or if you are studying abroad or working for an extended period in another country.
Another way to save money on travel insurance is to purchase policies together if you have a travel companion. Some providers offer a 5% discount on policies purchased in tandem and even offer a family policy if you are travelling with your family as a group.
Can Canadians get travel insurance coverage for trips to the USA?
Yes, trips to the United States of America are one of the most common reasons Canadians purchase travel insurance. If you’re planning a trip to the US, travel insurance is a good idea. While the country has excellent medical facilities, travel medical insurance can help cover the cost of an unexpected medical emergency.
Some of the reasons to consider travel insurance to the USA are:
- The elevated costs of emergency medical coverage and procedures
- The high costs of prescription drugs
- There are no reciprocal agreements for healthcare between the USA and Canada, so your provincial government health insurance plan will not be accepted
- The cost of accommodations in major US vacation destinations. You or your travelling companions may need to spend time at your destination recovering before you are ready to travel home
Can I get travel insurance after I have left Canada?
Yes, it is definitely possible to find travel insurance options once you’ve left Canada. However, there may be exclusions on your plan.
Policies purchased after the start of a trip generally won’t take effect until 48 hours after you buy them. The waiting period is designed to prevent someone from purchasing and utilizing a policy after they have been injured or hospitalized with an illness.
Does travel insurance include COVID-19 coverage?
Most travel insurance policies cover aspects of medical emergencies and setbacks that may arise if you contract COVID-19 during your trip. This can include the cost of quarantining after contracting the virus or the cost of cancelling a trip because one has contracted COVID.
With that in mind, each policy is different and you should examine your policy documents before you make any assumptions about the virus’ effect on the trip that you are covered for.
Read more about travel insurance and COVID-19.
Should I buy an individual policy for each trip I have planned or an annual travel policy?
If you travel outside of Canada often (more than twice per year) it may be worthwhile to purchase an annual travel policy. Many of the providers we partner with offer annual options for their travel medical insurance policies that grant policies for unlimited trips during the coverage time period.
This can help you in two ways:
- You save money on premiums
- You eliminate the need to arrange separate insurance policies for each trip you take or each leg of a multi-trip journey
Speak with our advisors to see if an annual travel insurance policy makes sense for your plans.
Read more about annual multi-trip travel insurance.
Can a travel advisory affect my travel insurance?
Typically, travelling from Canada to a destination that has a travel advisory will not be covered by travel insurance if the advisory is in place before you depart. If an advisory is placed by Health Canada or other governmental departments after you’ve arrived at your destination, your coverage will be intact.
