With the pandemic showing signs of ending and travel restrictions begin to lift, many Canadians are excited to resume travel. If you have any out-of-province or travel plans abroad, travel insurance is more important than ever. We’d like to offer you three reasons why you should never travel without it!
Emergency Medical Insurance: “I’m covered by my provincial health plan.”
Even the
Government of Canada strongly recommends purchasing emergency medical insurance whenever travelling outside of your province; even if you’re only away for one day!
Your Canadian insurance is almost certainly not valid outside Canada. Your provincial or territorial health plan may cover nothing or only a very small portion of the costs if you get sick or are injured while abroad.
Provincial health plans cover less than 10% of emergency, out-of-province medical expenses, and considering that a one-night stay in a US hospital costs an average of $12,000, this is a financial risk not many can assume.
Trip Interruption and Trip Cancellation Insurance: “I’m not going to cancel my trip.”
You’ve carefully chosen your destination and planned your vacation down to the last detail… but you’ve heard stories and you know the unexpected can happen!
- What if you lose your job?
- What if you miss your connection or your flight is cancelled?
- What happens if your travel companion becomes ill and you need to return home with them?
When you purchase travel insurance which includes trip cancellation, it covers additional expenses if the unpredictable happens.
Here is a real-life example:
The McKenzies were vacationing in Playa del Carmen, when their youngest child, Kyle, complained of an ear infection, the day before their scheduled flight back to Canada. The resort’s doctor prescribed antibiotics and advised Kyle to return for a follow-up appointment 3 days later. Due to the risk of a ruptured eardrum, the family couldn’t fly back as planned, so they had to rebook.
Luckily, they’d bought Trip Interruption Insurance in addition to their family medical plan.
Medical costs: $296.00
Trip interruption costs:
- Additional accommodation and meals for 5 days: $1,500.00 (the benefit’s max limit)
- Rescheduled airfare for 4: $3,920.00
- Amount paid by travel insurance $5,716.00
The Travel Coverage You Need: “I already have travel insurance.”
Many savvy travellers reply on travel insurance through their credit card or employee group benefits plan, but that coverage may be inadequate for your travel needs. It’s important to research:
- What’s the maximum amount of travel insurance coverage you’re entitled to?
- Do you need to book your trip using that credit card to enable the coverage benefits?
- What if you don’t use that credit card?
- Are your travel companions covered as well?
- Is there a limit of days covered?
- Are there age related, or other restrictions?
- Are you covered for pre-existing conditions?
- Are you covered for any sports or extreme activities while you’re away?
Gaps in your travel insurance coverage could have a financially devastating impact. If you are not completely confident in any existing coverage you may have, it’s wise to invest the time to learn about limits, restrictions and all coverage details.
Happy travels!