Get the medical care wherever you are in the world.
Getting sick or hurt when you are away from home is stressful enough, not to mention having to worry about the cost of the medical care you need. Travel Insurance provides essential protection, whether you are a travelling Canadian, a visitor to Canada or a student from abroad.
If you plan on traveling outside Canada ‒ even for a day in the United States – you should buy travel health insurance before you leave.
If you are traveling by plane, make sure you get insurance for trip interruption, lost luggage, and document replacement. If you are driving, make sure you have driver and vehicle coverage in case you have an accident.
Why buy travel health insurance
Your Canadian health insurance may not pay your medical fees while you are outside Canada. Provincial or territorial health plans often do not cover the costs of your medical care abroad, and if they do, only a small portion. They will never pay your bills up front.
Foreign hospitals can be very expensive and may require immediate cash payment. In some countries hospitals and clinics will not treat you if you do not have enough insurance or money to pay your bills.
Who needs travel insurance?
- Travelling Canadians: Whether you are traveling aboard or to another province travel insurance will protect you if you need to see a doctor, get prescription drugs, call an ambulance, or stay in hospital due to a medical emergency.
- Visitors to Canada: In some cases, the government of Canada will require a visitor to purchase private medical insurance. For example, applicants to the Parents and Grand parents visa will be required to have medical insurance from a Canadian insurance company that is:
- valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry
- at least $100,000 coverage
- and, have proof that the medical insurance has been paid (quotes are not accepted).
- International Students: Unless otherwise exempt, international students are required to obtain private insurance. Institutions may offer their own coverage plans, which may be optional or mandatory. The province of Quebec has reciprocity agreements with ten different countries which sometimes enables residents of these countries to register for free basic health insurance through Quebec’s Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). If an international student is from a country not covered by a reciprocity agreement, then the student will be automatically enrolled to purchase the group health insurance plan offered by their educational institution. If, for any reason, a student is not eligible for RAMQ or their school’s group health insurance plan, they must purchase private health insurance for the duration of their time in Canada.
Our tool allows you to find a broker and access the price comparisons to get you the best travel/ private emergency health insurance.
It is essential to take the time to compare prices in the market, especially when it comes to travel insurance. Our partners are insurance brokers from across the province working for you. One of these partners will look into your case to find a proposal based on your needs.
