TRAVEL INSURANCE

Protect yourself while traveling. The last thing you want to worry about is whether you are protected from harm or loss to your health and property.

Travel Insurance in Ontario

Be it for vacation, business, or personal reasons, people are always traveling. Trips can be a call to adventure and often you will have worked hard to earn your time away from everyday routines. The last thing you want to worry about is whether you are protected from harm or loss to your health and property while you are travelling abroad, or within Canada. Whether you are travelling alone or with family, you need coverage for emergency medical expenses, issues that can lead to trip cancellation and interruption as well as damage or loss to your baggage and belongings. The best Canadian travel insurance and the best travel insurance plans in Ontario offer a wide-range of choices and coverage options.

Why do you need travel insurance?

A good travel insurance plan can mean the difference between you returning home safely and peacefully or having to deal with a burden of debt after an unsuccessful trip.

The best Canadian travel insurance for seniors, visitors to Canada, or travellers abroad should provide comprehensive coverage for emergency medical expenses. After all, your health is a vital factor in ensuring you make the most out of your trip. Domestic health insurance and other group plans can often have limitations which do not extend coverage fully outside of Canada. The Government of Canada will not pay any of your healthcare bills for medical costs that occur abroad and provincial health plans will only pay a small portion and often have many exclusions which can leave a traveler or their family with a potentially large bill.

A key issue faced by many travelling Canadians when an emergency medical situation arises abroad is that the cost of care in foreign hospitals and clinics can be extremely expensive. Often, medical costs need to be paid immediately prior to treatment. Some countries may even refuse to treat you as a patient if you do not have insurance or the money to cover your costs in advance.

What is in a Travel Insurance Policy?

There are three additional components that the Government of Canada recommends you look for in a policy while you compare travel insurance.

Medical Evacuation Coverage

This type of coverage covers the cost of medical evacuation to Canada or the nearest place that can provide the appropriate medical care for your emergency. This should include coverage for the costs of any medical escort that travels with you to where you need to be.

Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

If you are seeking for the best travel insurance for seniors or someone with a pre-existing condition, it is vital that your insurance provides you with a written agreement that your policy will cover your pre-existing medical conditions or you fully understand what may be excluded if applicable.
This coverage will most likely have a stability clause which states that if you are to be covered for a pre-existing condition that for a specified period prior to your travel, you cannot have any changes to your medical condition and often prescribed medication that you take regularly. Also, you cannot have any new medical symptoms or conditions that affect your health before leaving for your trip.
When you compare and look for the best Canadian travel insurance, make sure that within the written agreement, your insurance provider will include a compassion clause and a change of health clause. A compassion clause states that anything said inaccurately may not void the entire policy. You need to let your insurer know about any changes to your health prior to leaving on your trip.

Repatriation in Case of Death

Though unlikely to occur, it is best to make sure that your travel insurance plan can cover the preparation and return of your body to Canada. This mitigates some of the stress of your loved ones in case of a tragedy occurring while you are abroad.

Types of Travel Insurance Coverage

The types of travel insurance coverage will vary depending on your needs. Travel insurance for seniors differs from insurance for families which differs greatly from travel insurance for visitors to Canada. In the same way, coverage for a trip to the United States will not necessarily be the same as an insurance plan for a trip elsewhere in the World or even out-of-province within Canada. Costs will vary depending on your needs and risk profile. For example, travelers who are over the age of 65 generally pay more for their plans because their medical risks are considered greater.

Coverage types include:

Full coverage with stability period options
Emergency Medical coverage
Single-trip or multi-trip policies
All-inclusive policies

An all-inclusive policy will most likely cover emergency medical coverage as well as the three additional key components of travel insurance and also protection for trip interruption, trip cancellation, and baggage damage, loss, or theft. On top of standard coverage, you might want a policy that provides a “cancel for any reason” option. This will allow you to cover up to a certain percentage of a cancelled trip in case something unforeseen leads to a change in your plans. Plans, coverage, limits and stability period options will vary with each insurance company as well as based on the travelers age and destination among other factors.

For those who are planning to travel for a longer time, i.e. more than 30 days, such as snowbirds, or for a year-abroad as a student, then long term travel insurance options are available through most providers.

What makes sense for you?

Be it travel for work or pleasure, a trip away from home involves lots of planning and effort. Travel insurance protects you from the unforseen inconveniences or disasters that could ruin your trip. From luggage loss to ensuring you receive healthcare in an emergency, travel insurance plans are essential for you and your family in your adventures away from home. Explore without worrying about the “what ifs”. CIS travel insurance brokers are able to custom-fit your travel insurance plans to fit your needs. Get covered and get out there.