With travel slowly but surely trending upwards again, there’s no doubt that some of us are well past the dreaming stage and are fully immersed in the planning of upcoming trips. With so many steps involved in this stage (and so little practice for it during the pandemic), it’s easy to miss out on a step or two. Booking flights, accommodations, car rentals, tours and reservations at restaurants once again will sure feel like riding a bike, but buying travel insurance might get overlooked in all the excitement.
Travel insurance: buy now or buy later?
Not to worry, because there’s no purchase window for buying travel insurance, as long as you haven’t already left on your trip. Whether you’re planning on getting Single Trip or Multi Trip Annual coverage, travel insurance must be purchased before arriving at your destination. And although it’s not as thrilling as finally clicking the “buy” button for your next plane ticket, we recommend you read and understand your travel insurance policy beforehand. Not only will it help you decide when to buy travel insurance, but also why you should!
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Don’t wait last minute to buy Emergency Medical Insurance
Emergency Medical Insurance protects travellers from sudden and unexpected situations. This typically includes accidents and unforeseen emergencies, which is why it’s wise to secure coverage before your trip planning gets too busy or overwhelming—it’s the last thing you’d want to forget taking with you!
Planning to visit Canada? Read about Visitors to Canada Insurance here.
TuGo’s COVID-19 Coverage
We realize that even as people start to travel again, we’re all a little more cautious this time around. As much as everyone wants to get past it, COVID-19 is on travellers’ minds, and so is finding protection against it. The good news is that travellers who purchased an Emergency Medical Insurance policy may have coverage under a COVID-19 benefit. Read these FAQs to learn more about what Canadians can expect with travel and COVID-19.
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Medical Questionnaire
If you’re 60+ and want to buy an Emergency Medical plan, you’re required to fill out a simple Medical Questionnaire to determine your travel insurance rate. Remember, this will only help us determine your cost for insurance, and not your eligibility for coverage. If you’re not familiar with the process or are curious about the types of questions that might be asked, take a look at some FAQs about TuGo’s Medical Questionnaire.
Pre-existing medical conditions
If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, be sure you understand how pre-existing conditions can impact travel insurance claims. Stability periods for pre-existing conditions are important for travellers to factor in when trip planning and buying emergency medical travel insurance..
Here’s how pre-existing conditions may be covered under TuGo’s Traveller Emergency Medical Insurance:
- For travellers 59 years and under, there’s a 7-day stability period for trips 35 days and less, and a 90-day stability period for trips over 35 days.
- For travellers aged 60-74, there’s a 180-day stability period for all trip lengths.
- For travellers 75 years and over, there’s a 365–day stability period for all trip lengths.
Note: If you’re only travelling in the Country and have a within Canada plan there’s no stability requirement for pre-existing medical conditions—simply secure yourself with travel insurance and you can be off on your way!
Get Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption Insurance sooner rather than later
While there’s no purchase window to buy Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption Insurance, it’s best to secure this coverage once your trip is booked and any deposit is paid. Trip Cancellation protects you by covering unexpected things that can happen before your departure—illness or injury, travel visa denials, or even job loss. And because there are no financial benefits to waiting later to buy this type of insurance, it’s in your best interest to get it sooner rather than later, in order to maximize your protection.
MyFlyt™ service
Now let’s say your flight’s delayed more than 2 hours, but your trip isn’t actually cancelled. Just by having TuGo Traveller Travel Insurance, MyFlyt™ gives you instant access to an airport lounge pass or a cash payout, to make your experience a little better. MyFlyt is a convenient complimentary service you can take advantage of when you get travel insurance ahead of time.
Even pre-pandemic, travel insurance was often an afterthought for most travellers. We get it—it might not be the most exciting part of your journey, but it is one of the most crucial. So even if you could technically wait until the last minute to buy travel insurance, why would you? You wouldn’t leave accommodation bookings until the day before you fly out. We recommend protecting yourself with the options listed above and enjoying some peace-of-mind early on in your journey, so you can focus on all the little details about your trip that we all miss. After all, it’s about time we all put the fun back in travel!
Safe travels,
Justin
