The pandemic has made the importance of travel insurance more top-of-mind for Canadians than it’s ever been. But many still rely only on their credit card’s limited coverage! When looking at level of coverage, trip length options, coverage maximums, age restrictions, emergency assistance, pre-existing conditions, and other significant variables, your credit card’s travel insurance may not be as reliable as you think it is. Ensure you’re getting the right comprehensive coverage you need, so that you aren’t caught off-guard by limited coverage when you need it most—during a travel emergency! Here are 9 common coverage issues to avoid and safeguard yourself against…
Download “Can You Trust Your Credit Card’s Travel Coverage?” to compare TuGo® Travel Insurance to your Canadian credit card’s travel insurance offerings.
1. When coverage is limited, out-of-pocket costs can soar
Credit cards may not be as reliable as you think due to limited coverage and tons of restrictions. Medical bills abroad can add up quickly, especially in the US—where an average night in a hospital costs about $16,000. Plus, many providers won’t cover COVID-19 for Canadians travelling abroad.
Learn more about how TuGo covers COVID-19 by downloading “TuGo’s COVID-19 Coverage” tool.
So, without the right Emergency Medical Insurance coverage, you could pay thousands out-of-pocket—especially considering your provincial healthcare plan may only cover less than 10% of your travel medical bills.
2. Don’t be penalized for seeking immediate medical help
If you need immediate medical attention, the last thing you’re thinking about is contacting your insurance provider, right? Well, with many of the credit cards we reviewed, that’s exactly what’s required to prevent a financial penalty. In contrast, TuGo lets you seek the emergency treatment you prefer first, then TuGo’s dedicated Emergency Assistance team helps coordinate care with that hospital or clinic.
3. Did you book the entire trip on your credit card?
If not, your insurance may be void. Confirm how much of your trip needs to be booked on your card before you travel, so you aren’t left without enough protection while away!
4. One-size-fits-all doesn’t look good on everyone
Every trip is unique, and your insurance should be too. Credit card plans tend to lack personalization. But with TuGo, you can customize coverage to suit all of your individualized needs: choosing Multi Trip Annual vs. Single Trip plan, deductible amount, trip length, optional add-on coverages and more.
5. What about your travel companion?
If you encounter a medical emergency and you have to cut your trip short, are you confident your travel companion is taken care of too? They’re covered with TuGo—not many credit card providers offer this same benefit.
6. Your medical history could sink your card’s coverage
If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you typically won’t be covered by a credit card if you’re 65+, or you’ll have to meet strict requirements if you’re under 65. But TuGo considers your age, trip length and the stability of your condition to determine if coverage is available. Read more about “How Unstable Pre-Existing Conditions Impact Claims”.
7. Trip length restrictions? You should be able to travel as long as you like!
Don’t let your credit card coverage determine how long your vacation should be! With TuGo, you choose the trip length and our coverage will flex to your need.
That said, make sure you’re aware of how long Canadians can stay in the US, without impacts to provincial healthcare coverage.
8. Don’t miss out on extreme sports and adventures
If you’re planning on anything more than snorkeling, your card’s travel coverage probably won’t cut it. With TuGo, coverage for many sports/activities is already included with Emergency Medical Insurance. For more extreme sports/activities like backcountry skiing, mountaineering, or skydiving, Optional Sports & Activities Coverage can be added on!
9. Let’s talk upgrades
Credit cards that provide lounge access are great, but annual fees, interest and premiums add up. With our complementary MyFlytTM service, we give you instant access to spending money or lounge access when your flight is delayed 2+ hours.
Credit cards are great for saying yes to that impulse to book that much-needed getaway, but they shouldn’t be what you rely on for comprehensive emergency medical assistance and care abroad. Hopefully, identifying these 9 common issues, along with our downloadable credit card travel insurance coverage comparison tool, will help you going forward to make informed and confident decisions about your travel insurance coverage. If you have questions that weren’t addressed here, add them below and we’ll look into it!
Happy travels,
Justin
