We Canadians love to travel, no matter the season! Wherever we’re headed, we know we’ll need to pack travel insurance. But all travel insurance isn’t created equal. And with so many options, sometimes it’s tough to know how to find the perfect plan.
While you’ll want to get coverage, even if you’re just headed to the next province, travel insurance is especially crucial if you’re travelling internationally. If you experience an accident or medical emergency, or your trip is cancelled or interrupted, you won’t want to be stuck dealing with it in a foreign language or culture…or having to pay the bill when it’s all over.
Did you know? When you travel outside your home province, your provincial health plan covers less than 10% of your travel medical expenses. A one night stay in a US hospital averages $16,000.
We’ve put together a list to help you get it sorted! Read on to find out what things international travel insurance should always cover!
1. Before you buy, make sure your insurance provider offers 24/7 emergency medical assistance
If you’re travelling internationally, especially to a country where you don’t speak the language, you’ll be happy to have a multilingual emergency medical team that’s available to help you and your loved ones 24/7. During an emergency, they can advocate for you, coordinate emergency transportation and make sure you get the best medical care possible.
2. Start with Emergency Medical Insurance
From Bermuda to Bali and all stops in between, Emergency Medical Insurance is a must-have for any international traveller. It’ll cover you for accidents, medical emergencies and more. A great plan to start with, you can add additional coverage depending on your unique needs.
Look for a comprehensive emergency medical travel insurance plan that includes the following:
| Coverage | Emergency Medical Insurance |
| Doctors’ services | ✔ |
| Hospital confinement and treatment | ✔ |
| Prescription medication | ✔ |
| Emergency dental services | ✔ |
| Fracture treatment | ✔ |
| Ambulance services and emergency air transportation | ✔ |
Travelling with family? Consider an Emergency Medical family plan. It’s often a more affordable option! Find out if a family travel insurance plan is right for you.
3. If you’re planning some adventurous activities, add Optional Sports & Activities Coverage
Enjoy your favourite high-risk activities, whether they’re mountain-top or beach-side, by adding Optional Sports & Activities Coverage to your Emergency Medical Insurance.
You’ll be covered for the following activities and more:
| Coverage | Optional Sports & Activities Coverage |
| Backcountry skiing/snowboarding | ✔ |
| Downhill freestyle skiing | ✔ |
| Downhill mountain biking | ✔ |
| Ice climbing | ✔ |
| Parachuting/skydiving | ✔ |
| Scuba diving | ✔ |
| Base jumping | ✔ |
As I mentioned in my post about the best travel insurance for your winter vacation:
If an activity isn’t listed under our Optional Sports & Activities Coverage, it may be covered under standard Emergency Medical Insurance, unless it’s an excluded activity. Get informed by taking a look at the exclusions to be sure.
4. Consider Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption Insurance
International airfares, accommodations and excursions can be costly. Although when you invest in these, you may not be expecting a cancelled or interrupted trip, you’ll never regret being prepared in case something does come up!
What if you or a loved one gets sick before your trip, an event causes the government to issue a travel advisory to avoid non-essential travel or any kind of travel, or your airline cancels a flight?
If you have to cancel your trip before you’re scheduled to leave, or your trip is interrupted while you’re on vacation, a Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption policy can cover non-refundable pre-paid costs like airfares, hotels and tours. Get it as a Single Trip or Multi Trip Annual policy, depending on your needs.
| Coverage | Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption Insurance |
| You or your travelling companion’s unexpected sickness, injury and/or death | ✔ |
| Natural disaster or unforeseeable event that makes your home unhabitable | ✔ |
| Travel advisory | ✔ |
| Travel visa denial | ✔ |
| Job loss | ✔ |
| Cancelled or missed connection due to weather | ✔ |
| A schedule change causing a missed connection and more | ✔ |
5. If you’re 59 and under and want it all, consider an All Inclusive Holiday package for international travel insurance
You want to relax on your much-needed vacation and think about things like where to eat your next meal or whether you should take another nap, not your travel insurance policy.
With an All Inclusive Holiday package, you’ll get it all, so you won‘t have to worry about the details. For more info, check out our post, Why Investing in All Inclusive Travel Insurance is a Great Idea.
Hope this article helps you understand what your international travel insurance needs to cover!
Have questions or comments? Leave them below.
Safe travels,
Sarah
