The great thing about living in Canada is the vast number of Canadian travel experiences to choose from right within our own country. Whether you’re looking for an outdoor adventure, a relaxing break visiting friends and family or looking to discover new arts, culture and foodie experiences, there’s a lot that awaits you beyond Alberta’s borders. But even if you’re still in Canada, you still need to think about travel insurance. Many people think their provincial health plan covers everything when they leave their home province. The reality is, even if you’re not leaving the country, travel insurance can protect you against unexpected events that could have huge cost impacts.
Credit card or group plan coverage isn’t enough
You may think the travel insurance that comes with your credit card or through your job is enough for any trip. True, these plans can be helpful but it’s important to know that they often have limitations on their coverage.
For example, the coverage for medical emergencies is usually much lower than what you can get with a separate travel insurance plan. There may also be age limits or rules about pre-existing health conditions, which means some people might not be covered at all. Many credit card and work plans only cover trips for a short time, like 15 or 30 days. In other words, they may not include all the activities or places you want to visit.
It’s also important to know that credit card insurance often only covers travel that you pay for with that specific card. Then there’s the claims process, which can also be complicated. It’s important to note that group plans through your employer may require you to be working full time.
Because of these limitations, you might not have enough protection if you’re travelling for a long time or have special health needs.
Emergency medical insurance
Accidents and sickness can happen anywhere. If you get sick or hurt while you’re away from home, hospital stays, doctor visits or ambulance rides can be costly. Your provincial plan may only pay for part of the bill. Travel insurance helps cover these extra costs so all you have to worry about is getting better.
What’s usually covered?
- Emergency medical care, like hospital stays, doctor visits, tests, medicine and ambulance rides
- Emergency dental care
- Air ambulance or medical evacuation if you need to get home for care
- 24/7 emergency help to find care, arrange travel and talk to your family
- Some plans cover pre-existing conditions if your health has been consistently stable
Here’s an example of how emergency medical insurance can work: Imagine you’re hiking in Quebec and break your leg. You go to the hospital and need surgery. You also need a flight home to recover. Without travel insurance, you could end up paying thousands of dollars for the ambulance, hospital and flight.
(This Alberta Blue Cross® member never travels without travel insurance that includes emergency medical care. Find out why.)
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
We all know that trips can be expensive. You pay for flights, hotels, tours and activities, and sometimes these costs are non-refundable. If something unexpected happens, like getting sick, having a family emergency, work issues or even bad weather, you might have to cancel your trip or come home early. If you don’t have travel insurance, you could lose all the money you spent on your travel plans.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance helps protect your travel investment. If you need to cancel your trip before you leave for a covered reason (for example, you, a family member or a travel companion getting sick or hurt), you can get your non-refundable costs back. This coverage also helps if your plans change after your trip has started. Let’s say you have to go home early or stay longer because of an emergency. This coverage can pay for the unused part of your trip and extra costs like new flights, hotels or meals.
Baggage loss coverage
Some travel insurance plans give you the option to include baggage loss coverage, which can be especially helpful when travelling within Canada. Even on domestic trips, luggage can be lost, stolen, delayed or damaged, leaving you without basic items like clothing, toiletries or important documents. Baggage loss coverage can help make a stressful situation easier. If your bags are lost, stolen or damaged while you’re travelling, this coverage can pay you back for the cost to fix or replace your item. It allows you to keep enjoying your trip without problems or delays.
Depending on your travel insurance plan, this coverage can provide:
- Up to $1,500 per person, per trip, for lost, stolen or damaged items
- Up to $500 for delayed baggage
- Up to $250 for lost or stolen travel documents (e.g. your passport)
If your bags are delayed for more than a set number of hours, you can use this coverage to buy necessary items like clothes and toiletries while you wait for your luggage to arrive.
Before your trip, make sure you review the details of your policy. There may be limits on how much you can claim for certain items or categories. Some personal items (like cash or prescription medication) may not be covered.
Accidental death and dismemberment coverage
Other optional coverage you might want to consider when travelling out of province is accidental death and dismemberment insurance. This type of coverage gives you and your family financial help if there’s a serious accident during your trip that causes death or a major injury, like losing a limb or your eyesight. While these kinds of accidents are thankfully rare, having this coverage can give you extra peace of mind, knowing you and your family are protected if something unexpected happens.
If you choose this coverage, there may be a lump-sum payment if you suffer a covered injury or if you pass away because of an accident while travelling. The payment amount depends on the type of injury and your insurance policy and can help to provide financial support during a difficult time.
Ready to travel Canada with confidence?
Enjoy every moment of your out-of-province trip knowing you’re ready for whatever comes your way. We offer affordable plans for trips within Canada, starting as low as $30. Check out our travel insurance plans and rest easy know you’ll be covered for the unexpected.
