Travel Insurance for Canada

If you are going on a trip to Canada, you should get travel insurance.

When Americans plan their vacation, they choose Canada as the country for their tour very often. It is easy to understand, because this country has an interesting landscape, rich culture and many sites to see. If you are going on a trip to Canada, you should get travel insurance.

Why is it necessary to get travel insurance?

Canada, like an actress, has different roles and faces. Thus, if you go to some megalopolis, like Montreal of Toronto, you will see its business life, its theaters and restaurants. If you go to the countryside, you will do swimming, running, cycling and other kinds of sports. If you go to the mountains, you can try climbing in summer and skiing in winter. Different kinds of activities attract tourists, but they become the reasons of different health problems at the same time. Thus, skiing and climbing may cause severe injuries, cold water of the ocean can cause pneumonia and foreign cuisine in the restaurant can cause indigestion. “I never get sick, especially when I am on vacation” many visitors used to tell. Well, everything can happen for the first time.

Americans, who have the special option in their healthcare policy, tell that they are covered with their home medical insurance. Unfortunately, it is not enough. Even if you have prepaid health protection during travelling, this coverage is extremely low.

Canadian prices for medical care are high even for native citizens, just imagine, how extremely expensive it will be for a foreigner. One hour stay in the emergency room may cost you thousands of dollars. Your home policy will cover maximum 10% of that amount and the rest will be paid by you.

So it is recommended to get travelling health insurance for those, who want to spend several care-free weeks in Canada.

The other option, that is a must have for a traveler, is repatriation. It is especially recommended for people with chronic diseases. If you get ill on the territory of Canada, it is better to return to your native country and get the treatment from your doctor. Repatriation is an expensive thing, and it will be much cheaper, if you include it in your policy.

What other options should be included?

Medical coverage for at least $200,000 and emergency evacuation are just the part of travel insurance for Canada. There are some other options, which are not mandatory, but highly recommended to get too.

Trip cancellation is a useful option that can help the traveler to save his funds in case if the trip was cancelled. You have planned your vacation for months and bought tickets, booked the room in the hotel, rented a car and paid the first premium at a sports club, where you planned to learn skiing or diving. But the flight was cancelled because of weather disasters, the sport club was closed for repair and the hotel went bust. If you have travel insurance and the option of trip cancellation is activated there, you are guaranteed to get money back.

If you plan to select this service, study it carefully. Different insurance companies have various conditions, when coverage is impossible to get. You should know all the nuances of the deal before you sign it.

Very often insurance companies return the funds back in case if you can prove, the cancellation of the trip or at least of some prepaid event during of your trip wasn’t your fault. Some other insurance providers exclude natural disasters as the reason of trip cancellation. So think before you pay and don’t miss any detail!

The other necessary option to be selected for your insurance deal is personal liability. It is activated in case, you are prosecuted in Canada. I know that you are not going to misbehave and offend the law. But you are not the resident of Canada and you don’t know its rules. Sometimes tourists become prosecuted simply because they were not aware, that they could offend the law. Court processes cost a lot in Canada. To protect yourself from financial loss you can include liability option in your insurance policy.

If you plan to hire a car in Canada, it is advisable to get insurance policy for it. Car collisions are typical problem in Canada (as it is in USA too), it is good if you are protected from financial loss in case of car accident.

The problems of luggage loss or its damage is also widespread and every traveler can face it. If your luggage is insured, you can claim for compensation. Some tourists like to insure cash too. In case if it was stolen or lost, they get the reimbursement. But be attentive, if you choose this option. Insurance companies always refuse to pay the coverage in case if your luggage or cash was left in the place, where it was easy to steal it.

What if I plan to visit not only Canada?

If you have vacation, you can plan to visit several countries within one tour. Thus you can go to Canada and then to continue your tour in France. In this case it is better to get the worldwide insurance policy or to buy the policies for both countries separately.

The other thing you should pay attention to, if you leave USA for more than a month, is your home medical insurance. Very often it is cancelled, if you leave home for long, so discuss it in advance with your insurance agent and ask for a solution.

What insurance company to choose?

Various companies in Canada and USA offer insurance for travelers. What company to choose? Many Americans prefer to get the policy from the insurance company, where they have been already insured. It is a good idea, because the companies often have discounts for people, who buy more than one insurance policy in the same company.

But if your insurance company doesn’t sell policies for travelers, you can get it from Canadian company as well. It is advisable to buy the policy in the country, where you are going to activate it. Thus insurance from Canadian service providers will be covered faster at the territory of that country.

So, planning a trip is really pleasant and very interesting. But it is always a pity if you are faced to various misconceptions during your travelling. That’s why getting insurance policy and selecting necessary options to make it full, is the thing you should do before you start your tour. Have great vacation in Canada and don’t worry about extra payments!