What Don't You Know about Travel Insurance?
Are you travelling outside your home province/territory or Canada on a trip, even a short one? If you opt for travel insurance, does it cover everything? The short answer is: No, but it’s recommended to protect you financially.
Make sure that you understand the terms of your travel insurance policy. What does it cover? What doesn’t it cover? Choose a travel insurance policy that covers your needs and your level of comfort during your travels.
What don’t you know about travel insurance? Let’s answer some questions about travel coverage.
Does travel insurance cover a missed flight?
Travel insurance can cover a missed flight, but it depends on the details. If you’ve missed your flight for a reason that was out of your control, such as a car accident, and it’s named as a covered reason in your travel insurance, then it may be able to reimburse the fees charged for changing your flight and/or other lost travel expenses.
Travel insurance doesn’t reimburse you if you miss your flight because:
- You didn’t give yourself enough time to make your flight
- You overslept
- You didn’t make it through the security line in time
- The airline changed the departure gate at the last minute
- You didn’t hear the boarding call
If you have missed your flight, check with your airline to see if you can reschedule your flight.
What if the airline/flight crew goes on strike?
You’ll need travel insurance coverage for trip cancellation and trip interruption if a trip is delayed, cancelled, or interrupted due to a legal union labour strike for an airline, as long as the coverage effective date is prior to when the strike takes place.
What is trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance?
Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance are usually purchased together. They cover you should your trip need to be cancelled for unforeseen events, such as a flight cancellation, flight delay when it's weather related such as a snowstorm. flight crew strikes that are unforeseen, things like that. It also covers you for a death in the family.
Trip cancellation insurance covers you right up to your departure date. Trip interruption covers you when you're actually on your trip and your trip is interrupted.
Here are some common situations that are not covered by basic trip cancellation policies:
- Cancelling because you cannot afford it
- Cancelling because you changed your mind
- Cancelling for one of a number of health issues
- Cancelling for one of a number of family issues
What if my luggage gets lost or delayed?
Travel insurance offers compensation for lost, stolen, or delayed baggage, helping to cover the cost of essentials while you wait for your belongings. Travel insurance may provide additional reimbursement for covered costs your airline doesn't cover.
If your baggage is missing on arrival, also file a claim with your airline before leaving the airport. Airlines often require losses to be reported within a limited time period for compensation. Let them know where you’ll be staying so that your bags can be delivered to you.
Check your travel insurance policy to see how your luggage is covered.
What kind of travel health insurance is essential?
Your travel health insurance policy should always cover:
- Medical evacuation. Make sure your policy covers medical evacuation to Canada or to the nearest place with medical care.
- Pre-existing medical conditions.
- Repatriation to Canada in case of death.
What is medical travel insurance?
Travel medical insurance specifically covers medical expenses you may have while you are travelling outside Canada or your home province or territory. Medical insurance for travel can include doctor visits, hospital stays, and emergency medical treatment.
Medical insurance for travel specifically covers medical expenses, while travel insurance covers a wider range of issues and also includes medical expenses. Medical travel insurance is also called travel health insurance or medical insurance for travel.
What does travel insurance usually cover?
Travel insurance has a broad range of coverages:
- Hospitalization and treatment of medical emergencies
- Emergency medical evacuation
- Trip cancellation
- Air travel delay expenses
- An accident in a rental car
- Accidental death
Travel insurance can also cover transportation costs to the nearest appropriate hospital and the cost of bringing you back home.
What’s all-inclusive travel insurance?
Depending on your travel insurer, an all-inclusive travel insurance plan could include emergency travel medical coverage, trip cancellation and interruption, and more for multiple covered trips up to the maximum trip duration selected within one year.
What could happen if I skip buying travel insurance?
If you get injured and do not have travel insurance, it can result in significant financial, legal, and logistical challenges.
Without travel insurance, you'll likely be responsible for covering all medical expenses out of pocket. These costs can add up quickly, especially if hospitalization, surgeries, or specialized treatments are required.
Some countries may require upfront payment for medical services, and the quality of care may vary, impacting the treatment you receive.
If your injury is severe and requires transportation back to your home country for more treatment, arranging and covering the costs of getting back home can be challenging without insurance.
Do I need travel insurance if I am travelling within Canada?
Not all medical expenses are covered by your government health insurance plan when you are outside your home province. You may end up paying for:
- Prescription drugs
- Ambulance
- Air ambulance
- Transportation back to your home province/territory
- Accidental dental care
Most Canadian provinces – with the exception of Quebec – have reciprocal interprovincial health insurance agreements. That means if you require emergency medical treatment while in another province, the host province usually will cover the cost of any medically necessary healthcare services you receive and then bill your home province for reimbursement.
There can be a requirement for patients to pay up front and get reimbursed from their home provincial or territorial health insurance plan.
Travel insurance is recommended for travelling within Canada because there are some gaps and limits as to what’s covered under these interprovincial agreements, which could leave you on the hook for out-of-pocket expenses.
Final thoughts
Travel insurance can give you peace of mind to enjoy your adventure, whether it’s a short trip or an extended stay outside your home province/territory. Are you comfortable travelling without it?
