You Earned the Vacation. Enjoy It With Peace of Mind.

A common belief among Canadians is that we have already have health insurance through our provincial governments, so there is no reason to spend money on unnecessary coverage. While this is partially correct, that’s not the full picture.

Your health care coverage is most beneficial to you within your home province but it’s not meant to cover you abroad. We even recommend purchasing coverage when travelling to other provinces and territories because if there is any difference in costs for treatments, hospital stays, or air ambulance, you will likely be on the hook for the balance. Here are 5 tips to ensure your travel insurance policy works for you:

Always take out adequate travel insurance When looking for travel insurance, don’t always default to the cheapest policy. Talk to your broker to make sure that your coverage is inclusive of any holiday activities you might be planning such as scuba diving or skiing. Hazardous, high-risk or adventurous activities like skydiving or rock climbing might not be covered so it’s important to know the details before you purchase.

Know your health conditions and ask questions The cost of your insurance policy is typically based on your age, the type of coverage you choose, the duration and cost of your trip, and depending on the policy and your age, your health.

Any time you are asked about your health conditions, it is important that you provide accurate information. Unlike other types of insurance, your answers are only verified if and when you have a claim. This means that if you provided inaccurate information on your application, you won’t know until your claim is being denied.

Read your policy carefully We get it, with all the excitement surrounding your upcoming holiday, reading over your policy doesn’t sound very appealing. It is however, one of the most important things you can do to ensure you get your money’s worth out of your policy should you need to use it.

Take your policy documents away with you You already know that you should keep your policy card in your wallet, but we also recommend taking the booklet containing the policy wording along as well. This ensures that should anything happen while you’re away, say for example you crack a tooth, you’ll know right away that you can visit a dentist and it will be covered.

Do your best to call as soon as possible in the event of a claim If you need to decide between calling 911 (or the local equivalent) or the claims department, always go with the first option. However, if the situation is not life-threatening, do your best to call as soon as possible. or clinic to get you immediate treatment.

To purchase travel insurance or to get a free quote, click here.