Provincial health plans in Canada generally provide little or no coverage for medical emergencies outside Canada. Even within Canada, coverage between provinces is not always equivalent. A travel medical or comprehensive travel policy may help reduce the financial impact of an unexpected illness or injury while you are away.
This checklist is general education, not personalized travel insurance advice. Eligibility, pricing, exclusions, and pre-existing condition rules depend on the insurer, the policy, and your individual situation.
Before you compare policies — gather the basics
Most travel insurance applications ask the same starting questions. Having this information ready makes it easier to compare quotes accurately.
- Departure date, return date, and total number of days outside your home province
- Destinations and any planned cross-border travel during the trip
- Ages of every traveller (children and seniors are often priced differently)
- Province of permanent residence and provincial plan status
- Any health conditions, recent diagnoses, medications, or specialist visits
- Reason for travel (leisure, work, study, visiting family)
Emergency medical coverage — what to look for
Emergency medical is the core of most travel insurance plans. It is designed to help with the costs of unexpected illness or injury while travelling. Key details to compare include:
- Total emergency medical maximum (often $1 million or higher)
- Coverage for hospitalization, doctor visits, diagnostic tests, and prescription drugs
- Emergency dental coverage (usually limited)
- Emergency air ambulance and repatriation
- Coverage during pregnancy, with policy-specific gestational limits
- Definition of a 'stable' pre-existing condition and the stability period required
Trip cancellation, interruption, and other categories
Comprehensive policies often add trip cancellation, trip interruption, baggage, and travel accident coverage on top of emergency medical. Stand-alone trip cancellation policies are also available. Each category has its own list of covered reasons and exclusions.
If you are buying a package, look at each category separately. A high-limit emergency medical policy may still have a low baggage limit, and a trip cancellation policy may only respond to a defined list of covered reasons. Read the actual policy wording before relying on any specific scenario.
Pre-existing conditions and stability periods
Most travel medical policies have a pre-existing condition clause. Coverage often depends on whether your medical condition has been 'stable' for a defined number of days — for example, 90, 180, or 365 days before the departure date. The definition of 'stable' varies between insurers and is typically printed in the policy.
Changes such as new medications, dosage adjustments, new symptoms, or new tests may affect stability. If you are unsure, speak with a licensed advisor and review the policy definition before you travel.
Before you leave — final checklist
Once you have selected a policy, a few practical steps can save stress during a real emergency abroad.
- Save the insurer's 24/7 emergency assistance phone number on your phone
- Keep a digital and paper copy of the policy certificate and ID card
- Share trip details and policy information with a family member or friend
- Bring a list of medications, dosages, and any medical devices
- Confirm what to do, and what to document, before paying for care abroad
Questions to ask a licensed advisor
Bring these to your next conversation. A licensed SEENCO advisor can walk through each one in plain language — without promising any outcome.
- How long must my medical condition be stable to qualify for coverage under this policy?
- What is the emergency medical maximum, and what is excluded?
- How does trip cancellation respond to a change in plans for non-listed reasons?
- Are activities I have planned — for example, skiing or scuba diving — covered?
- What is the deductible, if any, and how is it applied per traveller?
- What documentation must I gather if I have to make a claim while abroad?
This page is for general educational information only and does not replace advice from a licensed professional.