Table of Contents:
- About This Insurance
- Simple Assessment Form
- Benefits
- Conditions
- Coverage
- Premium Rate
- Policy Changes After Issuance
- Real-Case Examples
- FAQ
About This Insurance
Even though Canadian citizens and permanent residents have provincial health insurance (like OHIP in Ontario or MSP in British Columbia), these plans don’t fully cover you outside your home province. Here’s why travel insurance within Canada is still important:
1. Limited Emergency Medical Coverage Outside Your Province by Government plans
Your provincial health plan may not cover:
- Ambulance services in another province (which can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars).
- Emergency dental care due to an accident.
- Private or semi-private hospital rooms.
- Prescription drugs filled during travel.
- Medical equipment or supplies like crutches, braces, or wheelchairs.
Example: If you’re from Ontario and get injured in Alberta, OHIP might only pay the amount it would have paid in Ontario—not the actual cost charged in Alberta.
2. No Emergency Return and Transportation Costs Coverage by Government plans
Government plans won’t cover:
- Emergency air ambulance or medevac back to your province.
- Transportation for a family member to join you if you’re hospitalized far from home.
- Repatriation of remains in case of death during travel.
3. No Trip Interruption, Cancellation, or Baggage Coverage by Government plans
If you’re traveling for business, vacation, or family reasons, non-medical travel insurance benefits are crucial:
- Trip Cancellation & Interruption coverage in case of illness, family emergency, or weather disruptions.
- Lost, stolen, or delayed baggage coverage.
- Travel delays due to airline or weather issues.
4. Peace of Mind and 24/7 Assistance
Travel insurance gives access to:
- A 24/7 emergency helpline to guide you through local hospitals and medical claims.
- Direct billing so you’re not stuck paying thousands out of pocket upfront.
While provincial health insurance is highly effective within your home province, it does not provide full coverage when you travel to other provinces. Travel insurance helps protect you against unexpected and potentially high expenses, and ensures you receive prompt and efficient care during emergencies—giving you peace of mind throughout your journey.
Simple Assessment Form
To choose the best and most suitable insurance and to receive an accurate quote, please complete the form below.
***Why is it important to provide accurate personal information in the insurance form? ***
Benefits
- Usable for up to 182 days outside your province of residence (or 212 days for Ontario residents)
- Ability to convert individual travel insurance to family coverage
- Option to extend the policy if the trip is longer than planned
- Ability to add Hazardous Sports Insurance, and flight delay, and baggage loss/damage insurance
- Eligible for multiple trips per year of 9, 16, 30, or 60 days to anywhere in the world, with the convenience of annual payment
- Issuable without requiring stability of pre-existing conditions (within Canada only)
- Offers comprehensive medical and non-medical coverage
Conditions
- Trips of 9, 16, 30, or 60 days for ages 0–79
- Trips of 9 or 16 days for ages 80+
Coverage
This insurance provides either $5 million or $10 million in coverage based on the provider company for the following:
- Emergency Medical Treatment, including:
- Hospitalization
- Emergency sickness and accident care
- Outpatient treatments
- Physician visits
- Fracture treatment
- Emergency dental care
- Prescription drugs and medical supplies
- X-ray examinations
- Essential medical appliances
- Private duty nursing
- Follow-up visits
- Vision care and hearing aids
- COVID-19 related care
- Ambulance & Evacuation:
- Ground and air ambulance services
- Emergency air transportation
- Remote evacuation
- Repatriation Services:
- Medical repatriation or return of the insured
- Repatriation of deceased remains
- Return of pets
- Return of vehicle
- Additional Medical Services(with referral if required):
- Physiotherapy
- Chiropractic care
- Massage therapy
- Professional medical services:
Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Chiropodist, Osteopath, Podiatrist, Optometrist, Acupuncturist
- Non-Medical Benefits:
- Compensation for baggage delay or loss
- Family transportation in emergencies
- 24/7 emergency assistance services
Premium Rate
The daily premium starts from $1.59 and varies depending on factors such as:
- Age of the insured
- Pre-existing medical conditions
- Deductible amount
- Insurance provider
Policy Changes After Issuance
In some cases, changes can be made before the policy start date or prior to the beginning of travel.
While Canadian health plans are strong within your home province, they don’t follow you with full protection across the country. Travel insurance ensures:
– You’re not left with large out-of-pocket bills.
– You get the care and support you need—fast and stress-free.
Real-Case Example
My name is Maria, and I live in Toronto. Last winter, my husband and I went on a seven-day trip to Whistler, British Columbia. I’ve always loved skiing and thought everything would go as usual—but in just a few seconds, everything changed. I lost my balance, and when I came to, all I could feel was pain and the sound of the stretcher carrying me down the mountain.
My husband was terrified, and the very first thing that came to our minds was insurance. Fortunately, before the trip we had purchased travel insurance from Rahimian Insurance with $5,000,000 in emergency coverage and zero deductible, because we knew our provincial insurance would not provide full protection outside Ontario. Honestly, when buying the policy I thought it was just for peace of mind and would probably never be needed.
At the hospital, I was told I had several serious fractures and needed immediate surgery. I stayed in the hospital for nine days. Right away, the hospital explained that Ontario’s provincial insurance (OHIP) would cover only part of the expenses, and the rest would be our responsibility. When we heard the amounts, we were shocked:
- Air ambulance evacuation from mountain: $4,800
- Surgery & specialist fees: $12,600
- Hospital stay (9 days): $18,900
- Medications & medical equipment: $780
Total: $37,080
My husband immediately contacted the insurance company. We were stressed, expecting a long process full of paperwork, but to our relief everything went smoothly and clearly. The insurance representative guided us, the hospital documents were reviewed the same day, and everything moved forward without complications.
The greatest comfort was that the bills were paid directly by the insurance company to the hospital—we didn’t have to pay anything upfront. In total, the costs exceeded $37,000, and almost all of it was covered by insurance. We only paid a small amount ($780) for simple medications after discharge.
FAQ
Should Canadians get travel insurance for trips to other provinces/territories, or only for trips outside Canada?
For maximum protection, Canadians should have travel insurance whenever they leave their home province/territory – even if they’re staying in Canada.
Provincial/territorial health insurance plans limit reimbursement of emergency medical expenses incurred in another province/territory and may not cover costs such as air and ground ambulance transportation, emergency dental treatment and prescription drugs. In addition, most do not provide emergency return home benefits.
