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Emergency Medical Travel Insurance

Last updated: 21st June 2023

What is emergency medical coverage?

Emergency medical travel insurance can be a lifesaver when you're exploring new and exciting destinations. With this type of insurance, you can have peace of mind knowing that you'll be covered if the unexpected happens and you require medical attention. This type of coverage is specifically designed to cover the costs of treatment for an unexpected medical emergency during your trip.

One of the most important benefits of this type of policy is that it covers medical expenses such as a doctor’s visit, hospital stay, prescriptions, ambulances, and essentially any item related to your medical emergency. This can help alleviate the financial burden associated with medical emergencies while travelling, which can be a huge relief for many people.

It's important to note that the policy will not provide coverage for any routine checkups or treatments. However, in the event of an unexpected accident, injury, or illness, emergency medical coverage can mean the difference between receiving the care you need and being left stranded without medical attention.

It's also important to understand that items such as trip cancellation, travel interruption, lost baggage, or car rental damage would not be covered under the emergency medical benefit.

Therefore, it's important to carefully review your insurance policy and understand what is and isn't covered before embarking on your travels. By doing so, you can travel with confidence, knowing that you're protected in case of an emergency.

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Panoramic view of famous Canal Grande with famous Rialto Bridge at sunset in Venice, Italy

What is covered under emergency medical coverage?

When it comes to emergency medical coverage, it's important to know that there's typically a maximum benefit limit in place. This means that there's a cap on the total amount that your insurance provider will pay out for covered medical expenses. To help you make an informed decision, we'll always display this limit for you when comparing quotes with us.

There are additional benefits associated with your emergency medical coverage which may include:

  • Coverage for prescription drugs
  • Emergency room visits
  • Coverage for outpatient services
  • Physician and laboratory costs
  • Air ambulance or commercial repatriation home
  • Hospital costs related to drug and diagnostic services
  • Assistance with bringing a family member to your bedside
  • Direct payment to the hospitals and doctors caring for you

By comparing quotes on our website, you not only get access to the best deals, but you also get to view all of the benefit levels for each of these coverage areas. This means that you can make an informed decision based on all the facts, ensuring that you get the coverage you need at a price that suits your budget.

Why do I need emergency medical travel insurance?

No one wants to associate a holiday with a hospital visit, but unfortunately, accidents do happen and viruses do travel with us. As such, it's important to keep in mind that your Provincial or Territorial Health Insurance Plan will not be able to cover your medical bills incurred outside of Canada. Healthcare costs at foreign hospitals can be very expensive, with some countries charging up to thousands of dollars for a single day's treatment.

Additionally, if you’re incurring medical bills outside of Canada, these would need to be paid upfront or the healthcare provider may need a guarantee from your travel insurance. It's important to note that some countries require you to show proof of travel insurance coverage before you can even enter their borders.

To ensure that you're not left with a hefty bill in the event of an accident or illness when travelling, it's recommended that you purchase travel insurance.

Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe

How much emergency medical coverage do I need?

Determining how much you may need to budget for medical expenses while travelling largely depends on your individual circumstances and travel plans. For instance, if you're planning to visit a remote destination, or taking a cruise, medical costs could potentially be higher. This is because medical facilities may be limited or not readily accessible, and in case of an emergency, transportation to a nearby medical facility may also be costly.

Additionally, certain activities such as adventure sports or extreme activities may carry a higher risk of injury, which could also impact your medical expenses. It's always a good idea to research your destination and potential activities in advance, and consider purchasing travel insurance to help cover any unexpected medical costs

All of the plans you'll compare on our website offer $5,000,000 as a minimum emergency medical coverage benefit.

We always like to reference the four golden rules of travel insurance as recommended by the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada:

  1. Know Your Health
  2. Know Your Trip
  3. Know Your Policy
  4. Know Your Rights

When it comes to planning a vacation, comparing costs for flights and hotels is often a standard practice, but what about travel insurance? It's essential to safeguard your trip against any unexpected incidents, and we at Compare Your Travel Insurance understand that.

That's why we provide a platform to compare quotes from reliable insurance providers you know and trust, all within minutes. Now, you can have peace of mind knowing that your next trip is protected with our easy-to-use travel insurance comparison tool.

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Your Government health plan does not provide coverage for medical expenses incurred outside of Canada (some provincial plans provide very limited reimbursement for out-of-province medical bills). Travel insurance provides coverage for unexpected medical emergencies and related expenses incurred outside of Canada (and your home province). Travel insurance needs to be purchased prior to departing your home province.

Emergency medical coverage is the benefit of the policy related solely to those medical expenses, such as the doctor’s visit, hospital stay, prescriptions, ambulances – essentially any item related to your medical event. Items such as baggage loss or trip cancellation would not be covered under this benefit.

An all-inclusive coverage bundle provides additional coverage on top of emergency medical expenses with benefits such as baggage loss/delay and trip cancellation/interruption.

Healthcare in other countries can be very expensive, especially in the United States. A simple emergency room visit can cost someone a few thousand dollars without health insurance. More severe reasons for conditions could cost hundreds of thousands. 

Before leaving on your trip, you should purchase travel insurance. It is recommended to purchase travel insurance right after you have arranged and booked your travel. You'll find that most insurance providers will not be able to offer you coverage once you have departed.

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Warren Brown
Author: Warren Brown, Relationship Manager

Warren holds over 19 years of experience in the travel insurance industry. He enjoys telling the stories of people and places which is fed by his love of travel. Warren is an active member of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA) to better educate the Canadian traveller on the benefits of travelling protected.

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