You need travel insurance in Canada too

Many travellers are unaware that breaking a limb in Ontario can still cost an arm and a leg and that travel insurance is strongly recommended for travel to other Canadian provinces.

Even Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) and Autorité des marchés financiers recommend it. But 39% of people are unaware of this, according to the travel plans survey that CAA-Quebec has conducted every year for more than 10 years (1). What’s more, 7% of respondents are used to travelling without travel insurance for medical care, and 62% consider it unlikely that they will buy travel insurance for their next trip to another Canadian province.

“Not all your medical expenses are covered elsewhere in Canada, and those that are covered are reimbursed at the rates paid by RAMQ in Quebec. Sometimes the difference is significant and, if you don’t have insurance, you have to pay it out of your own pocket.” - Suzanne Michaud, Vice President, Insurance, CAA-Quebec

This is probably due to the fact that many travellers think they’re covered as they are in Quebec when they’re in another province, which is false.

The Quebec health insurance card is sometimes accepted elsewhere in Canada. If a clinic or hospital refuses it, the patient must pay out of their own pocket and request reimbursement from RAMQ. Except that RAMQ doesn’t cover everything. Services provided by a professional other than a physician (e.g., dentist or optometrist) and charges for a private room, an ambulance, and medication are among the costs that aren’t covered. Furthermore, RAMQ reimburses medical expenses at Quebec rates. In an example on the RAMQ website, a patient who required professional services in Ontario following a fracture was reimbursed $506 for a bill totalling $928. Learn more about travel insurance in Canada.

Travel insurance comes with travel assistance

Travel insurance doesn’t just pay the bills. It also comes with 24/7 travel assistance that takes care of coordinating everything in case of a problem.

Is COVID-19 covered by travel insurance in Canada?

Travellers who intend to go to Ontario between now and fall, for example, will no doubt be reassured to know that COVID-19 is a risk covered by travel insurance sold by CAA-Quebec. For other insurers, it is recommended that you check, as policies vary from company to company. You should also be aware that insurance premiums for travel within Canada are lower than for international travel.

Travel insurance adapts to COVID-19

Insurance companies have adapted their offerings to the context of COVID-19, in particular to the fact that 77% of vacationers intend to stay in Quebec, according to the travel plans survey. For example, telemedicine is now available with an annual contract to CAA-Quebec policyholders who spend their holidays in Quebec or wisely stay home.

Allowed to travel in Canada or not?

It’s important to check whether you’re allowed to travel to the province you want to visit. For example, New Brunswick has many restrictions, but Ontario does not. At the end of May, only 5% of vacationers intended to travel elsewhere in Canada by the end of the summer, according to the survey. It remains to be seen whether this percentage is likely to change in the weeks to come as measures to ease the lockdown are implemented.

About CAA-Quebec

CAA-Quebec is a not-for-profit organization that assists each of its members by providing mobility, travel, insurance, and residential benefits, products, and services.

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^{(1) The survey was conducted by Léger on behalf of CAA-Quebec among an online panel of 1,000 respondents representative of the Quebec population, between May 19 and 23, 2020.}