Travel insurance in Canada is bought by residents who already have a provincial health card and are leaving their province or the country: a week in Florida, a winter in Arizona, a tour of Europe or a weekend across the border. Government rules on this page come from Travel.gc.ca, ontario.ca and alberta.ca. Insurer facts come from each company’s own travel insurance pages, checked on October 11, 2026. This page is education, not advice: a policy’s wording, not this summary, decides a claim.
People coming the other way need a different product. Tourists and relatives visiting Canada are covered in the guide to travel insurance for visitors to Canada, and parents and grandparents applying for a super visa need a policy that meets the rules in the super visa insurance guide.
Do Canadians need travel insurance to leave Canada?
No law makes a Canadian resident buy travel insurance, but the Government of Canada tells every traveller to buy it before leaving, and it is blunt about who pays when something goes wrong abroad.
How to read this table: Paraphrased closely from Travel.gc.ca's 'Trip interruption and travel health insurance' page; the quoted wording is in the source record.
| Topic | What the Government of Canada says | Where it says it |
|---|---|---|
| When to buy | Before leaving, for any trip outside Canada, even a day in the United States. | Travel.gc.ca |
| What a provincial or territorial plan pays abroad | It may cover none, or only a small part, of medical costs abroad, including a medical evacuation, and it never pays bills up front. | Travel.gc.ca |
| What the federal government pays | The Government of Canada will not pay a traveller's medical bills. | Travel.gc.ca |
| Three things a travel health policy should always cover | Medical evacuation, pre-existing medical conditions (with the stability period in writing) and repatriation in case of death. | Travel.gc.ca |
| Trip interruption vs trip cancellation | Interruption applies once the trip has started and reimburses the unused portion after an early return; cancellation applies only when the trip is cancelled before it starts. | Travel.gc.ca |
| Travel advisories | Many policies will not cover travel to regions under an advisory to avoid all non-essential travel or to avoid all travel. | Travel.gc.ca |
| Living abroad | Travel insurance is not intended for living outside Canada for an extended period or permanently. | Travel.gc.ca |
Source: Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (buy before leaving); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (provincial plans); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (federal government does not pay); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (three things a policy should cover); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (medical evacuation); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (stability clause); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (interruption vs cancellation); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (travel advisories); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (living abroad); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (claims paperwork); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (outpatient); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (inpatient, higher level of care); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (inpatient, lower levels of care); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (transfer home not covered); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (private insurance recommended); Health care coverage outside Canada - Alberta.ca (hospital rates); Health care coverage outside Canada - Alberta.ca (traveller pays the difference); Health care coverage outside Canada - Alberta.ca (travel medical insurance recommended). In effect from October 11, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
Three points in that table shape everything else on this page. A provincial plan does pay something, but it pays after the fact and in small fixed amounts. The federal government pays nothing. And the three things the government says a travel health policy should always cover, medical evacuation, pre-existing conditions and repatriation after a death, are exactly the items a provincial plan leaves out or limits.
What does a provincial health plan pay outside Canada?
A provincial health plan pays a fixed daily amount for emergency hospital care outside Canada and pays doctors at the home-province rate; the traveller owes everything above that. Ontario and Alberta publish their amounts.
How to read this table: Amounts are in Canadian dollars. Both provinces pay only for emergency care that meets their criteria, and both reimburse after the traveller has paid or been billed.
| Provincial plan | Service | What the plan pays | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario (OHIP) | Emergency inpatient care: operating room, coronary care, intensive care, neonatal or pediatric special care | Up to $400 a day | ontario.ca |
| Ontario (OHIP) | Emergency inpatient care: lower levels of care | Up to $200 a day | ontario.ca |
| Ontario (OHIP) | Emergency outpatient services | Up to $50 a day, or the amount billed if less | ontario.ca |
| Ontario (OHIP) | Doctor services | The amount billed or the Ontario schedule rate, whichever is less | ontario.ca |
| Ontario (OHIP) | Transfer back to an Ontario hospital | Not covered | ontario.ca |
| Alberta (AHCIP) | Emergency inpatient hospital services | $100 a day, not including the day of discharge | alberta.ca |
| Alberta (AHCIP) | Emergency outpatient hospital services | $50 a day, one visit a day | alberta.ca |
| Alberta (AHCIP) | Air or ground ambulance, prescription medication | Not covered | alberta.ca |
Source: Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (buy before leaving); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (provincial plans); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (federal government does not pay); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (three things a policy should cover); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (medical evacuation); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (stability clause); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (interruption vs cancellation); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (travel advisories); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (living abroad); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (claims paperwork); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (outpatient); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (inpatient, higher level of care); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (inpatient, lower levels of care); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (transfer home not covered); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (private insurance recommended); Health care coverage outside Canada - Alberta.ca (hospital rates); Health care coverage outside Canada - Alberta.ca (traveller pays the difference); Health care coverage outside Canada - Alberta.ca (travel medical insurance recommended). In effect from October 11, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
Ontario adds conditions: the care must be medically necessary, given at a licensed hospital or health facility, for a condition that is acute, unexpected, arose outside Canada and needs immediate treatment. Alberta says a traveller is responsible for the difference between the amount charged and the amount its plan reimburses, and that payment for services in a private health facility will not be reimbursed. Nova Scotia publishes a higher figure, up to $525 a day for emergency inpatient services plus half of ancillary fees, which still leaves most of a foreign hospital bill with the patient.
A worked example shows the size of the gap. Suppose a foreign hospital bills $5,000 a day for 3 days in intensive care, $15,000 in total. Ontario’s plan would pay up to $400 a day, which is $1,200, leaving $13,800 with the traveller before any doctor’s fees, ambulance or flight home. The hospital figure is invented for illustration; the daily rate is Ontario’s.
Each province’s health card rules are covered in the guides to the OHIP health card in Ontario, the Alberta health card and the Nova Scotia health card.
What does travel insurance in Canada cover?
Travel insurance is sold in parts, and a traveller can buy one part or a package. The three main parts are emergency medical, trip cancellation and interruption, and baggage.
Emergency medical
Emergency medical insurance pays for sudden illness or injury away from home. Ontario Blue Cross lists hospitalization in a semi-private or private room, medical follow-up in Canada after repatriation, ambulance, repatriation to the province of residence when the traveller’s condition requires it, the cost of bringing someone to the bedside, return of a vehicle, and a subsistence allowance for accommodation and meals. GMS lists 24 benefits, including prescription drugs to a maximum of a 30-day prescription and up to $2,000 to repair or replace natural teeth after an accidental blow to the mouth. TuGo lists emergency air transportation that must be pre-approved.
Trip cancellation and trip interruption
Trip cancellation reimburses prepaid, non-refundable costs when a trip is called off before departure for a reason the policy lists. Trip interruption applies after departure and covers the unused part of the trip and the cost of getting home early. GMS publishes its list of covered events, which includes a medical emergency, a death in the family, complications of pregnancy, job loss, jury duty, a supplier’s financial default and a Government of Canada travel advisory issued after the trip was booked, for a destination that had no advisory in place. Manulife CoverMe lets the buyer set the cancellation amount to match the prepaid trip cost, with trip interruption options of $800, $1,500 or unlimited on its cancellation and interruption plan.
Baggage and accident benefits
Baggage coverage pays for luggage that is delayed, lost, stolen or damaged; Desjardins also reimburses the cost of replacing passports, visas, driver’s licences or birth certificates. Manulife CoverMe’s all-inclusive plan includes up to $1,500 for baggage issues. Accident coverage pays a fixed sum after a death or serious injury; Ontario Blue Cross offers up to $300,000.
What travel insurance does not cover
The Government of Canada lists the usual limits: travel health insurance rarely covers routine checkups, non-emergency care or cosmetic surgery, may not cover mental health disorders, and may exclude drug or alcohol-related incidents and activities such as mountaineering, skiing, scuba diving or extreme sports. Desjardins says travel insurance only covers sudden and unexpected events and that some high-risk activities are not covered. Many policies also exclude destinations under a Government of Canada advisory to avoid non-essential travel or all travel.
Best travel insurance in Canada: 8 insurers compared
No single insurer is the right answer for every trip, because the facts that matter change with the traveller’s age, health and time away. The table sets out what each of the eight states on its own pages. The guide to travel insurance for seniors covers age bands, medical questionnaires and stability periods.
| Feature | Emergency medical maximum stated | Pre-existing condition terms stated | Multi-trip annual options | Other published terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allianz Global Assistance | Not printed on the plan-finder page; shown during the quote | Not stated on the page checked; see the policy wording | Annual medical: day limits of 4, 8, 15 or 35 days per trip. Annual comprehensive: a 15-day or 35-day plan | Youth Plan options for travellers up to 29 years old; a post-departure Non-medical Package for travellers who have already left |
| Desjardins | up to $5 million per person, per trip | A pre-existing condition may not be covered; details are in the policy | 8, 15, 23, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 or 182 days | Single trips between 1 and 365 days; a saving on trips of 31 days or more |
| GMS | up to $5 million | Medical: exclusions are in the policy wording. Cancellation and interruption excludes pre-existing conditions that have not been stable for 180 days | unlimited trips per policy year, with 15 or 30 days of coverage | a deductible from $0 up to $5,000; not available in Quebec, Nunavut or New Brunswick |
| Manulife CoverMe | up to $10 million | A separate plan with medical underwriting to cover pre-existing medical conditions | Not stated on the page checked | a full refund on medical plans before the effective date; 50% off for travel within Canada on select plans |
| Medipac | up to $10 million on MedipacGOLD; coverage in U.S. dollars | coverage for most stable and controlled pre-existing conditions | A 4-Season Annual Plan; day limits not stated on the page checked | not available through brokers; up to 20% off for returning clients through loyalty and claim-free discounts |
| Ontario Blue Cross | up to $5,000,000 per trip | Medical: stable for 3 months before departure for ages 0 to 54; stable for 6 months before departure for ages 55 and over | a maximum stay of 4, 8, 17, 31, 60, 90, 120, 150 or 180 days per trip | 5% off at each renewal on Multi-Trip Annual; a claim may be denied if travel assistance is not contacted before treatment |
| RBC Insurance | coverage RBC Insurance describes as unlimited for eligible emergency medical expenses | Classic plan (ages 0 to 64): stable conditions covered. TravelCare: stable pre-existing conditions may be covered, depending on the TravelCare category the traveller qualifies for | 9-, 16-, 30- and 60-day trip durations (the 30- and 60-day options by phone) | Classic plan: no health questions required; a 4-Day Getaway Multi-Trip Annual Medical Plan for unlimited quick trips in a year |
| TuGo | Not printed on the plan page; shown during the quote | Not stated on the page checked; see the policy wording | Multi Trip Annual plan; day limits not stated on the page checked | available for all ages, as a Single Trip or Multi Trip Annual plan; COVID-19 coverage included, regardless of vaccination status, for policies purchased as of October 4, 2022 |
Sources: each company's own travel insurance pages, checked October 11, 2026. 'Not stated' means the page checked did not give the term; it is set in the policy wording or the quote. Listed alphabetically, not ranked. No premiums are shown because none of the eight prints one on the pages checked.
The table in sentences, company by company.
Allianz Global Assistance administers plans that are underwritten by CUMIS General Insurance Company, a member of The Co-operators Group of Companies. Its annual emergency medical plan comes with day limits of 4, 8, 15 or 35 days per trip, and its Comprehensive Multi-trip plan with a 15-day or 35-day plan. It offers Youth Plan options for travellers up to 29 years old and a post-departure Non-medical Package for travellers who have already left. Quotes are split by age: an instant online quote for ages 64 and younger, and a separate online quote path for ages 65 and older.
Desjardins reimburses up to $5 million per person, per trip for emergency medical care. Single-trip insurance runs between 1 and 365 days, and multi-trip annual insurance comes in trip lengths of 8, 15, 23, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 or 182 days. Its Quattra Advantage gives medical questionnaire answers valid for 4 years for ages 61 to 80 on multi-trip annual insurance, and on a family policy only the 2 oldest family members on a policy pay premiums for emergency healthcare, baggage, emergency return trip and accident coverages. Its facts were read on the default Quebec version of the page.
GMS sells TravelStar Emergency Medical with coverage up to $5 million and a deductible from $0 up to $5,000. A single-trip plan covers one trip up to one year (365 days) long; the annual plan gives unlimited trips per policy year, with 15 or 30 days of coverage. Published savings include up to six children under the age of 16 added free on Single-Trip Emergency Medical and 10% off Single-Trip Trip Cancellation and Interruption when added to an Emergency Medical purchase. Its products are not available in Quebec, Nunavut or New Brunswick.
Manulife CoverMe states up to $10 million in emergency medical coverage on its single-trip medical plans, including COVID-19 related emergency medical costs, unless the government changes the destination's travel advisory to Avoid Non-Essential Travel because of COVID-19. Travellers with health conditions are pointed to a second plan that needs medical underwriting to cover pre-existing medical conditions. It also sells discounted all-inclusive plans for travellers 29 and under, and all plans come with travel assistance 24/7, 365 days a year.
Medipac sells travel medical insurance direct, not available through brokers, and is endorsed by the Canadian Snowbird Association and the Royal Canadian Legion, according to its own site. It states up to $10 million on MedipacGOLD, describes that plan as coverage in U.S. dollars, and lists coverage for most stable and controlled pre-existing conditions. Published discounts include deductible options that can save up to 40% and up to 20% off for returning clients through loyalty and claim-free discounts. The insurance is underwritten by Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada.
Ontario Blue Cross provides up to $5,000,000 per trip under Emergency Medical Care and prints its emergency medical stability periods by age band on its own site, which the other seven do not do on the pages checked. Its Multi-Trip Annual plan offers a maximum stay of 4, 8, 17, 31, 60, 90, 120, 150 or 180 days per trip, with 5% off at each renewal. Insurance must be bought before leaving the province of residence, for the entire trip.
RBC Insurance advertises coverage RBC Insurance describes as unlimited for eligible emergency medical expenses. Its Classic Medical Plan is for ages 0 to 64 with no health questions required; its TravelCare Medical Plan is for travellers age 65 and up. Multi-trip annual plans come in 9-, 16-, 30- and 60-day trip durations (the 30- and 60-day options by phone), and it sells a 4-Day Getaway Multi-Trip Annual Medical Plan for unlimited quick trips in a year.
TuGo sells Emergency Medical Insurance that is available for all ages, as a Single Trip or Multi Trip Annual plan, with COVID-19 coverage included, regardless of vaccination status, for policies purchased as of October 4, 2022. It is sold through TuGo insurance partners chosen by province, so a quote or purchase starts with choosing a partner.
What is the best travel medical insurance in Canada?
The best travel medical insurance in Canada for one traveller is not the best for another, because age, health and trip length change which plans are open and what they cover. Four published terms separate the emergency medical plans.
- The maximum. Stated maximums among the eight are up to $5,000,000 per trip at Ontario Blue Cross, up to $5 million per person, per trip at Desjardins, up to $5 million at GMS, up to $10 million at Manulife CoverMe and up to $10 million on MedipacGOLD. Medipac describes that plan as coverage in U.S. dollars, so its figure is not directly comparable with the others. RBC Insurance describes its coverage for eligible expenses as unlimited.
- The deductible. A deductible is the first part of a claim the traveller pays. GMS offers a deductible from $0 up to $5,000, and Medipac says its deductible options that can save up to 40%.
- The assistance line. Six of the eight (Desjardins, GMS, Manulife CoverMe, Medipac, Ontario Blue Cross and RBC Insurance) state round-the-clock assistance on the pages checked; the Allianz and TuGo pages checked do not say. One insurer attaches a rule to it: at Ontario Blue Cross, a claim may be denied if travel assistance is not contacted before treatment.
- Who pays the hospital. RBC Insurance lists direct payment of emergency medical bills, and Medipac lists direct payment to providers wherever possible. The Government of Canada suggests asking whether a plan pays bills or provides cash advances up front.
How do pre-existing condition stability periods work?
A stability period is the time before a trip during which a medical condition must not change for a claim related to it to be paid. The Government of Canada’s wording is that there must be no changes to the condition and no new medical conditions, symptoms or medications during the period.
Ontario Blue Cross spells out what breaks stability: a new prescription, a new drug, a change in dosage, or waiting for treatment, surgery or test results. Its published periods:
- Emergency Medical Care: stable for 3 months before departure for ages 0 to 54, and stable for 6 months before departure for ages 55 and over.
- Trip Cancellation or Interruption: stable for 3 months before the insurance purchase or the first payment on the trip, whichever is later.
- A shorter period: it sells an optional Reduced Stability Period.
Other insurers handle the same issue differently. GMS’s Trip Cancellation and Interruption plan excludes pre-existing conditions that have not been stable for 180 days. Manulife CoverMe uses a separate plan with medical underwriting to cover pre-existing medical conditions. RBC Insurance says that on its TravelCare plan, stable pre-existing conditions may be covered, depending on the TravelCare category the traveller qualifies for.
An unstable condition does not void the whole policy. Ontario Blue Cross says a traveller in that position can still claim for events unrelated to the excluded condition, and gives the example of someone with unstable diabetes who has an unrelated accident. The Government of Canada tells travellers to get the insurer’s agreement on a pre-existing condition in writing.
Is single-trip or multi-trip annual travel insurance the better fit?
It depends on how many trips are planned and how long the longest one is. A single-trip policy is priced for one trip’s exact dates. A multi-trip annual policy covers every trip in a year, with each trip limited to a set number of days.
| Feature | Single-trip length stated | Multi-trip annual per-trip limits stated |
|---|---|---|
| Allianz Global Assistance | Not stated on the page checked | Medical: day limits of 4, 8, 15 or 35 days per trip. Comprehensive: a 15-day or 35-day plan |
| Desjardins | between 1 and 365 days | 8, 15, 23, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 or 182 days |
| GMS | one trip up to one year (365 days) long | unlimited trips per policy year, with 15 or 30 days of coverage |
| Ontario Blue Cross | Not stated on the page checked | a maximum stay of 4, 8, 17, 31, 60, 90, 120, 150 or 180 days per trip |
| RBC Insurance | Not stated on the page checked | 9-, 16-, 30- and 60-day trip durations (the 30- and 60-day options by phone) |
Sources: each company's own pages, checked October 11, 2026. Manulife CoverMe, Medipac and TuGo are left out because the pages checked do not print per-trip day limits.
Two practical points follow from the table. A traveller who takes several short trips needs a per-trip limit at least as long as the longest trip planned. And a long stay does not have to be a single-trip purchase: GMS says a single-trip plan can top up an annual plan when a trip runs past the annual plan’s day limit, as long as the top-up covers the full number of extra days. Snowbirds have a further limit to watch that has nothing to do with insurance: each province sets how long a resident can be away and keep the health card that travel insurance depends on.
Is credit card travel insurance enough?
That depends on the card’s age cut-off, its day limit and the coverages it includes. Some credit cards include travel insurance at no extra charge, and the Government of Canada lists a credit card company among the places to get coverage. The cards below publish an age cut-off, a number of days covered, or both.
- American Express Cobalt Card: emergency medical of up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 consecutive days of a trip, if you are under 65, and lost or stolen baggage cover of up to $500 per trip for all insured persons combined. The Amex Cobalt review has the full insurance list.
- RBC Avion Visa Infinite: emergency medical for the first 15 consecutive days of a trip if you are under 65, and the first 3 consecutive days if you are 65 or older.
- American Express Gold Rewards Card: trip cancellation of up to $1,500 per insured person per trip, to a maximum of $3,000 for all insured persons.
- Wealthsimple credit card: travel medical of up to $1,000,000 on the Visa Infinite+ tier and up to $2,000,000 on the Visa Infinite Privilege tier.
Those limits explain why insurers sell top-ups. Desjardins tells travellers with group or credit card coverage to check it and supplement as needed, and GMS says a single-trip plan can top up other limited travel insurance when more days are needed. Card-by-card insurance details are in the guide to the best travel credit cards in Canada.
How much does travel insurance cost in Canada?
None of the eight insurers prints a premium on the pages checked, so this page shows none. Desjardins states what drives the price: age on the departure date, state of health, trip duration, and the coverages and insurance amounts chosen. The published discounts show which choices move it:
- Deductible. GMS offers a deductible from $0 up to $5,000, and Medipac lists deductible options that can save up to 40%.
- Bundling. GMS gives 10% off Single-Trip Trip Cancellation and Interruption when added to an Emergency Medical purchase.
- Family and children. GMS allows up to six children under the age of 16 added free on Single-Trip Emergency Medical. At Desjardins, only the 2 oldest family members on a policy pay premiums for emergency healthcare, baggage, emergency return trip and accident coverages.
- Destination. Manulife CoverMe gives 50% off for travel within Canada on select plans.
- Loyalty. Medipac lists up to 20% off for returning clients through loyalty and claim-free discounts, and Ontario Blue Cross gives 5% off at each renewal on its Multi-Trip Annual plan.
As an illustration of the deductible trade-off only, a premium of $400 reduced by the largest saving Medipac publishes would fall to $240, in exchange for paying the chosen deductible on any claim. The premium is invented; real quotes depend on the traveller.
Quote checklist: what to ask before buying
The Government of Canada publishes a list of questions to put to an insurer. They work as a checklist for comparing two quotes line by line.
How to read this table: Paraphrased from Travel.gc.ca's 'Trip interruption and travel health insurance' page.
| Question to ask |
|---|
| Is there a deductible, and how much is it? |
| Is coverage continuous for the whole stay outside Canada and after the return? |
| Does the plan exclude or limit any region or country on the itinerary? |
| Does the plan exclude activities such as mountaineering, skiing, scuba diving or extreme sports? |
| Does it cover drug or alcohol-related incidents? |
| Can the coverage be renewed from abroad, and for the maximum period of stay? |
| Does the company run an in-house, worldwide, 24-hour, 7-day emergency contact number? |
| Does it pay hospital bills or provide cash advances up front, so the traveller does not have to pay first? |
| What are the definition, limits and stability period for pre-existing conditions, in writing? |
Source: Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (buy before leaving); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (provincial plans); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (federal government does not pay); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (three things a policy should cover); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (medical evacuation); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (stability clause); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (interruption vs cancellation); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (travel advisories); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (living abroad); Trip interruption and travel health insurance - Travel.gc.ca (claims paperwork); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (outpatient); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (inpatient, higher level of care); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (inpatient, lower levels of care); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (transfer home not covered); OHIP coverage while outside Canada - ontario.ca (private insurance recommended); Health care coverage outside Canada - Alberta.ca (hospital rates); Health care coverage outside Canada - Alberta.ca (traveller pays the difference); Health care coverage outside Canada - Alberta.ca (travel medical insurance recommended). In effect from October 11, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
Details to have ready when asking for a quote:
- Travel dates and destination, including any side trips, since some plans limit regions.
- Age of each traveller on the departure date.
- Medical history for the stability period: new diagnoses, new or changed medications, and any tests or treatment still pending.
- The prepaid, non-refundable cost of the trip, which sets the cancellation amount.
- Existing coverage through an employer plan or a credit card, with its age and day limits.
- The current travel advisory for the destination on Travel.gc.ca.
Common mistakes with travel insurance
- Assuming the health card is enough. Ontario pays up to $400 a day for the highest level of emergency inpatient care abroad and Alberta pays $100 a day; neither covers the trip home.
- Buying after leaving. Ontario Blue Cross requires insurance to be bought before leaving the province of residence, for the entire trip.
- Relying on a credit card past its limits. The Amex Cobalt’s emergency medical cover is up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 consecutive days of a trip, if you are under 65.
- Not calling the assistance line first. At Ontario Blue Cross, a claim may be denied if travel assistance is not contacted before treatment.
- Ignoring a medication change before departure. A new prescription or dosage change can break the stability period; Ontario Blue Cross asks travellers to contact it before leaving if health declaration details change.
- Leaving without the paperwork. The Government of Canada says to get a detailed report and invoice from the doctor or hospital before leaving the country where treatment was given, and to submit original receipts.
- Confusing cancellation with interruption. Cancellation ends at departure; interruption starts there.
Where travel insurance fits with other cover
Travel insurance handles the weeks away; it does not replace the cover a household keeps year-round. The guide to life insurance in Canada explains term and permanent policies, and relatives visiting from abroad need their own policy from the visitor insurance comparison, because a Canadian resident’s travel plan does not extend to them.
How this list was put together
YieldMaple read each company’s own travel insurance pages on October 11, 2026 and recorded only the coverage maximums, age terms, stability periods, trip-length options, COVID-19 terms and discounts stated there, with the exact wording saved for each fact. No company supplied information or paid to be listed, and there are no affiliate links on this page. The list is alphabetical, not ranked on price or quality, and it is not exhaustive: other insurers, banks and auto clubs sell travel insurance in Canada. Where a page did not state a term, the table says so. Terms change, so the insurer’s current policy wording is the final word.