With rising hospital costs, a medical emergency could turn your vacation paradise into a nightmare. Travel insurance is designed to cover medical emergencies while you are out of your home country. Whether you are travelling for a day or a year, travel insurance can help keep you protected.
There are hundreds of different plans on the market, but they generally offer some or all of these basic components: travel health insurance, trip cancellation insurance, lost baggage insurance, flight accident insurance, insurance for accidental death and dismemberment and insurance for rental vehicle damage.
The best time to buy travel insurance is before you leave. If you want trip cancellation, you may need to call within 48 hours of purchasing your ticket. Once you are out of the country, your travel insurance options become more limited and more expensive.
The short answer is ‘Yes’. Every travel insurance product has a different set of benefits, coverage limits and exclusions or limitations. A qualified insurance broker can help you navigate this complex web to find the product that suits your needs.
Travel insurance is designed to cover unexpected medical problems while you are abroad. Routine treatments, such as physicals or routine check-ups, are not generally covered.
Most travel health insurance policies have clauses regarding pre-existing conditions, which may indicate limitations or exclusions to your coverage. In general, if your condition is minor and it has been stable for a long time, you shouldn’t have a problem getting coverage.
If you have had any recent change to your condition, your condition may be considered unstable and you may not be covered. Keep in mind that very recent or very serious conditions (such as kidney disease or a recent heart attack) will likely not be covered by any insurance provider.
Don’t be afraid of disclosing your medical situation to your broker, as this will enable him or her to help you find a product with the right coverage for your situation. As with any insurance you purchase, be sure to read your policy wording carefully to make sure you understand any relevant limitations, exclusions, or requirements.
As you get older, the risk of injury or illness naturally increases, which will affect the rate of your travel insurance. However, your rate is also based on your medical condition and history, so the healthier you are, the lower the premium will be. You may need to answer some medical questions to get the right coverage and rates.
Not necessarily. An annual multi-trip travel insurance plan can keep you covered for all of your short trips throughout the year. You can choose your coverage based on how long you are usually out of the country.
It depends on the sport. Some activities will be covered by a general travel insurance product, but more extreme pursuits may need additional coverage because of the additional risk. If you are planning to participate in an extreme sport, ask your broker if you need to buy a special sports rider to cover your particular adventure.
Probably. If you’re working or travelling in a dangerous part of the world, regular travel or health insurance will not provide the coverage that you need. Most off-the-shelf products exclude countries subject to government-issued travel advisories. They also usually contain specific exclusions or limitations on acts of war or terrorism.
If you know you’re going to be in a dangerous part of the world, you’ll need to buy a specialty insurance product. These products are usually more expensive, since the risk is higher, but they can cover you for the risks you will be facing.
Most insurance providers will provide you with a wallet-sized card, which includes your policy number and a phone number to connect you to a 24-hour emergency assistance service. You should carry this with you on your trip, and call the number as soon as possible. This service can help you arrange for treatment and track your progress to help the claims process go smoothly. Of course, if you have a severe medical emergency, the first thing to do is to call the local emergency response number (911 in Canada and the USA; if you are travelling elsewhere, be sure to find out the correct local number).
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about ingle international
Ingle International is an insurance and financial Managing General Agent (MGA) offering a wide range of products and services to suit the needs of our clients. We work with individual clients as well as groups and associations across Canada and internationally.
The Ingle Group has been in business since 1946 and represents all the major insurance companies in Canada, as well as many international insurers. If you are not happy with the first product that we offer you, let us do the shopping-around for you: we’ll be happy to discuss any alternatives that might be available.
We offer a range of products and services, including:
| Travel insurance for Canadians going abroad: Medical, Trip Cancellation, and All-Inclusive plans |
| Visitor to Canada insurance for visitors from overseas |
| International travel insurance for individuals traveling to anywhere, from anywhere, for any length of time |
| Long-term expatriate health insurance plans for individuals living outside their country of origin for work, study or personal reasons |
| Short-term emergency medical coverage for Canadians who have lost their provincial healthcare plan |
| Individual extended health, dental and prescription drug plans |
| and much more... |
Our customer care centre is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 9pm, and Saturday 10am to 3pm to serve you better. In addition, our national network of licenced insurance agents works through Imagine Financial Ltd. to provide customized, local service when you need it.
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