Travel Insurance, an Essential Part of Your Family Vacation!

Planning your next family trip and wondering if you’re properly covered in case of accident or illness? You may have coverage through your group insurance or credit card… So, why would you need individual travel insurance? Together, let’s take a trip and find out how essential it is to purchase travel insurance for your next family vacation outside your province of residence.

The Government of Ontario website emphasizes the importance of purchasing private travel insurance before leaving your province of residence. Contrary to popular belief, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) reimburses only a small part of emergency medical care costs received outside your province of residence. So, whether you’re planning a family weekend in Quebec City or an all-inclusive trip to Mexico, travel insurance is an absolute necessity.   

In terms of reimbursement, OHIP is limited to CAN$400 per day for emergency inpatient medical services abroad. However, these costs can easily amount to several thousand dollars in some destinations, such as the United States. Take the example of a person who spends three days in the intensive care unit of a Florida hospital because of a serious health problem. Hospital services would cost $25,000 in this case. Without travel insurance, the cost would be $23,800, or 95% of the total amount.   

If you want to avoid unexpected bills and out-of-pocket expenses,  
Ontario Blue Cross travel insurance provides access to one of the largest provider and healthcare facility networks in the United States, enabling direct payment to the provider whenever possible.  

Do you have travel insurance through your credit card or group insurance plan? We encourage you to review the coverage offered and make sure it meets your actual trip needs.  

• This type of coverage often includes important restrictions and limitations. Before you travel, here are some things to consider:  
• Do you have coverage for the entire duration of your stay?  
• Is the cardholder required to travel on the trip for coverage to be effective?  
• Does coverage include compensation for flight delays?  
• Does your insurance provider accept additional coverage (top up), and if so, are all insurers eligible?  

If in doubt, you can supplement your coverage with individual travel insurance. If you have questions about our travel insurance, our customer experience agents will be happy to recommend the best option.  

Ontario Blue Cross^® offers four types of travel insurance coverage.  

• Emergency Medical Care coverage insures medical expenses incurred as a result of a sudden illness or injury during your trip. It also covers emergency medical care if you contract COVID‑19 and its variants during your stay. This is the most important insurance you can purchase before a trip. Children are also covered for free*!  
• Trip Cancellation or Interruption coverage insures non-refundable expenses associated with trip cancellations or interruptions. If the World Health Organization (WHO) declares a pandemic, our Optional Protection: Pandemic coverage insures these same costs.  
• Baggage insurance covers the loss, theft or damage to your belongings during a trip.  
• Accidental Death or Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance provides coverage for accidental loss of life or the use of one or more limbs. 

Coverage should be selected according to your situation and needs, based on the type of trip you plan to take. Make sure you get the coverage that is right for you. 

A trip doesn’t always turn out as planned. Our goal is to support you in every phase of your stay: from planning to your return home.  

• Our customer experience agents are available to provide you with useful information to prepare for your trip prior departure (required documents, vaccinations needed, nearby healthcare facilities at your destination, etc.).  
• An airport delay of 3 hours or more? Our Flight Delay Service, included at no extra cost with Ontario Blue Cross travel insurance, will offer you compensation while waiting for takeoff.   
• If you need help, you can call our Blue Cross Travel Assistance service directly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our team of professionals will guide you until you reach home safely.  

Want to know more about Blue Cross travel insurance? Our customer experience agents are available to answer your questions. 

Before travelling, we recommend you review the following information.  

• Have you read your insurance policy? Be sure to re-read your contract before you leave, especially if you’ve purchased your insurance well in advance. Ensure that the information you provided when purchasing your insurance is accurate.  
• Has your health changed? If your health has changed before you leave, please contact our customer experience agents. Your coverage could be affected if you’ve had a change in your health. 
• Do you have provincial health insurance? If you are absent from Ontario for 7 months or more per 12-month period, you automatically lose your provincial health insurance eligibility. Since travel insurance can only be purchased if you are eligible for provincial health insurance, your travel insurance policy will also not be valid. Before leaving Ontario, contact OHIP if you need to extend your stay beyond this period. 
• Will your insurance cover all the activities you have planned for your trip? When you travel, most insurance policies exclude or limit coverage for certain activities. For example, your contract might not cover extreme sports like climbing or skydiving. Discuss your travel plans with your insurance provider before purchasing coverage. Make sure to read your contract carefully before going on a trip to avoid situations that might expose you to financial or safety risks.    
• Have you packed all your travel essentials? Ensure you have a valid passport and travel insurance covering your entire stay, as well any other documentation required by the destination. 

If you need additional information or tips before departure, our customer experience agents will be happy to help.  

Get a quote online for Blue Cross travel insurance and find coverage that meets your needs. 

*Only the two oldest insured persons pay a premium. Dependent children accompanying you are covered for Emergency Medical Care free of charge for trips of 31 days or less.