Travel insurance

No matter where your clients are going outside Canada or how long they’ll be there, even for a day trip to the United States, you should encourage them to buy travel health insurance before they leave.

Your clients should know that:

• Canadian provincial or territorial health plans rarely cover any of the costs of medical care outside Canada. When costs are covered, it's usually only a small part.
• Foreign hospitals can be very expensive and may require cash payment in advance. In some countries, hospitals and clinics will not provide treatment if your client does not have enough insurance or money to pay their bills.
• The Government of Canada will not pay, nor provide a loan to cover, medical bills.

Travel insurance providers rely on the government’s risk levels when determining their trip cancellation refund policies. If a level 3 or 4 Travel Advisory (avoid non-essential travel or avoid all travel) or Travel Health Notice is issued for a destination, it may affect the products and coverage offered and decisions taken by Insurance providers. For example, they may decide not to pay medical claims or cover trip cancellation fees to clients who have booked their trip after, or decided to travel despite, the Government of Canada’s recommendation to avoid non-essential or all travel. You should discuss this important issue with your client.