That’s great, but be careful.  It’s not only the hotel owners, and chefs, and tour planners, and car rental companies, and relative who know you’re coming, but so do the thugs, muggers, down-and outers, and so-called “students” who prey on innocent visitors—snatching their purses, wallets, cameras, passports, anything of value.

Peter Tarlow, an international travel security expert recently told a meeting of travel insurers that Europe has become one of the most dangerous places for tourists, partially because tourists don’t expect Europeans to be so crass as to lift their wallets, and partially because tourists insist on looking like tourists—or chickens waiting to be plucked.

Consider that countries like Greece and Spain have more than 20 percent unemployment, which means there are a lot of people—many of them young—with nothing to do, looking for rich Canadians or Americans exploit—by schemes, scams, or outright  physical  muggings.

When people get desperate enough, they will resort to anything to feed their families, or their drug habits, and under those conditions they have little sympathy for foreigners, packed with cash, credit cards, Ipads, and other valuables, to let them get away.

That doesn’t mean you should avoid beautiful cities like Barcelona, or Budapest, or Paris or Milan, but don’t be so obvious about your tourism.  Leave behind any jewelry you couldn’t “live without.” Forget the fanny pack (the easiest target for thieves, according to Tarlow).  Take your wallet out of your hip pocket (it’s like a red bullseye for a pickpocket) and put it in a safer pocket.  Take that big camera hanging from your neck and carry a smaller one where it won’t be so obvious.

And for goodness sake, leave those T shirts proclaiming your national identity at home.  Nothing screams “come and get me” as loudly as an emblem of your country stuck on your chest. National pride is fine, but it doesn’t trump staying safe and healthy.

Try to blend in. Try to act as the natives do. Pick up a local newspaper and stick it in your pocket—even if you can’t read Hungarian. This is not the time for you to stand out in the crowd.

Enjoy your travel. Have a good time.  And don’t be paranoid.  But don’t be stupid either.

All travel insurers advertising on this site meet TravelinsuranceFile’s acceptability criteria for out-of-country health benefits for Canadian residents. All will provide excellent coverage for any country you want to travel to. All will make excellent companions for your passport. 

By Milan Korcok, Editor, Travelinsurancefile

How often do people ask me if it’s OK to cross the border into the U.S. with a drivers license (enhanced or not), or a birth certificate, or a provincial health card? Too often, and it’s irritating—because it shows a lack of responsibility.

When you leave the country, you automatically become a visitor in someone else’s country and that gives you the responsibility of being able to prove who you are. The onus is not on them to prove who you are, but it’s on you. And, like it or not, the United States is a foreign country to Canadians.  That doesn’t mean you’re not welcome, you are, but there are certain rules and customs you’re expected to accept.

Crossing borders is becoming more complex as danger in the world intensifies.  Consequently, border agents have a tough job and people who travel without proper identification are only making it tougher.  A properly kept passport not only makes border crossing more efficient, it proves you are considerate enough to pay the money to play by the rules.

If you’re not willing to do that, you’re either cheap or inconsiderate.

A passport costs about $100 and it lasts for five years.  That’s $20 a year. That’s far less than the price of the baseball or hockey ticket you’re paying for.

In Asia, Europe, South America, Africa, people wouldn’t dream of planning a trip without having passport in hand. It’s part of their DNA.  It’s a source of pride to have one. You don’t have a passport, or in some cases two or three, and you don’t exist.

For too long Canadians have been pampered by being allowed to cross the border and travel throughout the U.S. without so much as a photo ID.  Well those days are over.

When you cross the border into another country, you are a guest. Act like it and pick up on your own responsibilities.

All travel insurers advertising on this site meet TravelinsuranceFile’s acceptability criteria for out-of-country health benefits for Canadian residents. All will provide excellent coverage for any country you want to travel to.  All will make excellent companions for your passport.  

By Milan Korcok, Editor, Travelinsurancefile 

Planning summer travel? Placing deposits on hotels, tour packages, cruises, golf fees? All of these are subject to some loss if you have to cancel, but some of your vacation dollars may still be salvaged if you take out trip cancellation insurance. But be careful what you buy.

Trip cancellation is available from any vendors who sell travel insurance, and the fees are usually graded on the value of the trip you are planning.  But you need to study the terms of coverage as few plans will cover 100 percent of your losses should you have to cancel or should natural or man-made disruptions interrupt your plans.

Most plans will put a dollar cap on how much they will reimburse you. Some will only reimburse you if a certain share (say 30 percent or more) of your trip is disrupted. Virtually all will impose some pre-existing conditions requirements on your coverage: for example, if you cancel a trip because your grandmother just died from cancer and you knew when you bought the trip she had cancer, you may be out of luck.

You need to know the exclusions and limitations.  Don’t assume that your premium will cover any interruption or cancellation.  No travel policy covers “everything.”

There are also some Cancel for Any Reason policies in the marketplace that greatly broaden your chance of being reimbursed for cancellations, but even they have some exclusions and limitations on how much they will pay out.

Remember that travel insurance is payment of last resort, and that means that the insurer will pay out only if your hotel, resort, tour operator, or cruise doesn’t.  So if you have a cruise problem and the line offers you a voucher for a forthcoming trip as recompense, that will count as payment and the insurer will not reimburse you as you didn’t really suffer a “loss.”

Certainly, if you’re putting out $5,000 or $10,000 for a tour or resort fee you want to be covered in case you, or Mother Nature, cancels out. But clearly understand what is being covered and what the limitations are.  Trip cancellation has a lot of fine print.  Read it.  The best rule of thumb, put down the lowest possible deposit you can get away with.

All travel insurers advertising on this site meet TravelinsuranceFile’s acceptability criteria for out-of-country health benefits for Canadian residents and all offer trip cancellation plans with varying levels of coverage. You can also complete your applications and buy online. 

By Milan Korcok, Editor, TravelinsuranceFile

If you’re planning a cruise this winter, make sure you are properly covered by travel health and trip cancellation insurance. But also make sure the coverage you buy is from an independent, third party company, not from the cruise company.

Most cruise sellers will try to sell you a built-in package as a ticket add-on—forget it.  Cruise ship insurance has very limited benefits that are not practical in the real world and don’t cover you for all of problems caused by the cruise line itself.  Also, some cruise packages will pay you off for any disruptions or missed connections with vouchers for further cruises. That’s not good enough. You want your money back—not tickets for a cruise with a company that failed you the first time.

Also, health benefits on cruise line packages and third part travel insurance plans offered by American insurers will usually not be adequate for Canadians, who need very extensive health insurance benefits. American travel health insurance may cover you up to $10,000 or $25,000: that’s not nearly enough for you. Also, they may not guarantee to repatriate you home to a hospital in your area if you are stricken on an island in the Caribbean or a port in the Mediterranean.

Most Americans who travel abroad have their own health insurance which covers them when they travel out of the country—unlike Canadian insurance which stops at the border.  Consequently, you need insurance that covers you up out of the country for up to at least $1 million and guarantees repatriation to a hospital at home if medically necessary.  That is the same type of policy you buy when you travel into the U.S. or overseas on your winter or summer vacations. You will also find it’s cheaper than most packages offered by cruise line companies.

All of the insurers advertising on these pages can provide such insurance.  Go with what you know.

All travel insurers advertising on this site meet Travelinsurancefile’s acceptability criteria for out-of-country health benefits for Canadian residents and all offer coverage for cruise travel. You can compare plans and also complete your applications and buy online. The products offered by our advertisers are as good as any you can find in the marketplace. 

Milan Korcok, Editor, TravelinsuranceFile

Though most Canadians are aware of the need for travel insurance when visiting the United States, travellers to Europe need supplemental health care just as much and should be just as careful in getting the right coverage as  when heading south of the border. There is no free health care in Europe.

Moreover, many European countries are now requiring foreign visitors to carry proof that they have adequate insurance to cover any emergency medical services while they are in the host country.

In addition to Cuba, which in 2010 announced it would require visitors to show proof of medical insurance when entering the country, more nations, particularly in Europe, are also requiring such proof.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine specifically require Canadian citizens to be prepared—in some cases required—to show proof of medical coverage while visiting. It notes further that in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Estonia, the minimum medical coverage required is 30,000 euros (approximately $40,000 Canadian), while Lithuania stipulates that health insurance is mandatory for all non-European Union citizens, and visitors unable to demonstrate sufficient proof of medical coverage must purchase short term insurance at the border. Similarly, DFAIT notes that the government of the Ukraine requires all visitors to obtain mandatory health insurance from a state-supported company at their point of entry.

Though most countries in Europe have some form of government-run or national health service, none provide free healthcare to Canadians or Americans although there are reciprocal coverage arrangements for citizens of certain European nations.

Canadian provincial health insurance covers only a very small share of out-of-country healthcare costs, and European hospitals—like modern hospitals anywhere in the world– are extraordinarily expensive.

Consequently DFAIT warns Canadians not to travel out of the country without supplemental health insurance coverage.

And when travelling abroad, make sure you carry tangible proof of your private travel insurance— provincial coverage is not enough.  Better yet, carry a copy of the policy with you, and get it early enough that you can familiarize yourself with all of exclusions and limitations as well as the rules about what you are supposed to do in case you have a medical emergency. Don’t leave that to the last minute. This is too important a purchase to neglect or to hurry.

All travel insurers advertising on this site meet TravelinsuranceFile’s acceptability criteria for out-of-country health benefits for Canadian residents. All offer the coverage limits that will exceed the entry requirements of foreign countries, and all will provide the proof of insurance required. You can complete your applications and buy online. 

By (Marketwire – April 17, 2012 )

Canadians are urged to make sure their out-of-country summer visitors are covered by travel insurance to protect them from unexpected accident or medical emergency costs during their stay.

“Provincial health insurance does not cover non-resident visitors, even if they are family; and the costs of medical care in Canada are higher than people may anticipate,” says David Hartman, president of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada.

Mr. Hartman adds that though Canadian residents are generally not billed for hospital or doctors’ services, their visitors, if uninsured, are routinely expected to pay in full or make arrangements for payment when bills are submitted.

That could be a considerable hardship to many, as health care in Canada is among the most expensive in the world.* Mr. Hartman noted that the average Canadian hospital ward rates for foreigners can range from $3,000 to $5,000 or more per day, with intensive care going to as much as $15,000, and that does not include physicians’ fees, diagnostic services and ambulance transfers.

“Visitors to Canada” insurance plans are available from the same sources that provide out-of-country coverage for Canadians travelling abroad: brokers, banks, travel insurance companies, motor leagues, and many membership associations. Most offer varying benefit levels, but all provide a comprehensive range of emergency hospital and medical benefits, as well as trip cancellation and interruption options.

In addition, policies purchased before the traveller leaves home are effective immediately upon arrival in Canada. Insurance purchased after arrival usually has a 48-hour activation delay–a measure designed to prevent exploitation of government health services by non-residents who might be travelling to Canada specifically for emergency medical care.

“As with any travel insurance,” says Mr. Hartman, “visitors’ plans are for unexpected emergencies only, and may exclude certain unstable pre-existing conditions, so it’s important for friends or family members completing applications for their visitors to discuss the traveller’s health status and be aware of the limitations, exclusions, and even some of the definitions, included in the policy.

“The best way to fit the right policy to the customer is to deal with an agent who is thoroughly familiar with travel insurance, especially with Visitors to Canada policies,” he adds.

*Canadian Institute of Health Information, and the OECD.

About THIA. THIA is the national organization representing travel insurers, brokers, underwriters, re-insurers, emergency assistance companies, air ambulance companies and allied services in the travel insurance field. Its website is http://www.thiaonline.com/.

Contact Information

• Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada
  David Hartman
  President
  519 767-3065
  david_hartman@cooperators.ca

By Milan Korcok, Editor, Travelinsurancefile

Finding price deals for travel insurance is not easy: that’s because it’s getting almost impossible to compare one policy to another. They don’t use common language, their benefits and exclusions differ, it’s hard to know where they differ and where they are similar.  But you need to find the right cover. How do you do that?

First:  make sure you deal with an agent or company that specializes in travel insurance. Not all agents, including travel agents, know the small print.

Take complete stock of your health status: the medications you take, the reasons you visit your doctor,

any new symptoms or conditions for which you haven’t yet visited your doctor, any tests or medical investigations you have planned or that your doctor has recommended to you (e.g., colonoscopy, scan).

If you have any chronic condition, discuss it with your doctor so you know its status, and if you’ve had any tests in the past year or so, discuss the results with your doctor. You need to know those results.  Many times, doctors don’t tell their patients about results they may not consider urgent or needing immediate attention, but the insurer needs to know and if you can’t fill out a medical questionnaire accurately you risk having a claim denial if you have a medical emergency. Make sure your doctor is open and candid with you. It’s no use pleasing “my doctor didn’t tell me,” in defense of a denied claim.  It’s your responsibility.

Apply for insurance well ahead of time. Virtually all policies involve some medical questions and you may need time to verify some point with your doctor, or pharmacist. Your application is not a formality.  An incorrectly complete application can hurt you severely. Give yourself time to very information.

If at all possible, complete a medical questionnaire at your own pace, on your own schedule. Look it over and read the fine print attached to each question. Don’t be hurried by an agent trying to complete a sale so he or she can get on to another one.

Avoid completing a medical questionnaire over the phone.  It’s almost impossible for the selling agent to appropriately read you all of the qualifications and conditions that you should be aware of under those conditions.  And definitely don’t leave a telephone questionnaire until the day before you leave.  That gives you no opportunity to read over your answers to see they were properly recorded by the selling agent.

And if you must do a telephone application—especially a medical underwriting submission which can be quite detailed—insist on having a copy sent to you so you can thoroughly check it over for accuracy, before you buy your policy, or before you start your trip.  All policies offer you about 10 days to review before you commit.

Then, once all the details are recorded directly, and you have read all the “exclusions and limitations”—that’s what the insurer will NOT cover, and you have read the definitions of a few key phrases like “pre-existing conditions,” and “stable condition”, and you know the consequences of non-disclosure, do you get down to the price.

Considering what it covers, travel insurance is not an expensive product.  But its price can range from $2 a day to $30—depending on your age, health, and the duration of your trip.  Make sure your insurance fits you, before you buy.

All travel insurers advertising on this site meet Travelinsurancefile’s acceptability criteria for out-of-country health benefits for Canadian residents. All offer a range of products that have varying medical eligibility standards and can meet the needs of most applicants—even those in less than perfect health. You can also complete your applications and buy online.

By Milan Korcok, Editor, Travelinsurancefile

Many insurers actively promote travel insurance within Canada for customers who travel to other provinces. They say that because of disparities between provincial government coverage limits, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Others say it’s a waste of money, that Canada’s medicare will cover you no matter where you are in the country.

The truth is somewhere in between.

Canada’s national health care system mandates interprovincial portability of health benefits; which means that if you are a resident of Nova Scotia and need emergency medical care while visiting Manitoba, you would get it—for the most part. And it would be the same quality of care you could expect in your own province. Because of provincial agreements which are a part of the Canada Health Act, the hospital and doctor bills from Manitoba would be paid by your provincial program in Nova Scotia and you wouldn’t see a bill—just as if you had your emergency taken care of at home.

But, there are certain health care goods and services that are not covered equally in all provinces, so there are some gaps in the portability provision.  Some medications or experimental drugs are not covered equally in all provinces, so you may have an additional fee to cover if you have an emergency in another province. Provinces don’t all cover allied health care professional services such as therapists or chiropractors.  Some do, others don’t. Some cover land and/or air ambulance, others don’t. And don’t underestimate the costs of land ambulance rides: even short ones can costs hundreds of dollars.

There have also been well-publicized  cases of patients choosing to be transported cross-country by air ambulance so they might recuperate close to home, but because provincial plans won’t cover such flights, they have had to pay $10,000,  $20,000 or more out-of-pocket.

Buying insurance involves risk assessment. How much risk do you feel comfortable with?  If the thought of having to pay several thousand dollars for an interprovincial air ambulance doesn’t frighten you (or you’re willing to risk it since the chances of you needing one are rare) then maybe out-of-province coverage is not for you. On the other hand, if the thought of paying out a few hundred dollars for emergency medical bills that may not be covered while on your summer vacation out West is a concern, then call your insurer.  But understand what you are buying, and make sure you know how much risk you’re taking on. Look at the policy—the benefits and exclusions, and make a decision based on the facts and your own financial comfort level.

There is no one universal answer for everybody when it comes to province-to-province travel insurance.

It is not the same clear, unequivocal decision as buying out-of-country travel insurance.  That is a no-brainer. That you must have.

Maybe the best idea is to discuss your comfort level and risk assessment with any of the travel insurers advertising on this site. They can give you the facts. You can make up your mind. Go for the facts.

All travel insurers advertising on this site meet Travelinsurancefile’s acceptability criteria for out-of-country health benefits for Canadian residents. All offer plans that include coverage for travel to other provinces within Canada. You can also complete your applications and buy online.

By Milan Korcok, Editor, Travelinsurancefile

Rumours that he U.S. government will soon allow you to visit for longer than six months are only rumours, and though they are increasing in frequency, there is little substance to them. And even if it were true, your own provincial rules will still keep you at home.

We are hardly ever out of earshot of some U.S. Congressman or Senator announcing a plan to have Canadians spend more time in his state, or buy properties that otherwise aren’t selling, or just patronize businesses to help the local economy.  But the path to introducing a bill in Congress and seeing it signed into law by the president is strewn with potholes and usually ends up nowhere. So when you hear Senator Blowhard pontificate on his latest plan, take a deep breath and let it pass.

For example: out of over 10,250 bills introduced during the recent 111^th Congress (ending in 2010), only 336 were enacted: that is three percent—one out 30. The rest died—most of them as soon as they were introduced. And given the urgent priorities facing the U.S. government these days—using up debating time on whether or not to allow Canadians to spend more than six months a year in the country doesn’t rate highly. In fact, it sounds rather self-indulgent, considering that no other country in the world is given such generous access to the U.S. as Canada.

Furthermore, even if you were allowed more time in the U.S., your  provincial governments will still require you to spend at least as much time at home, in your own province, as you do outside of it:  not an unreasonable request—lousy weather notwithstanding. As they argue it, if you are not living as a permanent resident of your own province, you are not entitled to the benefits of the provincial health plan.

Consequently all provinces and territories except Ontario and Newfoundland require you to physically live in your province (actually have your feet on the ground) for at least 183 days per year (six months plus a day).  Ontario requires you to live in the province for five months within the past 12, and Newfoundland and Labrador four months. There is no indication that is about to change, consequently it doesn’t matter how much time the U.S. allows you to live within its borders. How many will risk losing their health insurance? There’s the rub. That’s what it’s all about.

There are two sets of laws. They are not meant to be coordinative.  They have nothing to do with each other. And you are subject to both.

So next time you hear a rumour about more open borders—take it with a grain of salt, and consider how long it takes governments to change anything.  But stick around: we’ll let you know when something happens.

In the meantime enjoy your six months, and make sure you don’t overlook your need to have health insurance while away from home.

By Milan Korcok, Editor, Travelinsurancefile.com

The case of an Australian couple that had a premature child born to them in B.C. has hit the headlines and elicited a lot of emotional response.  We all want to be compassionate, until the bill comes in.

According to press reports, the young mother gave birth to a daughter at 26 weeks into her pregnancy just prior to boarding a return flight to Sydney. The child, weighing less than one kg at birth, had to spend three months in a Vancouver hospital until it was stable enough to be released. The cost of care ran to almost $1 million.  Though the couple had travel insurance, they found it did not cover unexpected complications associated with pregnancy. The hospital settled for a $300 a month payment for over 200 years.

Then the firestorm: Why can’t the Australian government pay the bill? Why shouldn’t Canada pay since the child was legally a Canadian citizen? Why shouldn’t the travel insurance company pay?

According to the couple, they tried to find travel insurance that would cover pregnancy and they thought they had it, until they looked at the details. In fact, no travel insurance plan will pay for a pre-determined event such as childbirth, it’s not designed for that purpose. And travelling 26 weeks into a pregnancy, almost 8000 miles from home, is risky.

Despite all of the warnings travel insurers issue about their products covering only unforeseen, unexpected emergencies, not pre-existing conditions, and definitely not conditions that can be expected to result in the need for hospitalization or medical care while on their trip—customers are shocked when insurers refuse to pay. They’re also shocked at how much it costs to care for a dangerously ill patient in a modern hospital.

Well it’s time to get over the shock and start thinking clearly. Modern medicine is expensive because it works miracles, and we have come to expect miracles when one of our loved ones is in peril.  We demand nothing but the best…even when we’re in a foreign country.

Travel insurance, by its very nature, must be strictly limited to conditions and situations that are related to travel. It’s not a substitute for comprehensive, government health coverage as it’s known in Australia, Canada and many other countries around the world.  If it were, and if it covered births, hip and knee replacements, gastric banding, nose jobs and tummy tucks it would cost ALL travellers multiples more than it does now—even those needing no emergency services abroad.

There are tradeoffs that need to be made: affordable travel insurance limited to unexpected emergencies, or insurance that covers everything and can be afforded by very few.  Take your pick.

All travel insurers advertising on this site meet Travelinsurancefile’s acceptability criteria for out-of-country health benefits for Canadian residents. All offer a range of products that have varying medical eligibility standards and can meet the needs of most applicants—even those in less than perfect health. You can also complete your applications and buy online.