Why travel insurance matters — even within Canada

One reason Canadians often skip insurance for domestic trips is because of universal healthcare. Since provincial health plans offer coverage across the country, it’s easy to assume that any medical issue will be fully taken care of, regardless of where you're travelling in Canada.

But the reality is more complicated. While basic medical care is covered, not all expenses are reimbursed equally between provinces, and many important services aren’t covered at all.

For example, if you need an air ambulance to get back home, that can cost thousands of dollars and may not be fully covered by your provincial plan. Same goes for prescription drugs, diagnostic tests, private clinics and out-of-network care, all of which could leave you paying out-of-pocket. Travel insurance helps fill these gaps.

Beyond medical needs, travel insurance can also cover trip cancellations, delays, lost luggage and even accommodations if you’re stranded due to weather or mechanical issues. These benefits can be especially valuable if you’re travelling to a remote area or heading out on an extended road trip.

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Bridge the gap and protect your travel

These gaps in coverage, and the financial surprises that come with them, might help explain why travel insurance costs have been rising. Even a relatively minor issue can lead to a significant bill when you're away from home.

Survey results showed that some Ontarians believed travel insurance wasn’t necessary (43%), others worried about the cost (24%), while 20% took their chances, hoping nothing would go wrong.

However, citing Orion Travel Insurance, CAA states the average medical claim cost has risen by 15% annually since 2019, with everything from ear infections to air ambulance services becoming significantly more expensive.

To avoid any unexpected costs, CAA recommends several measures such as arriving two hours early to any domestic flight and three hours for an international one, booking travel insurance at the same time as your trip, double-checking the restrictions or policies on anything you booked and consulting with a physician prior to travel on any vaccines or medications needed for the trip.

It’s also important to remain up to date on the limits of employer-provided benefits or credit card insurance and consider whether additional travel insurance is needed, even if you're only travelling a province away.

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Nicholas Sokic Contributor

Nicholas completed his master's in journalism and communications at Western University. Since then, he's worked as a reporter at the Financial Post, Healthing.ca, Sustainable Biz Canada and more. Aside from reporting, he also has experience in web production, social media management, photography and video production. His work can also be found in the Toronto Star, Yahoo Finance Canada, Electric Autonomy Canada and Exclaim among others.

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