Top 5 Travel Insurance for Canadian Citizens Living Abroad 

Living abroad as a Canadian citizen can be an exciting and enriching experience. Whether you are pursuing a career opportunity, studying, or simply enjoying an extended adventure in a foreign country, it is crucial to ensure that you have the right travel insurance in place. 

Travel insurance provides essential coverage for unexpected events like medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and lost baggage. In this guide, we will explore the top five travel insurance options for Canadian citizens living abroad, helping you make an informed choice for your international journey. 

The importance of travel insurance for Canadian expats 

• Healthcare Coverage: Travel insurance ensures that you have access to quality healthcare in your host country. It covers medical expenses, hospitalization, and emergency medical evacuation, protecting you from potentially exorbitant healthcare costs. 
• Emergency Assistance: Travel insurance often includes 24/7 emergency assistance services. Whether you encounter a medical emergency or need help with other travel-related issues, these services can be invaluable in navigating unfamiliar territory. 
• Peace of Mind: Life abroad can be unpredictable. Travel insurance offers peace of mind by safeguarding your finances against unexpected disruptions. 

Now that we understand the importance of travel insurance for Canadian citizens living abroad let us explore the top five insurance options: 

Top 5 insurance plans: 

1. Safe Travel USA Comprehensive 

Safe Travels USA Comprehensive is an affordable, comprehensive visitor insurance plan for US visitors, making it an ideal policy for Canadian expats. The plan covers medical and accident expenses, medical evacuation, repatriation, COVID-19, doctor wellness visits, trip interruption, baggage loss, and more. 

The plan highlights: 

• Choice of five plan limits – $50,000, $100,000, $250,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000. 
•  100% co-insurance after deductible.
• The plan offers coverage from 5 days to 364 days (about 12 months). 
• Covers 1 acute episode per pre-existing condition. 
• Optional Athletic Sports coverage, Home country coverage, and 24-hour AD&D. 
• $125 Doctor Wellness Visit Benefit. 
• Covid-19 is treated like any other illness. 
• The plan is available until the age of 89 years. 

2. Patriot America Plus 

Patriot America Plus is ideal for parents, family, or friends visiting the US from their home country. It offers benefits such as hospitalization, prescription drugs, and urgent care visits. Additional benefits include acute onset of non-chronic pre-existing conditions as well as AD&D, Trip Interruption, Repatriation, Evacuation, and more. 

The plan highlights: 

• Choice of plan limits- $50,000, $100,000, $500,000, and $1 million. 
• Choice of deductibles- $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or $2,500. 
• The plan is available for individuals 14 days (about 2 weeks) to 99 years. 
• $25 copay for urgent care and $15 copay for walk-in clinic. 
• Coinsurance is waived in-network. 
• Optional riders are available for Adventure Sports (for ages up to 65 years), Enhanced AD&D (for individuals only), Evacuation Plus, and Chaperone/Faculty Leader (for groups only). 
• It can be purchased from 5 days to 12 months and then renewed up to 2 years. 

3. Visit USA 

Visit USA is a comprehensive visitor insurance plan that offers 3 categories of policies to Canadian visitors- Budget Plan, Standard Plan, and Superior Plan. It offers coverage for accident and sickness medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation, urgent care, accidental death and dismemberment, repatriation of remains, COVID-19, emergency reunion, emergency travel assistance, and more. 

The plan highlights: 

• Choice of plans- Budget Plan (Plan A and B), Standard Plan (Plan A and B), and Superior Plan (Plan A and B). 
• Age eligibility from 14 days (about 2 weeks) to 80 years and above. Some plans cover up to 69 years (Plan B for both Budget and Standard plans). 
• Choice of policy maximum- $50,000, $75,000, $150,000, $200,000, and $250,000. 
• Choice of deductibles- $0, $50, $100, $250, $500, and $1000. 
• $50 co-payment for Urgent Care Visits (waived with a $0 deductible) with the Standard and Superior Plan. 
• Emergency medical evacuation up to $500,000. 
• Emergency reunion up to $15,000. 
• COVID-19 coverage is included in all categories of plans. 

4. Visitors Care 

Visitors Care is a fixed benefit plan offering coverage for medical expenses for injuries and illnesses including hospitalization, surgery, physician visits, and prescriptions with pre-defined limits. Evacuation as well as Repatriation coverage is included. It offers 3 categories of policies- Lite, Plus, and Platinum. 

The plan highlights: 

• It has three plan levels- $25,000 per illness/injury (Lite), $50,000 per illness/injury (Plus), and $100,000 per illness/injury (Platinum). 
• Plan offers coverage from 5 days to 2 years. 
• Choice of deductible options- $0, $50, $100. 
• $25,000 max per coverage period for an acute onset of pre-existing conditions (subject to sub-limits) below the age of 70 years. 
• COVID-19 coverage inside the US. 
• $40 per visit for Physical therapy. 

5. Safe Travels Elite 

Safe Travels Elite is yet another fixed benefit plan available to US visitors. It offers coverage for in-patient and out-patient coverage for medical illnesses and accidents with sub-limits. Acute on-set of pre-existing conditions, well doctor visit, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation of remains, accidental death and dismemberment, and more are also covered. 

The plan highlights: 

• Choice of policy maximum- $25,000, $50,000, $75,000, $100,000, and $175,000. 
• $125 for Well Doctor Visit within the first 21 days (about 3 weeks) from the effective date of coverage provided the plan has been bought for at least 30 days. 
• The plan is available from ages 14 days (about 2 weeks) to 89 years. 
• Covers one Acute Onset episode of a Pre-Existing condition. 
• COVID-19 covered as any other illness. 

Conclusion 

The choice depends on individual circumstances, travel plans, and preferences. By carefully assessing the options and selecting the most appropriate coverage, Canadian expatriates can enjoy their time abroad with confidence, knowing they have the necessary support in case of unforeseen events. Safe travel and worry-free adventures await them! 

Do you want to buy a visitor insurance policy? Call Visitor Guard®.