Too many people leave on vacation thinking that nothing serious can happen. Sadly, that long-anticipated trip can suddenly not happen or turn into a nightmare. A divorce, job loss, serious illness, or even the death of a loved one could suddenly interrupt your trip. What would happen if your airline or cruise line went bankrupt? What would you do if your passport and wallet were stolen during your trip? What about cancelled flights, missed connections, lost luggage and acts of terrorism? And what if you suddenly get sick at your destination?

That is why it is important to purchase insurance that covers financial losses related to non-refundable expenses, such as prepaid purchases.

An accident or emergency can happen anywhere. If you need medical care in another country or in another Canadian province, your government health plan may pay only a portion of the costs. Travel medical insurance starts where these plans end. It provides coverage for unforeseen problems, from a cancelled flight to a serious illness, and even such rare cases as an act of terrorism or the bankruptcy of a supplier. If an illness, accident, or other insured unforeseen circumstances forces travellers to cancel or interrupt their plans, they face two major financial losses: the money invested in non-refundable prepayments and medical expenses that in many instances may not be covered by health plans.

We recommend that you carefully review the coverage provided by your credit card issuer, as well as any conditions or stipulations before you leave.

When you travel outside Canada, you leave up to 90% of your government coverage behind. Government plans also typically cover only a limited portion of medical costs once you leave your home province or territory, even if you are still in Canada. Many provincial health plans do not provide payment directly to foreign hospitals. They may have a deductible and/or not cover the cost of emergency medical transportation. Emergency assistance services offered by insurers are there to help direct you to the right hospital and make sure you receive the proper medical care.

Your government health coverage does not provide such extensive services 24 hours a day, nor does it provide upfront payment for emergency medical care. In addition, government plans do not guarantee coverage for special care such as air ambulance or emergency dental services.

We strongly recommend that you purchase coverage before departure. Although some of our insurers will cover you if you are already on your trip, they may exclude any pre-existing medical conditions, limit the amounts payable on your policy or impose a large deductible.

You can extend your coverage at any time if you prolong your trip.

Every insurance plan contains restrictions and exclusions. For more information, review the terms and conditions of the products that interest you. You can also contact SecuriGlobe for more detailed information. Feel free to mention any concern when you call us for your quote.

As a broker, we take the frustration out of buying insurance by comparing 14 leading insurers including Blue Cross, CUMIS, MedGuard, TuGo, Manulife, Royal and Sun Alliance, and MediGlobe. Since protection packages are compared side by side, you get the best price every time. Furthermore, there are no additional administration or hidden fees.

We knows that insurance can be intimidating, so in addition to our online quote engine, we also have representatives standing by to take your call, to answer your questions, make recommendations and even confirm your coverage.