What is extended travel insurance and when do you need it? 

When you go on a vacation, most people have insurance and benefits that will cover them if anything should happen while they are away from home. However, this insurance is usually only for shorter vacations – like a week or two. So, what happens when you want to go on a longer vacation, say to spend the winter down south? This is where extended travel insurance comes in, and here’s what you need to know.  

What is extended travel insurance? 

Whether you planned to stay for longer or it was a last-minute decision, enjoying time spent with friends and family is always a good idea. You don’t want to think that any medical issues will happen while you’re away, but accidents and unexpected illnesses happen sometimes.  

Extended travel insurance gives you benefits and coverage when you’ve been out of province or country for an extended period of time – usually more than 30 days.  

Extensions vs. Top Ups  

When you’re looking at insurance plans, you may come across extension and top up plans. So, what’s the difference?  

An extension means you are just adding additional coverage to your original and existing plan, which means you don’t have to apply for more coverage and you just have on policy number.  

A top up, though, is a completely separate plan where you are still adding coverage to your plan, but you will need to apply for coverage separately from your initial policy.  

Multi-trip insurance  

If you enjoy traveling multiple times per year, you may not want to get extended coverage each and every time you travel. Many insurance companies offer a product known as multi-trip insurance.  

This type of insurance will cover you for an unlimited number of trips per year, but you may need to make sure you are not away from Canada for more than 60 days at a time. In some cases, you can also get top up insurance but that will be an additional cost.  

Traveling with pre-existing conditions 

If you have health conditions that you are aware of before you apply for insurance coverage, any medical issue related to these conditions may not be covered under the insurance you get.  

Most insurance companies will not cover pre-existing conditions, and any complications that may arise from them. Depending on the age of the travelers, there could be ways to get coverage especially if the condition is stable.  

If you have questions about what would be covered with your situation, you should always ask your insurance broker about the specifics of your policy and what would be covered should something happen while you’re away.  

Other factors impacting coverage 

The length of your vacation, place you are travelling to, age of travelers and any pre-existing health conditions will be the main factors in how much your extended travel insurance plans will cost you.  

Contact ICD Insurance today 

If you are planning to do some travelling in the near future, it’s important to make sure that you have the appropriate medical coverage just in case something should happen while you’re away. To learn more about extended travel insurance and other benefits, contact us today to speak to a broker