Traveling Within Canada for the Holidays? First Step Is Travel Insurance 

This has been some year, hasn't it! Just when we think the worst is finally in our rearview mirror, we have another spike in COVID-19 cases here in Ontario.

Looking back now, it becomes clear that nearly every aspect of daily life has been altered in some way this year - from how we shop for groceries, to how we work, to how we keep in touch with family and friends. 

And now the holidays are nearly here!

If your typical holiday plans include travelling out of the province, it is time to start considering whether you may need to purchase supplemental travel insurance in advance of your trip. At Mackay Insurance in Belleville, Ontario, we work with a great company in providing travel insurance. Click Here for more information on Travel Insurance through Mackay Insurance providers. 

In this post, we walk you through how to evaluate your travel insurance options and make the safest choice for your finances and family.

First, Make Sure You Understand Your Current Coverage 

This is the right time to download, print out and review all that boring fine print that came with your health insurance policy 

In particular, you are looking for any exclusions that apply starting when you travel out of the province.

Let's say you have a provincial health insurance plan and you are planning to travel with your family from Ontario to Quebec to visit relatives.

Here, what you are looking for in the fine print of your policy is coverage exclusions related to out-of-province medical or dental needs.

If you get sick - from COVID-19 or something else - and need special medical attention, will your provincial health insurance policy cover that?

 In particular, look for health insurance coverages details about the following:

• Emergency medical transportation for any reason (including pregnancy).
• Diagnostic tests such as X-rays.
• Extra services such as wheelchairs, casts or splints.
• Services specific to COVID-19, such as a ventilator or a stay in the ICU.
• Prescription medications.
• Emergency oral health care.
• Treatment for recurrence of a pre-existing condition.
• Expenses related to having relatives travel to get you if you are hospitalized.
• Expenses related to your family's needs if someone gets sick while you are traveling.
• Coverage benefits for health needs if there is a re-enactment of out-of-province travel bans while you are out of province.
• Costs of enforced quarantine if you contract COVID-19 while out of province or if another lockdown prevents you from returning home for a time.
• Special coverage caps that relate only to COVID-19 treatment or detainment.

These are just some of the special health coverage considerations to ponder if you are planning an out-of-province trip in the near future.

While the fine print in your policy should always provide answers to these questions, it is not always so simple to identify the relevant passages and accurately interpret their meaning.

Your friendly and knowledgeable Mackay Insurance brokers in Belleville, Ontario, are happy to review your existing insurance coverages with you and talk through any limitations or exclusions that may be relevant to your holiday travel plans this year. For more information on travel insurance, contact our team directly or visit our travel insurance page. 

Are You Relying on Travel or Health Coverage Through Your Credit Card or Airline?

It can feel very reassuring to know that you have travel insurance coverage through a credit card or through your airline carrier.

Once again, however, the good feelings may quickly evaporate when you take the time to read the fine print to discover limitations or exclusions. 

For example, some airline carriers are now offering a limited amount of coverage if you contract COVID-19 while aboard a flight, but how much coverage is offered? What conditions must be met in order to receive that coverage?

If your credit card offers coverage, the first thing you want to check for is that the coverage provided will follow you if you travel outside the province versus outside the country. Many cardholders realize only too late that their coverage only applies to international travel.

Will Supplemental Travel Insurance Make Up the Difference?

Now that the international travel ban has been largely lifted, supplemental travel insurance is back on the table.

Yet here again, you want to be sure that the policy you purchase is actually worth all that fine print you just had to read through.

When reviewing all your options for travel and health insurance, the goal is to put together a complete picture of all the types of coverage and care you may potentially need.

That care doesn't all have to come from one provider, although for simplicity's sake this is always ideal.

Ultimately, you just want to be sure you have the coverage you may need for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-related health and travel claims if you choose to travel out of the province this winter.

For instance, let's say you are waiting to board your flight only to discover the flight was overbooked and you've been bumped off of it. You contact your supplemental travel insurance provider to file a claim.

It is only then you discover that claims made for overbooked travel are specifically excluded from your policy coverage.

This is unfortunately quite common, because the insurer will say the airline carrier is at fault and you will have to apply to them for reimbursement (in which case, good luck).

Get in Touch With Mackay Insurance, Belleville

Mackay Insurance in Belleville, Ontario continues to work remotely at this time. Our qualified Mackay Insurance brokers are available to serve you by appointment, in person and by phone, email, fax, social media and courier. Don’t forget to check out our travel insurance page for more information on our travel insurance options! 

 Contact us online or give us a call at 888-853-5552.