For many, the feeling of booking a dream vacation comes with much excitement and anticipation. It’s a chance to have something to look forward to and is a great way to treat yourself. Whether you are heading to your dream destination or visiting one of your all-time favourites, it’s always nice to get away from it all and see the world.
While moments like these are supposed to be filled with laughter and cheer, every now and then the unexpected happens – erasing any fun that was to be had. That’s where Travel Insurance comes into play. We sat down with CAA Niagara Travel Consultant, Jessica Maves, to get her insight on how you can prevent these situations from going from bad to worse.
What types of Travel Insurance products does CAA Niagara offer?
There are a variety of ways you can protect yourself while travelling. One way is by purchasing Emergency Medical Insurance1. This will cover you for up to $5 million on any medical costs you have incurred during your vacation as a result of an emergency (i.e. cost of ambulance, x-rays etc.). There is also Trip Cancellation Insurance that will cover non-refundable fees (airfare, hotel rooms, etc.) in the event your trip is interrupted or needs to be cancelled due to an unforeseen reason.
Should you book your vacation with CAA, you will also be eligible to cancel for any reason – which also includes benefits that are better than the competition’s. Opting to go with a Vacation Package Plan2, is a great way to ensure you have added coverage. It will bundle the two types of insurance together and will provide baggage protection should your luggage and travel documents be lost or stolen while you’re away.
What product would you recommend I purchase if I am a frequent traveller?
A Multi-trip Emergency medical plan3 is a great option. It will cover you for as many trips as you want to take throughout the year. If you are travelling within Canada, there is no day limit on your trip – meaning you will be covered for however long you are away for.
Should you plan on leaving the country, you can select from four different durations of coverage. These include 4 days, 8 days, 15 days and 30 days. Similarly to domestic trips, these plans will cover you for the year and are applicable to an unlimited amount of trips – you just need to ensure you are only away for the amount of days that your package covers. If you know that you will be gone for more time than what is allotted in each package (i.e. you will be taking multiple 10 day vacations) then you can purchase a top-up to meet the duration of your trip.
Do any products cover pre-existing medical conditions?
Generally speaking, there is coverage available for this4. For travellers under 70, your condition must be stable for 3 months prior to your departure date. Those who are over 70 must be stable for 6 months ahead of time. If you purchased a Vacation Package Plan2, this will require 3 months of stability while those who are 60 and over require 6 months of stability (certain exclusions apply). If you are concerned your condition won’t be covered, you can add our Pre-existing Medical condition rider to your policy. This will drop the stability period to 7 days before you leave, and will give you $200,000 in coverage for the specific condition that doesn’t meet standard stability period.
Do any products cover COVID-19 related claims?
This is a new benefit that CAA Insurance is happy to provide on our Emergency Medical products. If you have received two doses of a Health Canada approved vaccine 14 days before you leave, you will be eligible for up to $5 million in benefits. If you have only received one dose of a Health Canada approved vaccine 14 days before you leave, you will be eligible for coverage up to $2.5 million.5
Due to the current Travel Advisory in place from the Canadian Government, Trip Cancellation and Interruption benefits have not been reinstated for COVID-19 claims. That said, if the advisory is lifted before your departure date, you will become eligible for coverage on claims related to COVID-19.
What is a Travel Advisory and how does it affect my policy?
This is a recommendation made by the government that cautions people on the risks of travelling to and from certain destinations. Only a Level 3 (avoid non-essential travel) or Level 4 (avoid all travel) will affect your policy.
Why should someone consider coverage for domestic (out of province) trips?
What most people don’t realize is that even though you are travelling within Canada, your province’s health care benefits might not protect you entirely. For example, the cost of an ambulance ride might differ from Ontario to B.C. and OHIP might not cover the entire fee. In this case, you’d have to pay the difference – which could become costly.
Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance will ensure you don’t lose out on the money you paid for travel ahead of your trip. Trips can be cancelled within Canada if an unforeseen circumstance (i.e. forest fires) affects the probability of your vacation happening. This will cover things like flights and hotels that typically wouldn’t be eligible for a refund from the original travel supplier.
Do you have any examples of a time a client has benefitted from purchasing Travel Insurance?
Prior to the pandemic, there was a couple who were spending the winter in Mexico. Once the borders started closing and airlines were suspending flights, there was concern they might be stranded. Fortunately, they were able to find a flight home and were eligible to claim it due to their policy.
There was also a client who wound up in the hospital in New York. Thankfully her coverage allowed her to extend her stay past the original return flight so she could recover before making her way home. One of the added benefits of our insurance is that you are able to stay until five days after you are discharged from the hospital and until you are reasonably able to come back. As long as you notify your agent and start the claim process, you should be good to go in this type of scenario.
If you are planning to go on a little getaway in the near future, be sure to look into CAA’s Travel Insurance offerings. Not only are the rates very competitive, CAA Members save an additional 10%. To learn more, please visit us online or contact an agent today. Terms and conditions apply, please see policy for full details.
CAA Travel Insurance is underwritten by Orion Travel Insurance Company, a CAA Company. Certain exclusions, limitations and restrictions apply. A Medical Questionnaire is required if you are 60 years of age and older.
1Up to $5 million CAD. Maximum $25,000 for all Emergency Medical Insurance benefits for Canadian residents without active Government Health Insurance Plan (GHIP); and/or without GHIP authorization to cover trip days in excess of 212 days in Ontario in a 12-month period.
2Multi-Trip Annual Vacation Packages covers 15 or 30 days per trip depending on the plan purchased. Top-Up coverage is available for longer trips. Coverage cannot exceed 365 days from departure date or effective date. There is a maximum travel coverage of 63 days including Top-Up for travellers aged 60 to 84 years of age.
3Medical Multi-Trip Annual Plans cover 4, 8, 15 or 30 days per trip depending on the plan you purchased. Top-Up coverage is available for longer trips. Coverage cannot extend beyond 365 days from departure date or effective date.
4To have your pre-existing medical condition covered by your travel insurance policy, the condition must be stable as defined by your policy. Please see the policy at caasco.com/policy for full details.
5Terms and conditions apply. $5 million CAD emergency medical coverage, is dependent on having received all Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccines, at least 14 days prior to departure. Please see the COVID-19 Endorsement for details.
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