Travel insurance is an essential purchase for just about any trip. If you are planning a vacation outside of your home province, you should know that your Government Health Insurance Plan (GHIP) may not cover all of your health needs. Some expenses that may not be covered in this instance could include accidental dental injury, and ambulatory transportation. Travel insurance may help fill health coverage gaps. But you need to be aware that some policies may not cover pre-existing conditions; medical conditions that existed before the effective date of your policy.
Insurers will require that any previous medical condition be stable for a specified period before your the effective date of your policy. Be a savvy consumer and research what counts as a pre-existing condition before you purchase travel insurance.
Emergency medical and comprehensive travel insurance plans from Allianz Global Assistance offer emergency medical and emergency dental benefits, with exclusions such as pre-existing conditions. Coverage exclusions apply because not every health condition is unexpected or unforeseen.
- Based on your age and the length of your trip, our plans specify a period (either 90 or 180 days) that a previous medical condition must be stable prior to the effective date of your policy.
- A “stable” health condition describes any medical condition or related condition for which there has been no new treatment or change in treatment type or frequency. Within the period prior to the effective date of your policy specified by the exclusion, there can also be no signs or symptoms of a health condition, new diagnosis, test results showing deterioration, hospitalization, or referral to a specialist. You must also not be awaiting surgery or the result of medical investigations.
- If the medical condition is not stable and you need to file a claim for something related to that same medical condition, your claim will not be covered.
- In addition to exclusions for pre-existing conditions, coverage doesn’t apply to routine prenatal or postnatal care or childbirth, or high-risk activities such as extreme sports.
Please note that travel insurance does not cover everything, we advise you to read the terms and conditions of your policy or contact us before your trip if you have any questions.
As a world leader in travel protection, Allianz Global Assistance helps more than 8 million Canadians annually answer the call of adventure with confidence every year. Millions of travellers rely on us for help when they need it most. Let us be there for you too.
Travel insurance is underwritten by CUMIS General Insurance Company, a member of The Co-operators Group of Companies, administered by Allianz Global Assistance, which is a registered business name of AZGA Service Canada Inc.
