Ottawa - Gatineau Travelers Story
A poll conducted by Ipsos Reid for RBC Insurance revealed that up to 40% of Canadians bought travel insurance in 2017. More than 50% of those who traveled in 2017 did not purchase coverage for their trip and 46% said they are already covered by the provincial health care and therefore will not need coverage.
According to Stacey Hughes-Brookes, head of travel at RBC Insurance, Canadians are actually covered during out-of-province travel but there are gaps. The government plan may cover you throughout Canada for major medical expenses but it does not provide coverage outside your province.
She noted that some provincial plans do not cover X-rays, transportation for air and ground ambulance, prescription drugs, emergency dental care, and so forth when you are out of the province, and some of these expenses can add up to thousands of dollars.
There are may also be gaps in regular travel insurance. Thus, you need to read carefully before buying the coverage. According to Hughes-Brooks, travel insurance usually covers pre-existing conditions when considered stable.
Travel insurance can provide several other benefits besides health coverage. Such benefits include trip cancellation, property damage and loss, and so forth. However, travel insurance does not cover overbooking. According to Robin Ingle, president of the Canadian insurance group Ingle International, travel insurance will not help you if you are bumped off an overcrowded flight.
This is because travel insurance only covers disruptions that are outside the control of the transport provider and the decision to boot you out is made by the airline. Some insurers have been considering ways to offer insurance for overbooking but at the present nothing of that sort is available in Canada. Even Ottawa’s proposed bill of right for air passengers will not stop the overbooking.
To learn more about Ottawa-Gatineau travel insurance click here.
