Did you know?
Your provincial health insurance plan only covers a portion of your medical expenses when you are traveling out-of-country. In fact, the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan will cover a maximum of $100 (CDN) per day if you or your loved one becomes hospitalized out of country. If you need outpatient services, that amount drops to $50 (CDN) per day. These amounts are hardly enough to cover some of the exuberant amounts that you may be charged during your stay in foreign country.
Medical Services
Travel insurance can provide payment for a wide range of medial services, including hospital room stays, outpatient services by physicians, transportation to and from the hospital by ground or air ambulance, prescriptions and treatments, or other hospital incidentals. They can also include emergency dental care, if you injured your teeth in an accident, or experienced pain while abroad.
More than just medical!
Although emergency medical benefits are the core of many travel insurance plans, there are several optional coverage options that you may want to include in your travel insurance package, to give you the most piece of mind.
Trip Cancellation
Making travel plans can represent a significant investment in the future. Purchasing flights, reserving hotels and rental cars, and even pre-purchasing tickets for tourist attractions. But what would happen if you lost your job, became ill, got called for jury duty, or there was severe weather that prevented you from taking that trip? Normally, you would end up paying a sizeable amount of money to change your flight and re-book your reservations. With trip cancellation insurance, you can protect your investment against circumstances that may cause you to reschedule or cancel your travel plans.
Baggage and Personal Effects
When we send our precious cargo down the conveyor belt at the airport, we rely on the fact that it will be waiting for us when we disembark the plane. The reality is that many things can happen to your baggage after it leaves you hands. It could be damaged, re-routed, or even lost en-route to your vacation destination. The good news is, you can insure your baggage and personal effects against loss or damage. Coverage typically includes reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses if your baggage is delayed for a certain number of hours, or replacement of clothing, toiletries, or important documents such as your passport or drivers license.
Rental Car Damage Waiver
If you have ever rented a car, you know the feeling of being ripped off when they go over all the extra charges and fees like fuel surcharges and tourist taxes. Many rental companies will also charge up to $50 extra for a damage waiver to insure you against damage to the vehicle. If you are planning on purchasing travel insurance, you may want to include the rental car damage waiver in the package. The waiver will give you the same protection as the rental car company, at a fraction of the cost. Paying less money up front leaves you with more money to spend at your destination.