Over the last year, I’ve had the chance to do a fair bit of travelling. I went to different Canadian cities, toured around the United States a bit and even headed to the Caribbean. And for many of those adventures, my boys were with me. It goes without saying that we had the time of our lives, but it also brought a new concern to my mind as a parent: travel insurance. I didn’t even think about travel insurance the first time I took my boys out of the country, and while luckily I didn’t pay for it on that occasion, I realized after returning home that having an emergency arise that could leave me with a huge medical bill is not a chance I want to take!
RSA Group is Canada’s leading travel insurance provider, offering plans for families, couples, single trips or frequent travellers. The company is passionate about the safety of Canadian families while travelling, and that’s something I really appreciate. With Family Day weekend finally here, many families will be heading out on an adventure and RSA has some fabulous tips to help ensure that you’re travelling safely this long weekend!
Make Health and Safety Your Priority
Travellers should always put their health and well-being first. Vacations are a break from routine but not from sensible practices. Whether travelling by air or car, you should confirm well in advance if any inoculations or medications are needed before visiting the destination. Make sure to check for travel advisories for the country or region you are planning to visit and carry a good supply of any medications in your carry-on luggage. If driving, check weather and road conditions and listen to local advisories. Winter weather can be unpredictable! And keep documents such as passports, health cards and drivers licenses with you at all times.
Keep Essential Info On Hand
When you get travel insurance, it should come with a card that contains a 24-hour emergency phone number. Make sure you take the card with you on your trip and keep it handy so you know immediately what number to call if necessary.
Make Sure Your Trip is Properly Covered
It is always a good idea to check in with an experienced insurance broker or expert before you go on a trip out of province or out of the country to ensure you have the right coverage to protect you and your family. The peace of mind is priceless!
Often, people overlook the need for insurance if they’re popping across the border to the US for a quick trip, or they assume their home province’s medical plan covers them fully when they’re just visiting another part of Canada, something I am definitely guilty of doing. Never assume! Your provincial health plan may not provide enough out-of-province coverage. For example, in addition to emergency medical coverage, you may benefit from having trip cancellation and interruption coverage. Without it, a cancelled flight or an unexpected return home for an emergency in the middle of your trip can mean significant out-of-pocket expense.
It takes a bit of time to arrange travel insurance for a vacation, but the sense of security it provides is absolutely priceless. After that first trip to the United States with my boys, I’ve made sure that I always arrange travel insurance before I take them somewhere new. If you’re heading off on a vacation this long weekend or at some point in the future, make sure to check out RSA Travel Insurance to explore the different coverage options available and find a travel insurance plan that’s perfect for you and your family!
Christy Martin says
February 15, 2014 at 8:29 amGreat post. I lived in BC years ago (very breifly) and had a run in with glass and about 18 stitches on my arm. The amount of bleeding I had, an ambulance was required. I paid out of pocket for all of it. BC has a different healthcare system than Ontario. I didn’t know this until after all this happened. The cash hurt more than the arm!
Kathryn says
February 15, 2014 at 10:32 amOh my gosh, that is terrible Christy! I know my ex actually had similar problems with his Quebec health card when he was in Saskatchewan; doctors told him that what’s supposed to happen is that Saskatchewan makes a note of the incident and bills Quebec, but that Quebec had been refusing to pay out-of-province bills, so they couldn’t treat him! Definitely makes it worth paying that $20 or so to get coverage!
Christy Martin says
February 15, 2014 at 11:25 amSo much so! $20, had I known and considered myself a traveller at the time. I can’t remember the dollar figure (I was about 19) um, but it was at least $500 back then. 20+ years ago. Glad to say I am not as much of an idiot as I was then!
Erika B says
February 18, 2014 at 11:58 amGreat tips!! Definitely need to keep all this in mind when traveling, you never know what could happen!!
Chandra Christine O'Connor says
February 18, 2014 at 12:08 pmI always got travel insurance I was too nervous not too.
Kristine Ewald says
February 18, 2014 at 12:41 pmGreat tips for travelling, I always get travel insurance 🙂
caryn s says
February 18, 2014 at 3:32 pmGreat advice Kathryn! Especially the tips people for travelling between provinces. We Canadians always take for granted the our medical expenses will be covered in another province!
Stephanie LaPlante says
February 18, 2014 at 3:48 pmI’ve never heard of this company before. Thanks for sharing.
Anne Taylor says
February 18, 2014 at 5:18 pmAlways, ALWAYS, get travel insurace if you leave your province or country! Its just silly not too!
Jenny says
February 18, 2014 at 5:44 pmVery good tips!Thanks
kathy downey says
February 18, 2014 at 6:28 pmthanks for sharing such Great tips
michelle shaw says
February 19, 2014 at 11:30 amthanks!
kristen visser says
February 19, 2014 at 3:01 pmthank you so much for the tips! my daughter is too young right now but it is nice to know for when that day actually comes!
angela m says
February 20, 2014 at 10:05 amI am guilty for travelling in Canada and not having insurance, But we usually always get insurance when travelling abroad.
LisaM says
February 20, 2014 at 12:22 pmAlso check your credit card coverage – ours comes with travel insurance. Very handy.
Jennifer P. says
February 20, 2014 at 5:29 pmGood reminders in this article, as often people do travel under-insured which can turn out very costly!!
Heidi C. says
February 21, 2014 at 11:18 pmVery important tips which hopefully everyone will keep in mind with March Break coming up.
Teresa Claire says
February 22, 2014 at 5:20 pmWonderful tips…thank you! The last time that my Mum went to visit her sister in California, LA, she was so sick…she had insurance so that was really fortunate!
nicolthepickle says
February 26, 2014 at 7:28 amGreat article, insurance is a huge deal when going out of the country.
Debbie W says
February 26, 2014 at 8:55 amI always purchase travel insurance. As a nurse I see people that arrive back in our country after an accident. They have huge bills. Even an innocent shopping trip across the boarder, you are at risk of a fall, injury, even a heart related incident.
Judy C (Judy Cowan) says
February 27, 2014 at 8:54 amGreat tips to keep in mind when travelling. Insurance is really important, we are lucky and have excellent coverage for this through DH’s work.
Darlene Schuller says
February 28, 2014 at 3:19 pmTravel insurance is very important. Some people don’t realize it’s as essential as packing your wallet
Jeannie says
March 2, 2014 at 9:58 amGreat travel tips! I agree that travel insurance is important, even for small and short trips.
sarah sar says
March 6, 2014 at 11:01 pmWe learned our lesson the hard way one time and now we always get insurance when we travel. Better to be safe than sorry!
SueSueper says
March 7, 2014 at 7:05 pmQuite interesting stories. I didn’t realize that out of province issues weren’t covered the same as in province.
Fan R says
March 10, 2014 at 8:39 amNever heard about this company but agree Travel Insurance is a must.
Shannon Gnocato says
March 12, 2014 at 12:12 amI have some insurance through work but we always purchase extra travel insurance when we travel anywhere – we buy annually so we’re covered.
Treen Goodwin says
March 13, 2014 at 3:21 pmAwesome , thanks for sharing the tips , i will keep them in mind when we travel !! 🙂
Tara Crawford says
March 15, 2014 at 1:10 pmnever thought about insurance it will be something we will be getting when we do travel thanks