Does provincial healthcare cover travel in other provinces?
If you live in Canada, you might assume you’re covered anywhere in the country when it comes to healthcare. However, you should be aware before travelling to another province that this might not be the case as our healthcare plans are organized by province. Provincial healthcare may cover travel in other provinces, but it depends on several factors:
- What province are you from?
- What province are you travelling to?
- What medical care are you receiving?
Medical care is not always covered or you might only have some coverage. You may also be required to pay upfront (although you can be reimbursed later). Thankfully, you can have additional emergency medical care costs covered by travel medical insurance. We’ll discuss if you need travel medical insurance for travel in other provinces as well as what’s covered.
Do I need travel medical insurance for travel in other provinces?
Since travel medical insurance is generally quite affordable, it is not a bad idea to secure a policy before you go on your trip. This will fill in the gaps that your provincial healthcare won’t cover. There are several major costs that your provincial healthcare will not include that your travel medical insurance will:
1. Prescription Medications
Travel medical insurance will cover prescribed drugs in an emergency situation. The cost of expensive drugs can rack up rather quickly. If you are prescribed anything in an emergency situation while in another province, you would be covered by your travel medical insurance. Keep in mind this does not apply to non-emergency prescriptions.
2. Dental Emergencies
Provincial healthcare does not always extend to additional medical emergencies like dental care. This can include tooth trauma, broken teeth, abscesses, and so on. However, travel medical insurance will provide coverage for emergency treatment.
3. Cancellations or Alterations
In the event that your medical emergency is so severe you need to cancel your trip or return home during it, travel medical insurance can cover you for the costs of your transportation home. Travel insurance may also compensate you for your cancelled trips (for pre-booked things such as accommodation, transportation, and activities).
4. Emergency Medical Transport Services
Even in your home province, you may not be covered for emergency medical transport services. Ambulance fees vary, depending on where you are. Extraction costs, if you’re somewhere remote, can quickly escalate. However, these expenses can be covered by a travel medical insurance plan.
Travel medical insurance is a travel essential as provincial healthcare doesn’t always cover travel in other provinces. Generally, travel medical insurance is quite affordable. It can also be customized to your needs – you can get multi-trip insurance if you’re a frequent traveller. You can also pair it with regular travel insurance to protect your finances in the event of trip cancellation or interruption. Talk to your insurance broker to learn about the ins and outs of travel insurance.