Travel Insurance

[minnie56]

We used to have that and it was cheap, but when my husband turned 60 price skyrocketed, so we canceled it

My husband is 62--used to be $185 a year when he turned 60 it hit $210.

I think that's pretty phenomenal.

Friends of ours recently cancelled their homeowners at renewal time because they couldn't get the travel policy ..so they too are now with Intact and Travelwell.

 

[geekgirl123]

I already payed for my flight but it isn't for another 6 months. Can I still get health insurance and trip cancellation insurance?

 

[bankr63]

I already payed for my flight but it isn't for another 6 months. Can I still get health insurance and trip cancellation insurance?

Probably. Health you can buy up until pretty much your departure, but be aware that none of the regular policies cover pre-existing conditions. You can get coverage for that too, but it is pretty pricey.

Not sure about trip cancellation, probably depends on when you bought the tickets. Many policies offered by the TA or Airline require purchase within a set time of ticket purchase (30 days), it might be possible to find other coverage but you would need to read the policy exclusions carefully to make sure you are covered.

Actually reminds me that the TD policy I mentioned above has cancellation insurance for medical reasons only for covered parties. So we can cancel if someone in the party gets sick say, but not if there is a death in the extended family. When purchasing insurance it is very important to understand what is included and more importantly what is not and decide if it is right for you.

 

[ronandannette]

Emergency medical coverage (which is all I usually buy when the whole family is travelling together) is relatively inexpensive; my recent DL trip was about $60.00 for 4 people. Trip cancellation/interruption (which we take when we leave DS at home and may need to get back to him quickly - heaven forbid) can be a lot more and is based on the price of the trip and the destination. For land trips I compare using insuremytrip.ca and for cruises I usually buy direct from the cruise line. FYI make sure you have collision/damage coverage for rental cars through your own policy (take a copy with you) or on your credit card. The rental agreement only covers liability and the daily add-on is ridiculous.

PSA for all Canadians: Please please always buy supplemental health coverage...your provincial plan will not COME CLOSE to covering the costs of care at a for-profit provider. Even province to province you can be left with bills as each jurisdiction only pays according to its own fee schedule, not what the actual charges are.

 

[disneyworldfamily]

So I did all the calling around for quotes today. I called 4 providers and the best quote came from Desjardins, the worst was from RBC. 2 adults, 2 kids, no health issues, 7 day trip. Desjardins came in at $345 RBC at $448. This is for all-inclusive, one time coverage btw.

Just wanted to let everyone know what the results were. Thanks for your help!

 

[Mickey1Fan]

Also keep your receipts to claim the purchase of travel insurance on your income tax.

 

[disneyworldfamily]

You can claim travel insurance on your tax return??

 

[bankr63]

You can claim travel insurance on your tax return??

Interesting. You could probably claim the medical portion only as a medical expense; I used to claim my medical insurance when I was self-employed. Of course my medical expenses are never anywhere near my medical deductible these days, but YMMV.

Is there a way to claim the cancellation insurance?