Figuring out whether or not you need travel insurance can be a long and confusing process. One of the major benefits of working with a Travel Agent is that we can help walk you through all of the different options out there and find the coverage that is right for you. No matter if you are planning a trip to the other side of the world or to the next province over, travel insurance is worth considering.
What Is Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance is comprised of two key parts: trip insurance and medical insurance. You can purchase them together or separately and we can ensure that your coverage is customized to suit your needs. The main components of travel insurance include:
Trip Cancellation - If you need to cancel a trip before leaving for a valid reason (check what your policy deems as a valid reason, or ensure to get premium insurance that lets you cancel for any reason) you will be reimbursed for the pre-paid non-refundable portion of your trip
Trip Interruption - If you must cut your trip short due to a valid reason (ex. the death of an immediate family member) you will be reimbursed for any additional expense incurred for travelling home early
Emergency Medical Expenses - If you are injured of fall ill while away you will be reimbursed for your expenses
Emergency Medial Evacuation - If you are either seriously injured or ill and need to be transported to a different medical facility you will be reimbursed for the transportation costs
Accidental Death & Dismemberment - If you die or loose a limb due to an accident you would receive extra coverage
Repatriation of Remains - If you die while away the insurance company will cover the cost of brining your remains back home
Baggage & Personal Effect Loss/Damage - If you loose or have your possessions damaged you will be reimbursed up to a certain amount
Baggage Delay - If your bags become delayed while in transit and you must resort to buying new personal items you would be reimbursed up to a certain amount
There are many more types of additional coverage on top of this list that you may need to seek out depending on your travel plans such as car rental insurance, extreme sports coverage, flight accident coverage, etc.
Do You Need Travel Insurance?
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you have any health related issues?
- Does the destination that you are traveling to have inadequate medical services?
- Do you plan on partaking in any extreme/dangerous sports or activities?
- Are you responsible for anyone else's care?
- Are you someone that likes to have all bases covered?
- Are you booked on a tour that requires mandatory insurance?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then you may want to consider obtaining some travel insurance.
The Benefits of Manulife Insurance
Whether you’re planning a trip, expecting visitors, visiting Canada yourself or studying abroad, it’s wise to take out travel insurance. At North South Travel we work with Manulife as we believe they offer fantastic benefits to our valued clients.
Manulife Financial offers a variety of Travel Insurance plans so that you may select the protection that best suits your travel insurance needs.
Before you travel, it’s wise to ensure you have coverage to protect you against the unexpected.
The Basic Benefits included in most Manulife Travel Insurance Plans:
- Up to $5 million CAD in available coverage
- 24/7 Worldwide Emergency Medial Assistance Available toll-free (including an air ambulance if needed)
- Upfront payments where and whenever possible
You may think that you don't need extra travel insurance as your credit card must cover you - double check this as emergency medical coverage stops after certain age for most credit card companies, they also might not cover all the types of insurance that you need (for ex: covers trip interruption but not cancelation) - the benefit of Manulife is that you can arrange coverage through them and then check with your credit card company, if you are satisfied with your credit card's coverage then you may cancel with manulife within 48hrs and get fully refunded.
Some trips have a 100% non-refundable price but if you do need to cancel due to one of the covered events in your Manulife policy then your purchase will in fact be protected.
Even if you are booking a trip last minute, Manulife does offer a zero day to departure option to ensure that you can always be covered.
When you break down the cost per day of your insurance it will definitely be cheaper then having a medical emergency arise while out of the country.
Even if you are only travelling within Canada keep in mind that Government Health Insurance Plans do not cover all emergency medical expenses incurred outside your province of residence. Things can still go wrong even within Canada.
You may be covered for your medical needs through your employer but that will more than likely not extend to such things as trip cancellation or lost baggage. Ensure that your employer pays upfront for medical expenses and that the amount covered is high enough - Manulife Travel Insurance offers up to $5 million in medical insurance benefits.
No one expects to have a medical emergency away from home, or to have to cancel a trip due to an emergency. But these events happen and they can be disruptive and expensive.
**We are licensed to issue insurance for BC residents within Canada and other residents outside of Canada.
As travel agents we have a professional & legal obligation to ensure that you are adequately insured for your travels, and we also want to make sure that even if something happens you will be okay! Contact one of our Travel Agents today if you are in need of coverage at 604-736-7447.
