If you are travelling outside Canada and have limited or no supplementary out-of-country coverage through a group plan or credit card, it is wise to buy an individual travel insurance policy.
When you need medical care while in another country, your provincial or territorial health insurance plan pays for the same services it covers when you are at home, at the same rate it pays for those services at home, and in Canadian dollars.
Moreover, if you extend your stay to more than six months, your government coverage may lapse (check with your provincial or territorial government to find out how long you can be away before losing your benefits).
If your government benefits do not cover the entire cost of the services you receive, you must pay the difference. Emergency surgery or a hospital stay could leave you with a crushing personal debt, if you do not have supplementary benefits. Individual health insurance for travellers is offered by manyinsurance companies, and application forms are available from many retailers of travel-related products and services. If you are travelling within Canada, an inter-provincial agreement exists to provide coverage for you. Québec participates in this agreement for hospital fees only, so Québec residents travelling out of their home province should check with their government health insurance plan for limitations.
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