kanetix travel insurance

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Travel Insurance

Travel insurance for Canada

Mandy Sleight

Alyce Meserve

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Heidi Gollub

Updated 5:04 a.m. UTC Jan. 25, 2024

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• Travel insurance can cover injuries or illnesses while you’re traveling in Canada, as your domestic health insurance may not travel with you across the border.
• The best travel insurance for Canada will also cover costs associated with trip cancellation, delay and interruption.
• If you plan to travel with high-value items like a laptop, smartphone or camera, ensure the travel insurance you buy has enough per-item coverage for lost, damaged or stolen belongings.

Many U.S. travelers flock to our northern neighbor to take in Canada’s cultural experiences and stunning remote landscapes. While travel insurance isn’t a requirement to enter Canada, it may be worth purchasing for the benefits, like medical insurance, trip cancellation and baggage coverage.

“Even if Canada doesn’t feel too far from the U.S., being out of the country can be stressful, and any unexpected costs that get in your way, from lost baggage to getting sick or injured, can make any mishaps even more upsetting,” said Daniel Durazo, spokesperson for Allianz Global Assistance. “With the right travel insurance policy, you can ease your mind from unexpected travel scenarios or outrageous out-of-pocket bills.” 

Here’s what you should consider when buying travel insurance for Canada.

Understanding travel insurance for Canada 

Understanding Canada travel insurance can make choosing a policy easier. Compare plans to see which policies meet your travel needs. For example, some plans have exclusions for adventure activities, such as rock climbing without equipment, but may offer an adventure sports bundle as an upgrade. 

There are also various limitations on medical coverages, trip delay, trip interruption and trip cancellation benefits that could make one policy better than another for your Canada trip.

It’s best to buy travel insurance soon after making your first trip deposit. This way you’re covered for a longer period, at no additional cost. 

“Travel insurance policies typically only cover unknown and unforeseen situations, from unexpected injuries or illness to flight cancellations and weather-related events,” said Durazo. “If you wait until you have a problem, you likely won’t be covered.”

Buying travel insurance coverage within 14 days of your first trip deposit ensures you get the most benefits. Depending on the plan, buying early could also make you eligible for a pre-existing condition waiver. This means the insurance provider won’t look back at your medical records if you file a claim for a medical condition you already had before buying the policy.

But if you have a trip coming up soon, don’t worry — you can buy a travel insurance policy up to 24 hours before your departure date.

Key coverage considerations for travel insurance in Canada 

The best travel insurance plans bundle together several types of insurance, from trip cancellation insurance to travel medical insurance. No matter what your plans are once you enter Canada, consider these key coverages when researching travel insurance to Canada. 

Trip cancellation insurance  

Sometimes, things happen that require you to cancel your trip. Maybe a family member was going to watch your kids while you’re gone, and they’re now too sick to take care of them. Or severe weather impacts the airline, grounding your flight for the days you planned to be in Canada.

Trip cancellation insurance will reimburse up to 100% of prepaid, nonrefundable expenses, like a flightseeing tour in the Yukon or a Johnston Canyon tour in Banff, if you have to cancel your trip for a covered reason. Other reasons you might have to cancel include family emergency, job loss, severe injury or sickness, terrorism or military deployment. 

However, you can’t cancel for any reason — like a falling out with your travel companion — and get reimbursed, unless you upgrade your travel insurance plan to “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage. Although CFAR can add around 50% to your travel insurance costs, the ability to cancel for any reason and receive up to 75% of your nonrefundable expenses can make the extra expense worth it. Just make sure you cancel at least 48 hours before your departure date and time to get this benefit.

Delays in your Canada trip  

If you’re headed to Canada during winter, severe weather could shut down the airport or cause flight delays. If you’re flying from Baltimore to Whistler with a connection in Chicago, but a winter storm causes delays in Baltimore, you might miss your connecting flight to Vancouver.

Most travel insurance plans will reimburse for meals and hotel accommodation expenses you incur from a travel delay. But to be eligible, the delay usually has to be at least six hours, with some policies requiring 12 consecutive hours before trip delay coverage kicks in. Seven Corners, for instance, will reimburse up to $250 per day per person to a maximum of $2,000 for a delay of at least six hours.

Trip insurance with delay benefits will also reimburse for prepaid expenses you miss out on because of a covered delay. So, if you miss out on your first two days at the ski lodge and can’t transfer or exchange prepaid snowboarding lessons, you can file a claim.

Tackling trip interruption  

The last thing you’d expect while taking in the Halifax, Nova Scotia sites is to have a family emergency back home. If you get a call that your mom fell down the stairs and is in the hospital with a broken leg, you’ll probably be ready to catch the next flight home to be with her.

Luckily, travel insurance includes trip interruption benefits, which can help you get there without a large out-of-pocket expense. Trip interruption coverage will pay for your one-way ticket back home and cover any prepaid accommodations and tours you’ll miss from having to shorten your trip.

Dealing with lost bags and belongings  

Travel insurance will also cover baggage loss and personal items that get damaged, stolen or lost while you’re traveling. So if you check your hiking poles and boots and they get damaged or lost during the flight, your travel insurance will reimburse you for the depreciated cost of those items.

You’ll also have coverage if someone steals your backpack while you’re sightseeing in Toronto. If you’re traveling with high-value items, make sure you have enough coverage. Many travel insurance plans have a $500 to $1,000 cap on certain items like cameras, watches and computers. Some policies also exclude coverage for smartphones.

Making plans for medical bills in Canada

Don’t be surprised if your health insurance provides little to no coverage in Canada or requires you to pay a large out-of-pocket deductible, said Carol Mueller, spokesperson for Berkshire Hathaway. Canada doesn’t accept Medicare from the U.S., and your health insurance won’t cover you unless you have global coverage. The Government of Canada will also not cover hospital and medical expenses for visitors, including American tourists.

Whether you’re planning to hit the slopes, go hiking or just take advantage of what the swanky resort you splurged on has to offer, you never know when you might fall ill or get hurt. This is where travel medical insurance can help. 

Allianz’s OneTrip Prime single-trip plan will pay up to $50,000 for your medical expenses, such as X-rays, prescriptions, doctor’s visits or a hospital stay. Other plans, such as as some in our rating of the best travel insurance for seniors cover up to $500,000.

Even if you’re up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccines, you might still want to consider a travel insurance plan that covers COVID-related medical treatment, like those in our rating of the best COVID-19 travel insurance .

Evacuation for serious medical issues   

Travel health insurance with medical evacuation coverage is critical if you plan to travel to remote areas of Canada. The nearest trauma facility equipped to treat your medical emergency might be hundreds of miles away, requiring a medevac to get you there.

If you don’t have medical plan coverage, you could be on the hook for thousands of dollars in medical costs and private medical transportation. Travel insurance provides emergency medical evacuation coverage . 

The Allianz OneTrip Prime and Berkshire Hathaway’s ExactCare travel plans will cover up to $500,000 for emergency medical transportation and repatriation of remains. Travel Guard and Seven Corners plans will each provide up to $1 million. 

What is the cost of Canada travel insurance? 

There are several factors insurers use to determine the cost of a travel insurance policy , including age, trip cost, destination and length of the trip. In general, you can expect travel insurance to cost about 5% to 6% of your total trip cost.  

When calculating the trip expenses to insure, only include those that are nonrefundable. If your prepaid, nonrefundable flights, accommodations and tours total $5,000, you can expect to pay around $275 for travel insurance. You may pay more if you choose a plan with higher coverage limits and upgrades.

Companies use different criteria and weigh factors differently than other providers, so comparing travel insurance policy quotes can help you find the most comprehensive plan for the best price. You can use travel insurance comparison sites like Squaremouth to compare coverage limits and add-on coverage such as rental car, “cancel for any reason” and adventure sports. 

Key benefits of having travel insurance for your Canada trip  

Even though you’re not flying across an ocean, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy a travel insurance plan. Some of the key benefits of having travel insurance for your Canada trip include:

• Not stressing or worrying about not having government health insurance plan coverage since you’re not a Canadian resident.
• Not losing out on your nonrefundable, prepaid trip costs if something unforeseen occurs and you have to cancel your trip or head home early.
• Knowing that if your trip is delayed or canceled, or you lose a bag or get something stolen, you have coverage to recoup at least some of your out-of-pocket costs.

The right travel plan can provide peace of mind, and many policies will pay for themselves if you need to make a claim for a covered reason.

Tips for choosing the best travel insurance provider for your Canada trip  

Comparing travel insurance companies can help you make the right choice when choosing a travel insurance product. Check customer reviews and complaints on websites like Trustpilot. Travel insurance comparison sites like Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip can also help you identify the best travel insurance company and most generous policy.

Don’t be afraid to call an insurance company to ask them “what if?” questions to ensure you’re getting the right policy. “You should feel confident in the coverage you purchase and trust you will receive the level of claims service you deserve if you need to file a claim,” said Mueller.

You should always read the fine print to know your policy’s limitations and exclusions. This includes restrictions on trip delay, cancellation and interruption benefits, and understanding what you’ll need to file a claim for baggage damage, loss, or medical care. 

Tip: Most travel insurance companies offer a 10 to 15 free look period, which allows you to review the policy and cancel it for a full refund if you decide it’s not the best choice.

Other insurance considerations for Canada 

If you’re planning to participate in adventure activities, like dogsledding in the Yukon, kayaking the Johnstone Strait to see orcas or surfing and hiking in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, you want to make sure you’re covered. 

World Nomads Explorer travel insurance plan covers more than 200 adventure activities. You can also get extreme sports coverage, license fees and equipment delay coverage with Berkshire Hathaway’s AdrenalineCare travel plan. Travel Guard offers an Adventure Sports Bundle optional upgrade, which waives benefit exclusions for adventure and extreme activities.

We mentioned CFAR coverage above, but some policies also offer optional “interruption for any reason” (IFAR) coverage. It works like CFAR, allowing you to end your trip early for any reason, not just those listed in your policy. Seven Corners offers a CFAR and IFAR upgrade for up to 75% of nonrefundable trip costs as long as you purchase it within 20 days of your first trip payment.

Road trips are also a popular way to see Canada’s beauty. If you plan to rent a car, it may be worth getting rental vehicle coverage if your credit card doesn’t offer it. World Nomads will cover up to $35,000 in collision damage waiver, while Travel Guard’s rental vehicle damage coverage will pay up to $50,000 in damage to your rental vehicle. Note that this coverage does not include liability insurance , if you are at fault for an accident that results in injuries or damage to others’ property. Check with your car insurance company to make sure your U.S. auto insurance coverage extends to driving in Canada. 

Travel insurance for Canada FAQs

Travel insurance is not a requirement to travel to Canada. However, travel insurance will provide travel medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation coverage, as well as benefits for lost or delayed baggage, trip delay, cancellation or interruption and sometimes missed connections. 

The average cost of travel insurance is around 5% to 6% of your travel costs to Canada. Your age, trip cost and other factors determine how much you’ll pay for travel insurance.

To find the best travel insurance for Canada, fill out a brief online form on an insurer’s website with your name, age, address and details about your trip, like the total cost and number of travelers. A travel insurance comparison site like Squaremouth allows you to fill out one application and get multiple quotes at the same time. 

The best travel insurance in Canada depends on where you’re going, what activities you’re doing and the types of coverage you need. After comparing dozens of providers, we found WorldTrips , Travel Insured and TravelSafe are among the best travel insurance companies .

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Mandy is an insurance writer who has been creating online content since 2018. Before becoming a full-time freelance writer, Mandy spent 15 years working as an insurance agent. Her work has been published in Bankrate, MoneyGeek, The Insurance Bulletin, U.S. News and more.

Alyce Meserve is an experienced insurance, personal finance and travel writer. Alyce is a licensed insurance professional in life, health and property and casualty, and holds an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning from Duke University.

Heidi Gollub is the USA TODAY Blueprint managing editor of insurance. She was previously lead editor of insurance at Forbes Advisor and led the insurance team at U.S. News & World Report as assistant managing editor of 360 Reviews. Heidi has an MBA from Emporia State University and is a licensed property and casualty insurance expert.

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Canada Travel Insurance Review

Travel insurance can kill a travel budget for anyone. We feel the pinch especially hard, since we’re buying travel insurance for a family of four.

When I searched high and low for Canadian travel insurance comparisons and reviews for our upcoming trip, I found absolutely nothing to help me compare prices and insurance for our personal travel insurance needs (other than Kanetix (now called RATESDOTCA ). So I had to do hours of legwork to get the best prices and policies for our family, and I’ve shared them in this review.

2022 update! Maybe it’s because COVID-19 sent travel insurance prices into flux, but any prices we check in 2022 seem to vary significantly from 2021 or 2020 prices. We guess this price fluctuation may continue, but it’s hard to tell.

For six months of travel, for a family of four, we got quotes ranging from $418.51 to a whopping $2,461.92 for worldwide travel medical insurance, including the USA.

Because everyone’s needs are different, we can’t tell you what travel insurance is right for you, or that one travel insurance company or travel insurance policy is better than another.

On top of that, prices and policies can change almost overnight, so do your own research.

This travel insurance review just lists the results we got when searching for travel insurance for our own family’s needs, at one point in time. All prices are in Canadian dollars, although some companies cover people all around the world.

In our search, we found that insurance almost always meant medical travel insurance, which included a set amount of coverage (usually one to five million dollars per person for travel accidents and illness).

Tip! Read the terms and conditions of policy wording and description of coverage to decide if the policy you choose is right for you. Insurance policy wordings can be subject to change at any time, without prior notice.

Many travel insurance packages that we looked at included coverage for baggage, trip cancellation, trip interruption and even emergency dental. We chose to only buy what we personally needed, and I think we saved a lot of money.

TuGo Travel Insurance

TuGo (formerly called Travel Underwriters) is one of Canada’s biggest travel insurance companies, and they surprised us with one of the best rates for our family.

To find more about TuGo travel insurance, click here.

2021 update: Tugo now offers COVID-19 travel insurance coverage included as a benefit under their emergency medical coverage, but ONLY if you’re fully or partially vaccinated, or if you’re not eligible for a vaccine, due to age.

If you haven’t been vaccinated, for any reason other than your age, then the COVID-19 insurance ISN’T included as a benefit under their emergency medical insurance for you. If you fall into this category, you can buy COVID-19 Insurance, Unvaccinated as an add-on to your TuGo Emergency Medical Insurance Worldwide or Excluding USA plans.

There’s a fairly extensive list of eligibility requirements, and there’s an additional cost. To get the COVID-19 insurance, you need to also have a worldwide or worldwide excluding USA TuGo emergency medical policy in place for the full duration of the COVID-19 Insurance coverage.

• $1,317.20 for six months, for a family of four. The plan includes travel to the USA.
• $5 million emergency medical insurance.
• $300 USD deductible (dropping the deductible to 0 brought the cost up to $612.72 total).
• We added on trip cancellation and interruption to our quote for an additional $284.00. Coverage is up to sum insured for trip cancellation or up to $25,000 for trip interruption.
• If you’re vaccinated, or partially vaccinated, then COVID-19 insurance is included.
• If you’re unvaccinated, for any reason other than your age, there is an extra fee of $170.20 for COVID-19 insurance.
• You can get add-on optional sports coverage. Coverage is based on risk level; from contact sports to adventure sports to extreme sports.

Safety Wing

Safety Wing is a (relative) new comer to the travel insurance space.

SafetyWing insurance specializes in expat travel health insurance (called Remote Health Insurance), and global travel medical insurance (called Nomad Insurance), which we think is a great option for longer term travelers.

There’s one huge catch for Safety Wing insurance, though, and it’s a big one for Canadians.

SafetyWing won’t sell Canadians travel insurance while you’re physically located in Canada. You can cross the border in any way and buy insurance immediately when you have left Canada.

However, it’s the perfect choice if you’ve already left Canada and forgot to buy travel insurance, or you want to buy better coverage.

SafetyWing Insurance is available to anyone from any home country in the world (unless your home country is Iran, Syria, North Korea or Cuba, or if you have Cuba as your citizenship).

The base price for insurance is $42 for four weeks of coverage, not including coverage in the USA. That’s for one person, aged 18-39 years, with a $250 deductible, and a $250 000 max limit.

• A quote for one person for six months was $379.08 for six months, NOT including coverage in the USA.
• For all four of us, the cost was $847.08 for six months, NOT including coverage in the USA.
• A quote for one person for six months, which included coverage in the USA , was $705.12.
• A quote for all four of us for six months, which included coverage in the USA , was $1,560.00.
• $250,000 travel insurance
• $250 deductible
• Emergency dental up to $1,000. Not subject to deductible.
• Notable exclusions include high risk sports activity, pre-existing disease or injury, and cancer treatment
• Trip interruption of up to $5,000
• Emergency medical evacuation of up to $100,000 lifetime maximum
• Travel delay and lost checked luggage coverage.

Visit SafetyWing now to learn more.

Nomad Insurance covers COVID-19 for new policies. Coverage works the same as any other illness as long as it was not contracted before your coverage start date, and does not fall under any other policy exclusion or limitation.

Testing for COVID-19 is only be covered if deemed medically necessary by a physician. The antibody test is not covered, as it is not medically necessary.

Nomad Insurance covers quarantine outside your home country of $50/day for up to 10 days (once within a 364-day period). The quarantine coverage requires that you’re covered by Nomad Insurance for a minimum of 28 days and you are outside your home country.

Your quarantine must be mandated by a physician or governmental authority, because you have either:

• tested positive for COVID-19
• or you are symptomatic and waiting for your test results.

Kanetix (now called RATESDOTCA)

RATESDOTCA (formerly Kanetix) is on online insurance quote consolidator. I’m a big fan, as I like that it lets me compare a number of travel insurance companies side by side, and they usually seem like a fairly good deal to me.  They do all sorts of insurance, including home, auto, and tenant’s insurance.

To find out more about travel insurance on RATESDOTCA click here now.  

The best deals on RATESDOTCA  were:

• TuGo for $937.80 six months for a family of four for $2 million in emergency medical insurance and no trip cancellation or interruption insurance, with a $300 deductible. A zero deductible raised that to $1,062.80.
• Ingle International for $1,061.42 for six months for our family of four for $10 million in emergency medical insurance and no trip cancellation or interruption insurance, with a $250 deductible.
• World Escapade $1,069.20 for six months for a family of four for $5 million in emergency medical insurance and no trip cancellation or interruption insurance, with a $250 deductible.
• Allianz for $1,155.60 for six months for a family of four for with $10 million in emergency medical insurance and no trip cancellation or interruption insurance, and a $250 deductible.
• GMS for $1,580.40 for six months for our family of four with $5 million in emergency medical insurance and no trip cancellation or interruption insurance, and a $250 deductible.

Click here now to find out more about RATESDOTCA travel insurance.  

TD Meloche Monnex

We signed up with  TD Meloche Monnex: Wide Horizons Solution  on our last six month trip though Costa Rica, Mexico, Florida and Texas. Although we didn’t have to make a claim, their customer service was extremely professional and patient when answering all of my questions about the quote.

• $947.80 for six months, for a family of four. Since we have home insurance with Meloche, we get a good discount on the premium.
• This is a great deal, as it includes a 60 day multi-trip plan that will let us take unlimited trips (of up to 60 days) anywhere in the world for $181.00/year per year. The additional four months of top up coverage cost us $766.80 (for a total of $947.80).
• If we didn’t have home, tenants’ insurance, or auto insurance with Meloche , the cost for our initial 60 day multi-trip plan would be higher.
• You’ll need to call Meloche to buy your policy. Meloche’s number is 1-866-566-1464.
• $5 million emergency medical insurance, per person.
• $100 deductible (most deductibles with other companies are 0). It was worth the higher deductible, given that the premium is so low. You can also choose a $250, $500 or $1,000 deductible.
• Free international assistance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Full refund available anytime during our trip, less a $20 fee.
• Extensions are available while on our trip, but if there’s a claim on file, the extension must be verified by risk manager.  You must also have valid provincial health coverage.
• World-wide, including USA, but excludes countries with Government of Alberta or Canada travel warnings.
• Trip cancellation up to $2,500 per person,  maximum $5,000 per family for each annual period of coverage.
• Trip interruption up to $5,000 per person, per covered trip.
• No baggage or personal effects insurance.
• If we purchase additional tickets/flights after leaving on trip, these are not eligible for trip cancellation/baggage insurance.
• Many adventure activities are covered.  There were some exceptions, including ultralight flights and paid sports activities, I believe, but they didn’t apply to us.
• Like all the other policies we looked at, we were required to have valid provincial health insurance for the entire duration of our trip.

Merit Travelcuts Worldwide Travel Insurance

We used travelcuts Globetrotter insurance for our last trips to Asia and the Philippines. We ended up claiming a few days in a hospital in Thailand, and travelcuts was great to us.

If we’d been a single traveller on this trip, then travelcuts would probably have been our first choice for insurance. With a whopping 547 days for a maximum policy length, travelcuts is a well worth looking at if you’re planning a longer trip.

Anyone over 50 years old cannot get this policy.

travelcuts has several plans, but we were interested only in the Emergency Medical Plan D. This plan does not include trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance.

• $1,641.60 for six months, for a family of four. Like pretty much all of the other companies, our quote has increased quite a bit from when I first got a quote in 2012, when the quote was $916.00.
• 1 million emergency medical insurance per person.
• You must have valid government health insurance plan for the entire duration of your trip.
• travelcuts insurance only covers travellers under age 50, and over 15 days old.
• You may be able to get an extension on your trip, but you must call travelcuts to apply for the extension, and have a provincial health plan is in effect for the full length of your travel period.
• You may get a full refund if you cancel within 10 days of buying your policy, or if you can prove your trip was cancelled before you leave on your trip. See your specific policy for details.
• Costs and benefits may be different for residents of Quebec.
• travelcuts worldwide insurance was formerly known as Travel CUTS Bon Voyage insurance.
• Always check your individual policy – coverage and limits can change without notice.

itravel2000

itravel2000 is one of my favorite sites to search for cheap all-inclusive last minute getaways and hotel rooms, so I thought I’d check out their travel insurance.  Wow. Pretty darn expensive, and the last quote I got was back before 2018.

• A gulp-inducing $3,075.00 for six months for an all inclusive plan for family of four, including trip cancellation and interruption.
• $1,573.20 for a global under age 60 plan, with $5 million in emergency medical benefits only, with no trip cancellation or interruption.

BMO travel insurance  is one of Canada’s biggest names in travel insurance, so I thought I’d try them out.

• $1,532.18 for six months insurance for a family of four.
• $5,000,000 medical liability.
• A refund is available 10 days after purchase, but not after leaving on a trip, and you need to meet other conditions.
• Coverage can be extended after leaving, but there cannot be an open claim. You can extend for a total of 183 days (212 days if you reside in BritishColumbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia or Ontario).
• Trip cancellation $0 per person.
• Trip interruption $2,000 per person.

ScotiaGold Passport® VISA

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite Card has travel insurance perks.

There’s Travel Emergency Medical Insurance for eligible persons under age 65 (up to 25 consecutive days) and for eligible persons age 65 and older (up to 10 consecutive days).

What we think is cool about this card is that it’s one of the few Canadian credit cards that don’t charge a foreign transaction fee . It also has a travel rewards program, with Scotia Rewards points – right now there’s a signup bonus of 30,000 Scotia Rewards points (plus an additional 10,000 available if you spend at least $40,000 in everyday eligible purchases annually). That’s a total of 40,000 bonus points!

• Annual fee: $139.00
• Up to $1 million in emergency medical travel insurance
• Up to $2,500 trip cancellation/interruption
• Flight delay, delayed and lost baggage, travel accident, and rental car collision loss/damage insurance.
• Interest rate: 19.99% purchases, 22.99% cash advances
• six free airport lounge visits

What if you’re taking a short trip?

For trips of 60 days or less, you may already have coverage through a credit card with medical travel insurance perks. These often offer trip cancellation and interruption, along with baggage insurance. For Canada travel insurance, the cards we looked at were Scotiabank and BMO.

Note: If you decide to use only your credit cards built in travel insurance, make sure that you’re covered for the duration of your trip (you can often extend coverage for an additional fee) and that you qualify since some cards that include travel insurance have specific riders that might not cover you if you fall outside of their policies parameters.

Baggage coverage and personal effects coverage

Baggage coverage insures your bags while in transit (in airplanes, though this may extend to buses and taxis).

Personal effects coverage covers your belongings anywhere, on any portion of your trip. This sounds nice in theory, but I found that most policies had some serious exclusions.  They would only cover losses with a police report (makes sense, but a police report can be pretty damn hard to get in a lot of countries).  On top of that, most policies would not insure belongings that were unattended. That means that if your wallet is stolen from your beach chair while you’re body surfing, you’re out of luck. No coverage.

Even more important, most policies wouldn’t cover loss or theft of computers, cameras, or cell phones, or jewelry. Seriously. The only expensive things that most people travel with aren’t covered.

Here’s a little trick, though. If you have insurance on your home or tenant’s insurance, then your belongings might be covered on your trip. Usually there’s a limit (around 10% of the total coverage on your original policy), and your deductible applies to any claims while travelling.

Trip cancellation and interruption generally only cover the portion of your trip that you buy before you leave. Not especially useful for us, since we’re only buying a one-way ticket to Mexico before we leave, and the rest of our tickets will be bought once out of Canada. Not having a set itinerary means that we’ll buy onward legs (by plane, train, car, taxi, water taxi, ferry, cruise liner, or bus) as we need them. I couldn’t find a single travel insurance policy that would cover purchase of additional legs once we left home. Trust me, I tried. And tried.

A lot of Canada travel insurance reviews don’t mention this, but it’s important: If you’re gone for more than six months, ensure you get a written extension from your provincial health care plan (this applies only to Canadians).

Checklist for travel insurance:

• What is the amount of liability you cover?
• Is trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance covered?
• Is there a refund available for unused amount?
• What is the deductible?
• Do you offer a medical service assist, e.g., can you help me find a doctor or hospital?
• Is the policy good worldwide, including the USA?
• Can I top up my insurance once I’ve left on my trip?
• Can I buy my initial insurance after I’ve left on my trip?

Are you already overseas? Check out this post to learn how to get travel insurance if you’re already abroad !

After hours of research and banging my head against a wall, I found your website and your Travel Insurance Review.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! Based on the information you provided (very thorough!!) we have booked our travel insurance with TD Meloche Monnex Wide Horizons. Great company to deal with and very patient in answering any and all my questions.

I can’t tell how much I appreciate the detail and effort you afforded your readers!! The weight off my mind, in knowing, that we have great coverage for the time we will be away, is tremendous.

I only wish I would have found your site earlier!!

Australia here we come!!

Wanda, Thanks so much for the pat on the back. Hope you’re loving Oz. We were there for six months in 2004, and had a great time.

Thanks much! Used your link to Kanetix.ca and decided on Tugo. Much appreciate your efforts in this site! Cheers Lorin

Very helpful! Thank you for the detail in your post especially the “questions to ask” portion. Thanks again!

Thanks, Sydney! Good luck in your search!

I plan to keep in mind the list of questions you have mentioned. I find it helpful!

My husband and I are going on a Caribbean cruise next February 2013 going out of Miami Florida.We are from Ontario Canada. We are interested in all inclusive travel insurance and of course want good medical coverage.In the event of a serious medical problem we need coverage to include an airlift off the ship or by boat.We have gone on other cruises thinking that this was part of the medical coverage only to recently discover that not all plans cover this.Hopefully this would never happen but I have heard that this could happen if the ship couldn’t treat you if you were seriously ill or injured.Do you know which insurance companies cover this?

The Government of Canada has an informative article called Advice for Cruise Travellers . They say that you should “Purchase travel health insurance that includes at least $500,000 in coverage for accidental injury, hospitalization abroad, and medical evacuation at sea (the cost of medically evacuating a patient from a cruise ship by helicopter can easily reach $150,000).”

I looked a bit into specific policies to get you started, but keep in mind that I’m just a fellow traveller, not an insurance agent. Make sure you read your policy and chat with your insurance company for any clarification. You’ll need to call the companies directly to specifically ask if your specific policy covers emergency transport by helicopter while at sea.

I did a comparison quote search on Kanetix.ca , and came up with a couple of all inclusive policies that look like they cover an air ambulance. Click on the View sample policy link at the bottom of the quote to see policy details for yourself. Travel Guard Chartis Gold Deluxe’s policy notes that if you get “if Your attending Physician recommends Your return after Your Emergency Medical Treatment, and if approved in advance by Us, We cover, via the most cost-effective itinerary, one (1) or more of: … the cost of air ambulance transportation, pre-approved and arranged by Us”.

Just to note, the Group Medical Services TravelStar All Inclusive policy quoted at Kanetix does NOT cover a helicopter transport.

If you’re under age 60, World Nomads is a really good option. Their policy says “Once You have received Emergency Medical Care and Our consulting Physician determines You are able to and recommends that You return Home, We will arrange and pay for the following services and expenses to return You to Your province or territory of residence: … the cost of air ambulance transportation to the most appropriate facility in Your province or territory of residence, if the use of an air ambulance is required and Medically Necessary.” There’s a detailed review of World Nomads here .

Another option is RBC insurance. They have a great reputation, but you need to be an existing RBC client, spouse or child of the client. They’re the only company I’m aware of that offers unlimited emergency medical insurance (most companies cap at $1 million or $5 million).

The exact policy you get with RBC depends a lot on your age. I looked at an RBC policy quoted for people under 60, and the policy said they would pay for return to your departure point, “when pre-authorized and arranged by Assured Assistance Inc., when medically essential: the cost of air ambulance transportation if it is medically essential.” You can get an online quote with RBC at this link: http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/travelinsurance/index.html . Just be aware that you may need to buy a trip cancellation insurance add-on with them.

I think you should be able to get emergency air evacuation at sea included with one of these Canadian companies. However, if that fails, there are a couple of international companies (that cover Canadians) that specialize in medical evacuation insurance. They’re MedjetAssist and International SOS .

There’s a checklist that you can use for asking questions when getting a quote at Canadian Travel Insurance Review .

Hope that helps a bit!

Happy travels!

Excellent site. Plenty of helpful info here. I’m sending it to some buddies and additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks for your sweat!

Can you suggest an insurance provider for ON resident, aged 63. Planning a 9 month trip through USA & Bahamas.

Hi Ray! Recommending a specific provider is pretty tough – it depends on so many things – preexisting conditions, what kind of coverage you want (basic medical, cancellation, interruption, baggage, or some mix), and how much you want.

I always suggest to start with Kanetix to get a comparison quote, which will at least give you a baseline price you should pay, as their quotes tend to be pretty competitive. Squaremouth also gives quotes (there’s a review of Squaremouth here ), and they have some really cool filters.

Sounds like a great vacation, by the way!

Hi, My bank (royal bank) tells me that our royal bank avion infinite visa has travel/medical insurance for when we travel. They said if I purchased a travel/medical insurance policy from the bank, it is a mirrored one of the one our visa offers us. Assured Assistance is the company that takes care of the insurance. Any info or advice would be appreciated thanks

Thanks so much for checking out our review. The RBC Avion Infinite Visa has a fairly travel insurance package , which includes medical, cancellation, flight delay, trip interruption (but not cancellation!) insurance and travel accident insurance.

There are a few potential differences between the Avion credit card insurance and the bank insurance policy: -The RBC Avion credit card insurance is multi-trip insurance, meaning it insures you for multiple trips, but each trip is only 15 days in length, if you’re 64 or under (and 3 days per trip if you’re over 65). You can purchase additional insurance for an individual trip. – You must charge the full cost of your trip, including flights, accomodation, and hotel to the credit card for the RBC Avion credit card insurance to be valid – RBC Avion insurance provides Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance, which I don’t think is included in RBC’s bank travel insurance policies

We’ve written a review of RBC’s travel insurance plans on our Canadian Travel Insurance Review site (which we started when we saw how much need there was for an independent look at travel insurance in Canada). There’s also a checklist of questions to ask when you get a travel insurance quote .

Hope that helps. Really, I know it’s about as much fun as watching paint dry, but you should sit down with both insurance policies certificates of insurance (and a really strong pot of coffee) and compare them to make sure they meet your needs. You can get a copy of the RBC Insurance and Protection Booklet through the insurance and protection tab on the RBC Visa Infinite Avion web page , and view the RBC bank insurance policies through the RBC Travel insurance site .

Have a wonderful trip!

Awesome information. You should make this a little ebook and sell it. Thanks a bunch.

Thanks Kate! I’m so glad that it helped you.

wow.. what a blog…it tells me about travel insurance and i am also looking for that kind of information…this blog helps me… thnx for the post… i like it..

Little confused about travel insurance and health insurance. I’m an American and need health insurance for 3 months.I will be in Toronto for next 3 months. Can someone help me to find a link or web site to buy only health insurance for 3 months ? Does Credit card provide health insurance only ?

Thanks for visiting. You can buy insurance for only three months from almost any company – that shouldn’t be a problem. The insurance provided by a credit card really depends on the card – all cards are different, so you’ll have to look at the travel insurance terms carefully. As an American, you’ll need to get a American credit card. I’m not overly familiar with American credit cards, but American Express may be a decent place to start, as I know they offer travel insurance on some of their cards.

I see on some credit union websites that included with their Gold and Platinum Mastercard credit cards is free travel medical insurance up to age 75 and up to 31 days travel with no deductible and preconditions! By comparison bank premium credit cards offer similar coverage but only to age 65.

I did talk to the people there who confirmed the above info. However to get more than 31 day coverage they referred me to their insurance partner who could do the top-up coverage. I did talk to them as well but found the top-up coverage more expensive than my existing insurer TD Monnex Meloche.

In any case the base coverage through the Cuets credit card is particularly good for retirees over 65 up to age 75. The Cuets people also told me that I was not obligated to purchase the top-up insurance from their partner so I could shop around for the best price.

Have you any more info on purchasing a credit card through a credit union and getting their travel insurance package?

I am 67 years and thankfully in great health, however while looking for travel insurance, I can only get a quote for anyone 60 and under – all others must call in and speak to an agent. I have answered 3 pages of medical questions – all No, No, No, and it seems that they don’t believe me. I am still asked to call a 1-800 number. I think this is age discrimination. Why do they think that everyone over 60 is on medication or had operations? I do not even take headache medicine!!!

It’s definitely age stereotyping Bernice. Just like car rental companies charge more for under 25 drivers regardless of their history. The simple fact is that most people over a certain age are more likely to have had complications in their past and are more likely to have some on their trip. It sucks they make you jump through more hoops however consider yourself fortunate Bernice that you’re in great shape and your premiums will be a lot less than others who aren’t as lucky.

Insurance is just a math game based on likely odds that at the end of the day the company is making more money than they’re paying out. We buy insurance on the principle that if the odds aren’t in our favor that we don’t lose everything we have paying sometimes exorbitant health costs. It really is just like gambling. If on a much more serious level.

Have fun on your trip!

I’ve been using Kanetix to find better insurance rates for everything and it seems to work fine–fast too, and saves you the trouble of entering all your info. multiple times. Reputable companies come up in the quotes and the site normally gives you about 5 options in the final quotation which you can easily revise and compare for different options.

Once you get older, the insurance provided on a credit card may no longer be available (I believe it cuts off at age 60 or 65 for most credit cards). Also, rates from most of the banks are too expensive, except for car and house insurance which I obtained excellent rates from TD Insurance (don’t know if they also provide travel insurance since I did not ask, but I guess they probably do as they are in the credit card business too).

This is great! I’m looking into the medical insurance required for the youth mobility visa to Spain and its been a headache! Its for a year and requires hospitalisation and repatriation for over 3 million canadian dollars. I wanted to ask you about the written extension from the provincial health care plan. What is this about?

Your detailed info on travel insurance was fantastic. It just saved me over $200 and we got better coverage (comprehensive) via TD Meloche Monnex as we have home and auto coverage with them.

Thanks so much

It would be helpful to make it clear that World Nomads will not cover anyone over age 59. Took 10 minutes of searching their website and a phone call to be told they don’t insure seniors by not offering any policy options at all. Haven’t worked my way through the other options yet

Thanks for letting us know Susan. We’ll add it to the post.

I’m interested to know if you found any that didn’t require you to have Canadian provincial coverage? My trip will be too long.

Hi Wes, what you need to look into is Canadian Expat Insurance. Expat insurance will cover you even though you don’t have Canadian provincial health care coverage. That’s especially important if you plan to be out of the country longer than your province will allow.

Most people don’t realize that nearly every Canadian travel insurance policy offered requires continual provincial health care.

Some provinces allow you to leave for extended amounts of time so it’s worth looking into that first. Check out this article . It has links to every provincial health care site and some good information about Expat Insurance.

Hope that helps!

Incredibly helpful article. You seem to have quite a lot of information about Canada travel insurance and that’s great that i came to learn about it.

Thanks, this was very helpful, especially pointing me to Kanetix. I dive and snorkel, so it’s important I don’t have exclusions because of that. If you are ever in Penticton, let me by you a beer!

Came here to throw my support behind World Nomads. They have been easy to use for me (2 years straight) and I really appreciate being able to extend my travel insurance on the road. As far as I know, WN is the only travel insurance that allows that!

Thanks for the comprehensive comparison of travel insurance providers. For those of us over 65 years of age, finding travel insurance can be very pricey if they will even insure us.

Next question: do you have a similar listing of ex-pat insurance?

Hi Bill. The truth is there isn’t that many Canadian expat insurance providers out there and pretty much none online. The vast majority of travel insurance companies in Canada require you to maintain your provincial medical plan and, as you probably know, most only give you 3 to 6 months to be away without written authorization.

We’re actually in the process of writing a post just for Canadian Expats and we’ll make sure we update this post with the link once it’s up.

Very good article.

I just have one confusion.

What if during my date of return say April 1st and for some reason no planes are flying for whatever reason. My medical insurance is only up to April 1st. On April 2nd, I got sick or have an accident, will I be covered?

It really depends on your plan. Some policies will automatically be extended if there are issues and others end on their allotted day regardless of the reason.

I would definitely recommend contacting your insurance provider if your trip gets extended for whatever reason and do it before your policy is over. When it comes to insurance, it’s better to err on the side of caution than to risk not being covered.

So helpful, thank you for this detailed analysis and keeping it up to date!

Hi there! Thanks for this. First time buying travel insurance and there’s a lot to learn. I’m travelling to India so I’m primarily worried about my belongings (camera, laptop, phone, dive gear) and hospital bills if I get sick. Seems WorldNomads is my best option. Quick question.. Could you elaborate on what you mean when you say: A lot of Canada travel insurance reviews don’t mention this, but it’s important: If you’re gone for more than six months, ensure you get a written extension from your provincial health care plan (this applies only to Canadians).

What is a ‘written extension’? What is the issue if one hasn’t gotten it?

Thanks in advance for any information!

These points are very helpful. Thanks for sharing!

Hi there Charles and Micki,

Any suggestions on which company would offer an extension after the 1 year is up? I like the World Nomads so that it would cover my gear – but they only do 1 year at a time and I would have to return to Canada to get another year. Thank you for your time.

Hi Kevin, that’s the million dollar question these days since the vast majority of Canadian travel insurance policies require 2 things. The first is that you maintain your provincial healthcare and the second is that the trip commences in Canada.

In that sense, World Nomads is great. Though they still require you to maintain your Canadian healthcare, you can actually purchase their travel insurance after you’ve left Canada. I’m not 100% positive but I do believe they only allow 1 year trips so I’m guessing that’s the quandary you’re in.

If you haven’t left Canada yet, you should look into Travelcuts . They’re about the only company I can think of that offers travel insurance for Canadians for trips longer than a year. We actually used them for our first year long RTW way back in the day and they were good to deal with.

If you’re already travelling, my only suggestion is to return to Canada for a quick visit and then get another year of coverage with World Nomads or another insurance company. If that’s not possible, you’re last option (besides going without, which I don’t suggest doing) is you need to look into Expat insurance.

The nice thing about Canadian Expatriate travel insurance is you don’t need to maintain your provincial healthcare while you’re gone so if you live in one of the provinces where you have to pay monthly premiums, you can at least save on that. The funny part is that it can actually be cheaper than normal travel insurance and you don’t even need to buy it from a Canadian company.

That said, there are only a few that we know of in Canada at this moment. You can check out this post regarding Expat insurance and the companies that cover it. Unfortunately, you can’t buy any of them online easily so you might need to contact them to see what they can do for you.

Good luck and safe travels.

Very wealthy information. And those key points in which you had mentioned is very useful and also some valid points too. Really nice thank you so much

Excellent Article. I ended up using TUGO as a direct result of this article and saved $160 over using my regular RBC travel insurance, so thank you very much. TUGO worked best for us as we only needed the travel medical. All else such as travel accident, travel cancellation is covered because I purchased my tickets with my RBC credit card. If I needed everything, I think I would have gone with Nomads

Great article. It is always good to know what are the options available. However, TIC travel insurance (mentioned in the article) has been overtaken by Allianz Global Assistance what is one of the insurance giants worldwide. The website remained the same though. I was able to find cheap premiums for Medical Policies for a month or even for annual plans for frequent fliers like me that is always onboard a plane going somewhere because of my job.

Hello, We went onto kanetix.ca website and received a quote for Ingle International. Has anyone used this company and experienced a positive or negative situation? I went to the http://www.travelinsurancereview.ca website and this company was not listed. They gave us a great rate $442 for 5 months and family of 4 for travel medical top-up insurance for 90 days and I am sceptical. We are also traveling to Egypt where there is a travel advisory for non-essential travel and this has been the only company that has told us we would be covered if we traveled there in the travel advisory zones. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you!

This is amazingly helpful! I’m a bit surprised TravelCuts (Also known as Merit Travel, they are backed by Allianz) was buried down the list a bit as their coverage and premiums are incredibly reasonable. You can get budget plan B which is basically just medical with some trip cancellation and it is MUCH cheaper (I’m talking nearly half price) of most of the other leading insurance places. I had never heard of them and was just going to go with World Nomads again which is fine, but WN seems to builds in a ton of other stuff in their policies which I can never use or wouldn’t bother. Personal effects and trip cancellation just has too many loopholes it seems. TravelCuts doesn’t even have a deductible either! I phoned to confirm. This is now my go-to. Thanks for this great info I wouldn’t have found them without this site!

Here is a real doozy for you! World Nomads no longer offers Canadians coverage past 365 days. I have been aboard 360 days and need to buy new insurance. I have looked at most of the sites here, however most of them do not 1) include on option to list multiple destinations (I will be in Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Cambodia and Laos) and 2) do not offer an option for residents of the Northwest Territories! I am completely stumped. Losing World Nomads was devestating, especially as they used to allow to extend past 365 days. Any ideas of companies that will cover multiple countries AND NT residents?!?! And as a backpacker i am trying to stay on the budget savvy side so the big banks are not really an options.

Thanks for all the info on this, there is a lot out there for UK and USA residents, not as much for Canadians!

Brittany, if you’re out of Canada for that amount of time chances are that your provincial healthcare is no longer valid however that depends on which province you live in and if you’re a student outside of Canada. I believe that only Alberta (and perhaps NWT) allows you to be outside Canada for a year just backpacking around and maintain your healthcare.

That would be the first thing I would look at and, then following that line, I would look into Expat Insurance. There are only a few Canadian companies that offer it however, since it doesn’t require them to deal with your provincial healthcare if they need to make a claim, you can look into expatriate insurance providers from any country.

You’ll definitely be paying a little more for Canadian Expat Insurance however you can rest easier knowing that you’ll actually be covered. Some provinces cancel your provincial healthcare after only a month abroad if you don’t contact them and pretty much every Canadian travel insurance provider requires you maintain your provincial healthcare while you’re gone.

You can check out this post which talks a bit about it and has the relevant links to every provinces regulations. Good luck!

Thanks so much Barefoot Nomad! I checked my usual places for insurance, and my insurance/medical company, and banks and all crazy high. I did a quick search for reviews/advice and found your blog. So glad I did. I really only needed trip cancellation as my work insurance covers me for medical, but this World Nomads basic plan was includes medical and nice limits on trip cancellation. It was at least $50 less then the others I looked at ($120 for a 20 day trip) and far more comprehensive.

I’ll keep an eye on your blog, looks like I can learn a lot from you 🙂

Thank you for writing this useful tips. it might be help me in future.

I’m 62 years old and heading to a remote area of Ethiopia for a mission. It is not currently under any travel advisement from the Canadian gov’t, but I guess you know how things can go. What’s my best option for what might be considered a moderately dangerous trip at age 62?

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By Sarah Pritzker

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Kanetix Insurance review

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Kanetix is an online insurance marketplace which allows Canadians to search through a large database of insurance providers and compare their policies. Insurers partnered with Kanetix provide policies for car, home, travel, life, health, pet, and business insurance. With the ability to find multiple quotes instantly and compare them to one another, insurance-seekers should be able to get lower rates and more suitable policies than they would if they were to approach a single insurer directly.

What we like about Kanetix

• Free and easy insurance comparison tool
• Good user experience overall
• Access to 50+ insurance providers
• Special discounts available

The most conspicuous advantage of using Kanetix is that it gives you access to multiple insurance providers simultaneously. This is beneficial for a few reasons:

Time : Contacting insurers and getting quotes from them one by one is a very laborious and time-consuming process. The Kanetix platform makes it easy to compare rates instantly and directly in one place.

Money : The long process of comparing rates on your own can wear down your resolve to do thorough research, and make you more likely to settle for one of the first policies that you find—regardless of whether or not it’s the best deal on the market. Simultaneously comparing multiple offers allows you to spot the most cost-effective rate more easily. As a bonus, Kanetix is totally free for users (Kanetix makes their money from the insurers instead).

Access : Kanetix works with a large network of insurers, including 90% of Canada’s auto insurance providers. Partners include Allianz Global Assistance, Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, CAA Pet Health Insurance, Desjardins Insurance Programs and Equitable Life Insurance Company, to name a few. Matching your needs to a large pool of insurers increases the likelihood that you’ll avail of any potential discounts applicable to you.

The Kanetix platform also has helpful features like a renewal reminder, which automatically messages you when it’s time to renew your insurance policy. This gives you room to make comparisons and get better rates before renewing. You can also utilize Kanetix as an educational tool to help you save money, because it offers interesting blog articles about reducing your driving and insurance costs; an insightful knowledge base to guide you in finding the best car insurance; and helpful insurance tips scattered throughout the website.

What we don’t like about Kanetix

• Not a direct insurance provider
• No live chat
• Search functionality could be more expansive

The disadvantage of using a search platform to find insurance rather than going straight to the insurer is that you aren’t dealing with the insurer directly during your evaluation process. As a result, some of your more specific questions about the insurance policy might go unanswered, unless you contact the insurer directly. And although Kanetix has strong customer service, it won’t help you if you have any complaints after connecting with the insurance provider and signing up for the policy. Furthermore, you are limited to the insurance providers that Kanetix partners with. Any providers not within the network will not show up in the search results.

Kanetix also doesn’t have a live chat, although there is telephone support. This may not make a difference to some customers, especially considering the massive amount of information made available on the website, but if you like using live chat to get quick, direct answers to your questions, you might notice its absence . Kanetix could also enhance the user experience by adding advanced search functionality based on policy limits, deductibles, and additional coverage options.

Eligibility criteria

Kanetix itself has no specific eligibility restrictions, and its providers work with Canadian citizens of all stripes: visitors to Canada, seniors, teens, etc. That said, not all types of insurance are offered for all of Canada’s provinces and territories, and individual insurance partners might have their own specific eligibility requirements from one to the next.

Types of insurance offered

Kanetix’s partners offer the gamut of insurance policy options, from comprehensive auto and travel insurance to homeowner and pet insurance. Here’s a more detailed look at what is available via this network:

Auto insurance

• Standard car insurance
• Classic car insurance
• RV and travel trailer insurance
• Motorcycle insurance

Liability coverage is available for $1 million or $2 million, with deductibles ranging between $500-$1000. Coverage can include liability, accident benefits, and direct compensation property damage, as well as optional items like collision, comprehensive coverage, rental car, loss of use, and depreciation waiver.

You can learn more about different types of auto insurance coverage by reading our  complete guide to auto insurance in Canada .

Home insurance

• Regular home insurance for homeowners
• Tenant insurance for renters
• Condo insurance
• Title insurance

Homeowner’s insurance  from Kanetix partners can cover your home, the contents within it, additional living expenses, and liability for your family or someone who is injured on your property. Rates for this type of insurance can start as low as $15 a month.

Tenant insurance is coverage for those who rent their living space . It can cover damage to the policyholder’s possessions, liability costs, and living expenses in the event that the rental becomes uninhabitable. Condo insurance provides similar coverage for condo dwellers. Finally, Kanetix stands out for offering title insurance, a relatively obscure type of insurance that protects your ownership of your home.

Travel insurance

• Insurance for Canadians travelling to different provinces, to the US, or elsewhere internationally
• Insurance for visitors to Canada
• Insurance for international students studying in Canada
• Snowbird travel insurance
• Super Visa Visitors  to Canada insurance

Travel insurance  can include single or multi-trip emergency medical, cancellation or trip interruption, baggage loss, and delay coverage. To find out more coverage details like rates, maximum and minimum trip duration, and eligibility factors, you’ll need to complete the short Kanetix questionnaire to request a quote.

Life insurance

• Standard life insurance
• Critical illness insurance

Standard  life insurance  policies pay out in the event of your death within the term of the policy, while critical illness coverage pays out if you contract one of the critical illnesses listed in the policy fine print. Rates and eligibility requirements vary depending on the specific insurer.

Health insurance

Insurers in the Kanetix network offer dental and vision coverage, coverage for prescription drugs, and extra private health insurance to give you additional medical care that goes beyond Medicare.

Pet insurance

• Alternative treatments

Pet insurance from Kanetix partners is available to protect your furry friends from all eventualities, including regular accidents, health issues and diseases, dental work and alternative treatments such as behavioral therapy and medical devices.

Business insurance

• Commercial auto insurance to cover vehicles you use for work
• Commercial property insurance for damage to your office, warehouses, and work premises
• Commercial general liability insurance that covers you in case of accidents, injuries, or property damage during the course of your work
• Errors and omissions insurance to cover the cost of accusations of professional negligence or malpractice
• Oil and gas industry insurance

Recommended read:  Do you need small business insurance?

How to get a quote

Follow the below steps to obtain a quote from a Kanetix insurer:

1. Go to the Kanetix home page and select the type of insurance you’re interested in from the drop down menu. You’ll also need to enter where you live, and the relevant details about the type of item you are insuring. To get car insurance, for example, you’ll need to select your type of vehicle, tell Kanetix how you use your car, or how often you drive, and whether you have additional features like snow tires.

2. Next, pick the level of coverage you want. For example, for auto insurance, you can choose between minimum, standard, enhanced, or a customized policy.

3. If you choose to customize your coverage, you’ll select how much of a deductible you want for collision, the amount of liability coverage you need, and which additional coverage options you want to include in your policy.

4. Enter personal details like your name, gender, and date of birth. You’ll also need to provide information about your previous or existing insurance coverage, and for some types of insurance (e.g. auto) you may need to provide contact details like an email address and phone number.

Kanetix will then cross reference your information with the insurance providers in its network. This takes just a few seconds, and you are given a list of top results that are suitable for you.

Comparing insurers with Kanetix

The list of policies generated for you includes the insurers’ names, and breakdowns of both the monthly and annual premiums you’ll pay. You can run down the list of search results to see what your general quote average is, but there’s a much easier method of comparison:

Click on the yellow ‘Compare this rate’ button at the top of your results page.

Select two additional companies that you want to compare your lowest rate to and click the ‘See comparisons’ button below them.

Kanetix will put each of those choices in a chart side by side with the lowest rate it found (whose provider name is withheld), so you can see some background info about the different insurers and additional features that might be available for each policy.

You can select the policy of your choice by either calling Kanetix or scheduling a time for them to call you. During the call a Kanetix ambassador will confirm that you are the primary driver/registered owner of the vehicle you wish to insure, and will double check the quote details with you before connecting you to whichever insurance provider that you find most appealing. This conversation helps to ensure the accuracy of your quotes and your eligibility for the policies in question.

Filing claims with Kanetix

Because Kanetix is an insurance search platform, not a direct insurer, the claim process varies from one insurer in the Kanetix network to the next, and can also vary depending on the type of insurance policy in question. That said, below is the general claims procedure you can expect to follow:

• Get in touch with your insurance provider as soon as possible when you realize you need to file a claim. They will guide you through the process and tell you exactly what you need to do.
• Provide all of the documentation necessary for the claim to be processed. This may include a police report, appraisal, bills or receipts, and witness statements.
• Always keep a copy of your documentation for yourself.

Once the claim is submitted, you will be assigned an agent or adjuster to work with through the length of your case. This agent will help you get any additional information needed, make any adjustments, and represent you to third parties involved.

Ways to save extra money with Kanetix

There are several factors that affect the premiums you’ll pay for insurance. With auto insurance, for example, rates vary depending on where you live, how often and far you drive, and what type of car you drive. But there are a few strategies you can adopt to reduce your rates, and some Kanetix insurers also offers specific incentives that you can take advantage of as well. All of these discount opportunities are built in to the quote-finding process, so you’ll enter all your potential money-saving qualifications into the Kanetix quote-finding questionnaire, and the system will automatically search for providers that offer relevant discounts.

Increase your deductible

When you increase your deductible, your premium automatically goes down. That’s because you’re taking more of the financial responsibility upon yourself in the event that you file a claim and your insurance is required to pay. If you rarely or never submit claims, are a good driver, and/or are generally in good health, then increasing your deductible can be a good way to save on monthly premiums.

Roadside assistance

If you are signed up for roadside assistance, for example with CAA or through your credit card, you could qualify for a 15% discount on your insurance.

Policy bundling

You can save as much as 15-20% on your policy if you select home and auto insurance with the same provider.

Use-based program

A usage-based insurance program could land you a hefty 30% discount on your policy. Auto insurance providers that utilize this methodology for determining your insurance premium may measure the distance you drive, amount of time spent behind the wheel, average driving speed, etc.

Membership discounts

Kanetix partners also offer discounts for various organizational memberships. For example, if you are part of a student association, attend a certain university, work for specific employers, or are part of a professional organization or union, you might be eligible for a 30% discount.

Add safety features

Having certain safety features in place for the property you’re insuring can save you considerably. For example, putting winter tires on your vehicle can save 5% on auto insurance. Installing a home security alarm system can reduce your home insurance rates substantially.

Good driving record discount

Those without a history of at-fault road accidents and traffic violations can expect to pay lower premiums on auto insurance.

Vehicle type

Different vehicles come with varying levels of coverage and insurance premiums. For example, the most expensive cars to insure in Canada include the 2019 Ferrari 488 Spider, the 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport, and the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. If you’re in the market for a car and haven’t decided on a brand yet, opt for one of the low insurance premium cars like the 2010 Mazda B2300, 2013 Toyota Prius, or the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500.

Pay annually

Those who pay their premiums annually can expect a lower rate than those who opt to pay on a month-by-month basis.

Multi-trip discount

If you’re in the market for some travel insurance, consider purchasing plans that cover multiple journeys, which can ultimately help you pay less than you would if you were to pay for a separate policy for each trip.

Special Kanetix Gift Card

It’s not a policy discount, but if you sign up for the Kanetix email newsletter, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a $500 Amazon.ca e-gift card. The newsletter shares articles, news, and tips related to all types of insurance in Canada.

Customer service

Email : [email protected]

Phone : 1-888-854-2503

Mailing address: 360 Adelaide Street West, Suite 100 Toronto, Ontario M5V 1R7 Canada

Office Hours (Eastern time):

Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Saturday: 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Emails are typically answered within one business day (sooner if it’s during business hours). Kanetix has overwhelmingly positive customer feedback. It holds an A+ from the BBB, is TRUSTe certified, and has 4 out of 5 stars from Trustpilot.

Other Kanetix products

Though it’s best known as a platform for finding affordable insurance, Kanetix also offers a free mortgage search and comparison tool to help prospective homeowners find the best mortgage rates possible. You enter the value of the home you’re considering, the amortization period and mortgage amount you’re interested in, and the platform generates a list of potential lenders, interest rates, monthly payments, and other key terms of the mortgage. You can then enter your contact information to start the application process for the lender/rate you find most appealing.

Alternatives to Kanetix Insurance

InsuranceHotline.com  is owned by Kanetix, but its partner network is smaller, and it refers users exclusively to insurance brokers, not direct insurers. Accordingly, side-by-side testing of Kanetix and InsuranceHotline.com yielded different suggested policy results for identical search queries.

InsuranceHotline.com’s user experience is also a bit different than Kanetix. On InsuranceHotline.com the user typically submits their contact information and is then matched to an insurance broker. The user can opt to either contact the broker themselves directly, or have the broker contact them, with no further interaction with the InsuranceHotline.com platform or its reps. On Kanetix, after a user executes a search they will receive a phone call from Kanetix personnel before they are connected to an insurance rate provider ( click here to learn more about InsuranceHotline.com ).

LowestRates.ca  offers less types of insurance than Kanetix or InsuranceHotline.com, and although its platform operates in a similar manner, it seems to offer less options for finding potential policy discounts. For example, those seeking auto insurance are prompted to indicate if they are members of CAA, but are not given the option of indicating whether or not they have an alternative form of roadside assistance service (e.g. through a credit card). Tests of the auto insurance search platform yielded similar policy suggestions and prices to Kanetix and InsuranceHotline.com.

Why try Kanetix?

The fact that Kanetix works with such a large number of insurers is a major benefit to prospective policyholders; the wider the network of insurers, the more competitive a rate and tailored a policy an insurance aggregator can offer. This, combined with the platform’s very thorough checklist for getting policy discounts, make it worthwhile to at least try out the platform to see if it can save you some money.

Related articles

• Best travel insurance in Canada
• How to get life insurance quotes
• Compare the best car insurance quotes and companies

Sarah Pritzker has been writing for Money.ca since 2017, and loves learning about the latest trends in Canadian personal finance.

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