Emergency hospital and medical coverage while you are away from home, so a surprise illness or accident abroad does not turn into a financial disaster. Independent, LLQP-licensed guidance across 20+ top Canadian carriers.
One medical emergency abroad can cost more than the trip itself. Travel medical insurance covers emergency hospital and medical bills while you are away. At Glenn Stewart Insurance, we have helped Kitchener-Waterloo snowbirds, families, and visitors travel with peace of mind for over 30 years. As an independent insurance broker in Kitchener, we compare 20+ top Canadian carriers to find the right plan for your trip and your health.
Your Ontario health plan (OHIP) covers very little outside the province, and almost nothing outside Canada. If you have a heart attack in Florida, break a leg in Mexico, or need an ambulance in Europe, you could be facing bills of tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, paid out of pocket. A single hospital stay in the United States can run well over $10,000 per day. Travel medical insurance covers those emergency costs. It is the one thing you should never leave home without.
A good emergency travel medical plan covers the costs that come with an unexpected illness or injury while you are away, including:
It is emergency coverage, designed for sudden, unexpected medical events, not routine or planned care. We make sure you understand exactly what your plan includes before you travel.
Travel medical insurance suits several kinds of Kitchener-Waterloo travellers:
Whatever your trip looks like, there is a plan that fits, and matching it correctly is where an independent broker earns their keep.
Cover one specific trip for a set number of days. Best if you take one or two trips a year.
Cover an unlimited number of trips over a year, each up to a maximum length (for example, 15, 30, or 60 days per trip). If you cross the border several times a year, an annual plan is usually cheaper and far more convenient than buying coverage each time.
We help you run the numbers so you are not overpaying for coverage you will not use, or underinsured on a longer trip.
This is the single most important thing to get right, and where many travellers get caught. Most travel medical plans cover pre-existing conditions only if they have been stable for a defined period before your trip, commonly 90 or 180 days. Stable generally means no new symptoms, no new treatment, no medication changes, and no worsening.
If a condition is not stable within the required window, a related claim can be denied. This is exactly why buying from a broker who asks the right health questions matters. We match you to a carrier and a stability period that fit your health honestly, so your coverage actually holds up if you need to use it.
Premiums depend on your age, the length of the trip, the coverage amount, your health and any pre-existing conditions, and whether you choose single-trip or annual coverage. A healthy traveller in their 40s might pay a few dollars a day for a short trip, while a snowbird in their 70s spending the winter down south will pay more, based on age and trip length.
Rather than quote misleading averages, we price your specific trip across 20+ carriers, since rates for the same coverage can vary widely by insurer and by how they treat your health profile. You get the real number for your real trip, and the best available rate.
You pay nothing for our service. Carriers pay us commission, and it is the same whether you buy through us or direct.
Barely. OHIP covers little to nothing outside Canada, and only limited amounts in other provinces. You need travel medical insurance for any trip outside Ontario, and especially outside the country.
Before you leave, ideally when you book your trip. Coverage must be in place before you depart, and buying early also lets us line up the right pre-existing-condition stability window.
Usually yes, as long as the condition has been stable for the required period. Different carriers use different stability windows, and as an independent broker we know which ones fit your situation best.
Travel medical covers emergency medical costs while you are away. Trip cancellation covers your non-refundable trip costs if you have to cancel or cut a trip short. Many travellers buy both, and we can bundle them.
Yes. Visitor to Canada medical insurance covers guests who are not eligible for OHIP, including visiting parents and grandparents. It is one of the most common calls we get.
Annual multi-trip plans cover unlimited trips, but each trip is capped at a maximum length. If you are a snowbird spending several months away, we make sure your plan covers the full duration, sometimes with a top-up.
Contact the insurer’s emergency assistance line right away (it operates 24/7). They coordinate care, approve treatment, and handle billing directly with the hospital where possible. We walk you through exactly how it works before you go.
Take 2 minutes to request your free travel medical quote. Tell us where you are going and for how long, and Glenn will match you to the right plan across 20+ carriers, usually within 24 hours.
