Travel insurance is the part of a trip nobody wants to think about and almost everyone gets a little wrong. It feels like an upsell until the one time it is the most important purchase you made all year. My goal here is not to sell you a policy — it is to explain, in plain language, what travel insurance actually does for a Canadian traveller, the types that exist, the traps that get claims denied, and how it is different from the consumer protection you already get when you book through a Quebec agent.
One honest note before we start: I am a travel advisor, not your insurer, and this is general information, not insurance advice. Every policy is different, the details live in your certificate of insurance, and the only person who can confirm exactly what you are covered for is the insurer. What I can do is make sure you understand the landscape and have the right coverage in place before you go — and point you to the official sources for the parts that must be exact.
Why it matters more than people think — the RAMQ reality
The dangerous myth is that your Quebec health card covers you abroad. It barely does. According to the Government of Canada, your provincial or territorial health plan may cover none, or only a small part, of your medical costs outside the country — and it will never pay a foreign hospital up front, nor will the Government of Canada pay your bills. Ottawa's advice is blunt: buy travel health and trip-interruption insurance before you leave, even for a single day in the United States.
The numbers make it concrete. Quebec's RAMQ reimburses only about CA$50 per day for outpatient hospital care and a maximum of about CA$100 per day for a hospitalization received outside Canada, and only for care due to a sudden illness or accident. Ambulance transport is not covered, and physicians' fees are reimbursed only up to the Quebec rate. Set that against reality: a few days in a U.S. hospital after something like a heart attack can run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars — and RAMQ would send back a few hundred. That gap is exactly what travel medical insurance exists to close, and why foreign hospitals can demand payment up front or, in some countries, refuse to treat you without proof of coverage.
The types of travel insurance, decoded
'Travel insurance' is really a bundle of separate coverages, and you do not always need all of them. Here is what each one actually does.
- Emergency medical: pays for hospital, doctors, prescriptions and — critically — medical evacuation or repatriation if you must be flown home. This is the non-negotiable one.
- Trip cancellation: reimburses your prepaid, non-refundable costs if you have to cancel before departure for a covered reason (illness, a death in the family, certain emergencies).
- Trip interruption: covers extra costs and unused portions if a covered event cuts your trip short or delays your return.
- Baggage and personal effects: helps with lost, stolen or delayed luggage, within limits.
- Flight and travel delay: covers meals and accommodation when a covered delay strands you.
- All-inclusive / package plans: bundle the above; often the simplest choice. Annual multi-trip plans cover many trips in a year and suit frequent travellers.
Emergency medical is the one you never skip
If you buy nothing else, buy emergency medical, and look closely at two things: the coverage limit (you want a high one — medical evacuation alone can cost a fortune) and whether medical evacuation and repatriation are included. Cancellation coverage protects your money; medical coverage protects your life and your savings. For most travellers I treat medical as mandatory and cancellation as strongly recommended whenever there are significant non-refundable costs at stake.
Pre-existing conditions and the stability clause — the #1 reason claims are denied
This is the single most important thing to get right, and where well-meaning travellers get caught. Most medical policies only cover a pre-existing condition if it has been 'stable' for a defined period before departure — often meaning no changes to your condition, medication or treatment for, say, the preceding three to six months (the exact window varies by policy and age). Many policies ask you to complete a medical questionnaire, and answering it inaccurately — even by accident — can void a claim when you need it most.
The rule of thumb is simple: declare everything honestly, read the stability clause for your policy, and if anything is unclear, call the insurer before you travel, not after. A recent change in medication or a new diagnosis can affect your coverage, so it is worth a five-minute phone call. This is general guidance, not a ruling on your situation — your insurer is the only one who can confirm how a clause applies to you.
What about my credit card coverage?
Many premium credit cards include some travel insurance, and it can be genuinely useful — but it is rarely the whole answer, and the limits are where people get surprised. Card coverage commonly comes with caps that matter: age limits (coverage often shrinks or ends at a certain age), trip-length limits (a card might cover only the first number of days of a trip), specific coverage amounts, and a requirement that you charged the trip to that card. The details are in the card's certificate of insurance, not the marketing.
The practical move is to read your card's certificate before you rely on it, and treat it as a possible base layer rather than a guarantee. Older travellers and anyone taking a longer trip frequently need a top-up or a standalone policy to reach adequate coverage. I am happy to help you figure out whether your card is enough or whether you need more — but the certificate, and the insurer, have the final word.
Some destinations require it
Travel medical insurance is not always optional — for some destinations it is a condition of entry. Cuba, a perennial favourite for Quebec travellers, requires proof of travel medical insurance to enter, and other countries have their own rules. Beyond hard requirements, hurricane season in the Caribbean and Mexico (June through November) is exactly when comprehensive coverage stops being a nice-to-have. I confirm any insurance entry requirement for your specific destination as part of planning your trip.
FICAV is not travel insurance — and you get it automatically with a Quebec agent
Here is a distinction that confuses almost everyone, and it matters. Quebec runs a consumer-protection fund called FICAV — the Fonds d'indemnisation des clients des agents de voyages, administered by the Office de la protection du consommateur. It is funded by a small contribution on travel services bought through a licensed Quebec travel agency, and it protects the money you paid if you do not receive the tourism services you were promised — for example, if a supplier fails or an event like a major storm disrupts your trip. It can even reimburse meal and accommodation costs you had to cover when services were not provided, up to about CA$241 per day, per person.
But FICAV is not health or cancellation insurance. It does not pay your hospital bill abroad, it does not cover you changing your mind, and it does not compensate dissatisfaction or 'loss of enjoyment.' Just as importantly, it only applies when you book through an agency holding a Quebec OPC permit — book direct on an airline, hotel or foreign website and you are not covered by it at all. So the two work as layers: travel insurance covers your health, your cancellations and your belongings, while FICAV protects the dollars you paid for the trip itself. Booking with me means your trip is automatically FICAV-protected — and then I make sure you also have the travel insurance FICAV was never meant to replace.
When to buy it
Timing matters, mostly because of cancellation coverage. Emergency medical can be added any time before you depart, but trip-cancellation coverage only protects you from the moment you buy it — so to cover your deposits and protect against something coming up before the trip, you generally buy it at or very soon after you book. Buying early can also matter for how pre-existing conditions are assessed on some plans. The short version: lock in cancellation coverage early, and never leave the country without medical coverage in force.
How to make a claim — and not get it denied
- Declare your health accurately and read the stability clause before you buy — honest answers are your best protection.
- Keep your policy number and the insurer's 24/7 emergency assistance line with you, and call it before treatment whenever you safely can.
- Save everything: receipts, medical records, police or airline reports, and proof of any delay or cancellation.
- Know your exclusions — high-risk activities, alcohol-related incidents and undeclared conditions are common gaps.
- Submit your claim promptly and keep copies of everything you send.
Common mistakes I help travellers avoid
- Assuming RAMQ or another provincial plan will cover a medical emergency abroad — it covers a small fraction.
- Relying on a credit card without reading its age, trip-length and amount limits.
- Skipping or under-insuring on the medical side to save a little, then facing a catastrophic bill.
- Buying cancellation coverage too late to protect deposits, or not declaring a pre-existing condition.
- Confusing FICAV protection with travel insurance — or having neither because they booked direct online.
How I help
Insurance is a place where a good advisor quietly protects you. I am not your insurer and I will never tell you a claim is guaranteed — but I make sure you have the right types of coverage in place for your trip, explain the policy in plain language, flag any destination that requires insurance to enter, and ensure your trip is FICAV-protected by being booked through my OPC-licensed agency. For the exact terms, you and I both defer to the certificate and the insurer, where the real answers live.
The cost of a good policy is small against the price of one bad day abroad. I would rather you never use it — but never travel without it.
Frequently asked questions
Does RAMQ cover me if I get sick or injured abroad?
Only minimally. RAMQ reimburses roughly CA$50 a day for outpatient hospital care and up to about CA$100 a day for hospitalization outside Canada, for sudden illness or accident only, with no ambulance coverage and physician fees capped at Quebec rates. Against foreign hospital bills, that is a tiny fraction — which is why the Government of Canada recommends travel health insurance for every trip abroad.
Do I really need insurance for a quick trip to the U.S.?
Yes. U.S. healthcare is among the most expensive in the world, and the Government of Canada specifically recommends insurance even for a single day across the border. A short trip does not mean a small bill if something goes wrong.
Isn't my credit card coverage enough?
Sometimes it is a useful base, but card coverage often has age limits, trip-length limits and capped amounts, and usually requires you to charge the trip to that card. Read the card's certificate of insurance, and expect that older travellers or longer trips frequently need a top-up or standalone policy.
Does travel insurance cover trip cancellation?
It can, if you buy cancellation coverage — but it only protects you from the moment of purchase and only for covered reasons. That is why you generally buy it at or soon after booking, to protect your deposits. Medical and cancellation are separate coverages; many package plans include both.
Is FICAV the same as travel insurance?
No. FICAV is Quebec's compensation fund that protects the money you paid to a licensed Quebec agency if you do not receive the services you were promised — not a health or cancellation policy. It applies only when you book through an OPC-permit agency, and it works alongside, not instead of, the travel insurance you still need.
Want to make sure you are properly covered before your next trip? When we plan it together, I will flag exactly what coverage you should have, confirm any destination that requires insurance to enter, and make sure your trip is FICAV-protected. Request a free quote below, or call me directly and we will get it right.