International Student and Canadian Student Travel Insurance
International Student Plans - For Full Time Students Coming to Canada
Being a student can be fun, but not when you're sick and not when you're broke, and especially not when you're broke because you're sick! Some travel insurance companies offer student plans that are specifically tailored for international and Canadian students.
For those arriving in Canada to study, having a basic level of health insurance is wise planning. You never know what is going to happen. While visitors to Canada insurance is one option, the better bet is a student specific plan.
As an example, let's make a rough comparison between a 365-day visitor to Canada plan and a one-year student plan for a student on a one-year exchange program. It's possible that your school (university, college, technical school, etc.) will have a plan already available for you. Of course, it is always best to compare coverage and see if that plan is better than one of the plans we can provide. In most cases, it is better to have a plan from a Canadian insurance company because Canadian medical providers (hospitals, dentists, medical clinics, etc.) prefer dealing with them and your claims procedure will probably go more smoothly.
Visitors to Canada Plan: age 26, 365 days, zero dollar deductible :
$150,000 maximum benefit plans start at $1149.75. Coverage will vary from company to company. So for example the most expensive emergency medical plan can include coverage for pre-existing conditions, while some others do not. In general, coverage offered by these plans may include: expenses related to accidental injury or medical emergency: hospitalization, medical services, dental, prescription drugs, ambulance (sometimes including air transportation back to your country of origin for medical attention), death, family to bedside, out-of-pocket expenses and/or accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
International Student Plan: age 26, 365 days, zero dollar deductible:
RSA: $2 million maximum benefit — which includes approximately the same benefits as their visitors to Canada plan* only slightly higher and more inclusive dental benefits, and higher benefits for possible cremation expenses, additional psychiatric and trauma counselling, maternity and corrective device benefits; but no emergency air transportation to your country of origin for medical attention, only to your province of residence in Canada.
Premium $810.30, $1631 lower than their Visitors to Canada policy.
Manulife: $1 million maximum benefit — which includes approximately same benefits as their visitors to Canada plan*, only more inclusive dental benefits, and higher benefits for possible cremation expenses, additional psychiatric and trauma counselling, return of tuition and accidental death coverage.
Premium $985.50, $903.92 lower than their Visitors to Canada policy.
Allianz: $2 million maximum benefit — which includes approximately the same benefits as their visitors to Canada plan* only higher dental and return of remains/cremation benefits, and additional maternity and eye exam benefits.
Premium $485, $871 lower than their Visitors to Canada policy.
They also have an Enhanced plan for $807 that will increase maternity benefits, add psychologist and psychiatric care benefits, and allow some pre-existing conditions to be covered.
TuGo: $2 million maximum benefit — which includes approximately the same benefits as their visitors to Canada plan*, only higher and more inclusive dental, higher cremation/burial benefits, additional psychiatric and trauma counselling, annual medical exam, and accidental death and dismemberment coverage.
Premium $759.20, $1117.08 lower than their Visitors to Canada policy.
* 'approximately' is used in good faith, of course the policy wording may vary from plan to plan, read policy for details.
Clearly, international student plans provide higher coverage (not necessarily in every benefit category and exclusions may also vary from plan to plan), on average than visitors to Canada plans, for less than half the cost. Get a quote to see how a plan fits with your foreign study plans in Canada.
Canadian Students
For Canadian students travelling abroad (or out of their home province) to study, it's smart to have a basic level of travel health insurance to supplement any other available coverage. For all Canadians, purchasing a travel insurance policy from a Canadian provider requires that the insured person(s) is covered under their provincial health care provider. The alternative is to purchase an expatriate plan (for travel outside Canada) which offers less coverage at a higher monthly premium. Fortunately for Canadian students studying full-time, some travel insurance polices are specially designed and priced for students.
Usually, the main concern with travelling outside the country is the high medical costs that can be incurred, when provincial health coverage is very limited for out of country expenses. For travel outside your home province, travel insurance is less of a priority, but many Canadians still choose to obtain travel insurance while in Canada because it helps protect against the inconvenient (and potentially expensive) gaps between provincial health providers and because travel insurance provides other valuable benefits that your provincial health provider will not such as:
- emergency paramedical service including chiropractor, osteopath, physiotherapist, or podiatrist;
- emergency dental treatment;
- expenses to bring someone to your bedside;
- expenses for meals, hotel, phone calls, taxi or incidental hospital expenses;
- emergency evacuation, local & air ambulance and expenses to bring you home;
- expenses to bring your vehicle home;
- expenses for medical appliance rental;
- expenses to bring your children or travel companion home;
- expenses related to your death.
The specially designed student plans (for full-time students) supplement the above benefits (which also include emergency medical travel insurance) by adding coverage like 'return of tuition' or 'psychiatric & trauma counselling' and special allowances for returning home or travelling during semester breaks.
Of course, coverage varies between providers, so get a quote and read the policy details to determine which plan fits the best with your travel plans. If you have questions, please call us toll-free at 1-888-888-0150. Canadian students can get a quote by entering “Canadian Travellers” and “Canadian Students” in the quote request form above (top left).