There are about 500,000 Canadians who during the harsh winters head South to the United States and Mexico. These Canadian snowbird typically come to the US states of Florida, Arizona, Texas, Hawaii and California, Mexico and the Caribbean islands. Given the high cost of US healthcare it is important to have the best travel insurance for Canadian seniors visiting USA.
There are many Canadians who travel to the US and elsewhere outside Canada regularly. These travelers can be businessmen or corporate travelers or those who live close to the US border and travel overseas often.
While there are many top rated travel health insurance plans for multiple trips worldwide, the Patriot Annual Multi trip insurance is an ideal plan for Canadian travelers. Every trip duration can be limited to either 30 days or 45 days with a medical coverage maximum of $1 million. Travelers up to the age of 76 years can buy this plan. The plan is renewable up to 3 years and also offers coverage for pre-existing conditions.
We all know of the very expensive health care system in the US. The cost of routine physician visit is very expensive in the US. The common ailments like Diabetes Mellitus with Hyperglycemia admitted to an emergency room would cost around $25,000.
Stroke resulting in ICU for about 10 days would cost $120,000, Heart attack treatment with medical bills for ambulance, hospital emergency room, ICU, EKG and MRI heart scans and continuing care from cardiologists would cost about $20,000, The average treatment cost of acute kidney failure in the USA was over $22,000 in 2018.
Should you fall ill or get injured, the out of pocket medical expenses can be financially crippling if you do not have sufficient Canadian health insurance in USA or travel health insurance to USA from Canada. Medical expenses can easily cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We asked this question often. Please note that the Canadian Government website clearly states that Canadian health insurance is not valid outside Canada and it is recommended to buy health insurance for Canadians in USA.
Yes, there are some health insurance for Canadian visitors to USA offered by INF. To find the best Canadian travel insurance for seniors or Canadian snowbird travel insurance, relevant information is at older traveler US health insurance for Canadian snowbirds plans.
The Travel insurance for Canadian seniors with pre existing medical conditions includes the medical maximum health insurance for Canadian seniors travelling to the USA available for their age in these Snowbird destinations. It is important to understand the different US health insurance for Canadian snowbirds and to make an informed decision while buying snowbird health insurance for Canadians traveling into US.
For Canadians who want to visit the US multiple times within a year, they can consider buying the Annual multi trip plan which will provide coverage for the whole year with a specific time period limit for each trip like 30, 45, 60... days depending on the plan. This option is cheaper than buying US health insurance for Canadian snowbirds for every single trip and is most suitable for people making multiple trips for business...
If an individual is a dual citizen with Canadian and US citizenship, then the person can buy insurance for visiting US from Canada by entering Canada as the home country and US as the country of citizenship in order to buy US travel insurance for his/her sojourn in the US.
Some important tips for Canadian snowbird:
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As a consequence of the Covid19 pandemic, the Canadian government had advised Canadians against non-essential travel outside the country. Despite the warning several snowbirds traveled to the South to the US during the winter months. However, to protect Canadians from the spread of the new Coronavirus Omicron and Delta variants, the Canadian government had placed strict rules for air travelers entering Canada and this includes Canadian Citizens (snowbirds).
In the month of Feb 2021 all air travelers arriving to Canada had to quarantine themselves for a total of 14 days and mandatory first 3 day stay at an airport hotel costing them up to $2,000 per person.
However effective August 9, 2021 the Canadian government has opened their borders for non-essential travel for US citizens and US permanent residents, presently residing in the US and are fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to arriving in Canada. The Omicron variant has again changed the dynamic for international travel. Please refer here for official Canadian government recommendations.
While staying in the US during the winter months is comfortable, Snowbirds should be prepared for all situations that may occur due to the sudden surge of Covid-19 variants. The financial risks of closed borders, cancellation of trips and being stranded in another country can be reduced by good travel insurance coverage.
In these unpredictable times a travel insurance plan will provide coverage for unexpected medical and travel emergencies or in an event where the trip needs to be cancelled or interrupted. Trip Cancellation insurance cover protects the health of the traveler and the cost of non-refundable trip expenses. It offers coverage for non-refundable trip expenses like hotel rooms, airline tickets lost or damaged, delayed or stolen luggage.
Greetings to all our neighbors up North! The COVID-19 pandemic has really changed the shape of travel for the time being.
I have recently gotten many calls from Canadians who have told me their Canadian seniors travel insurance is now voided since the Canadian government has now asked all Canadians to stay in Canada and avoid “non-essential” travel.
Many of our Canadian friends were already out of the country and enjoying warmer climes in the US and/ or have altered their travel plans.
If you have any doubts as to your Canadian health insurance in USA, we urge to check on
Yes. There are some insurance for Canadians visiting USA that cover COVID-19 like any other illness. Canadians can use our search engine to compare USA travel insurance with covid coverage for Canadians. They cannot be sick before the start of the policy for coverage to be valid (otherwise it will be considered pre-existing).
Note that some companies cannot sell policies health insurance for Canadian in US or to people with Canadian addresses. However, Global Underwriters, WorldTrips, Seven Corners, IMG and Trawick International, and INF are companies that can provide health insurance for Canadian in USA policies.
There are currently Six US insurance providers namely Trawick International, INF insurance, International Medical Group (IMG), Seven Corners, WorldTrips and Global Underwriters who offer US Covid travel insurance coverage for Snowbirds.
Trawick International offers visitor medical insurance for coronavirus (covid-19) with their Safe Travels USA Insurance. The Safe Travels USA Comprehensive plan is ideal as this insurance has coverage for pre-existing conditions. You can compare all Safe Travels USA Insurance plans compare all Safe Travels USA Insurance plans and buy it online to get coverage as early as the following day.
Diplomat America Insurance by Global Underwriters offers coverage for covid-19 as a new sickness. It is available as US health insurance for Canadian citizens. Diplomat Long term Insurance must be bought for a minimum of 3 months and has a plan maximum options of $500,000 and $1,000,000 for medical expenses.
Pre-existing ailments are however excluded, which means that travelers infected before the plan effective date, will be considered as a pre-existing medical condition and will not provide health insurance for Canadian visitors to USA coverage for that ailment.
INF Insurance offers visitors health insurance for coronavirus in the US, Canada and Mexico. INF insurance covers covid-19 as any other illness. One of their plans (Elite) has excellent coverage of pre-existing medical conditions beyond the usual coverage for "acute onset" of pre-existing conditions which is a unique offering.
You can compare their plans using this link and purchase the one you are interested in by choosing the "buy now" button for the appropriate plan: Please note that the Elite insurance and Premier insurance are cheaper per month if you purchase at least 90 days the first time you buy them. You can compare all available INF US visitor insurance.
Seven Corners Travel Medical Plus coronavirus travel insurance offers coverage for overseas medical expenses arising from Covid19 infection while the travellers are outside their home country. Liaison Student Plus coronavirus insurance offers covid19 medical coverage for international students in the US or outside their home country. It covers student medical expenses arising from Covid19 illness.
Seven Corners Wander Frequent Traveler Plus offers annual medical coverage for business travelers, corporate travelers, employees, employers or anyone taking multiple trips frequently. It covers international medical expenses arising from Covid19 infection. The Covid19 treatment benefit is available for COVID-19 (the disease); SARS-Cov-2 (the virus); and Any mutation or variation of SARS-Cov-2.
International Medical Group (IMG) offers US travel insurance for Canadian in US with Covid19 coverage. IMG's Patriot America Plus and Patriot Platinum insurance plans cover COVID-19 like any other illness. The Patriot America Plus Covid Insurance and Patriot America Platinum coronavirus insurance include COVID coverage for Canadian snowbird travelers up to the policy maximum.
As ever, we wish you safe and happy travels. Do call us with questions or concerns you may have.
Mexico is a very attractive destination for Canadian snowbirds. The warm weather, beautiful sandy beaches, comparatively affordable cost of living and good access to travel back home to Canada makes Mexico very popular with Canadian Snowbirds.
Mexico is a beautiful vibrant country with a great cuisine and cultural diversity. The country is also home to many historic and cultural attractions. The Yucatan peninsula with some amazing Mayan ruins is very popular. While all of this is attractive, older Canadians should be aware of the need for good Snowbird travel insurance for Mexico to shield them from unanticipated health emergencies.
The popular Snowbird travel health insurance plans that provide coverage for Canadians traveling to Mexico are:
The travel health insurance for Canadian citizens above cover medical emergencies and unexpected sickness and injury. They however have little coverage for trip interruption, baggage delay and loss.
To bridge that gap we also have trip cancellation insurance plans which provide trip cancellation, trip interruption, missed flight connection coverage...
Popular Trip Insurance plans for Canadians going to Mexico are :Snowbird Annual travel insurance offers travel insurance with Coronavirus coverage for Canadians taking frequent trips. The following are the top yearly Covid19 travel insurance
These are certainly uncertain times for international travelers with corporate travel being particularly vulnerable to the Covid pandemic, the war and labor shortages in airlines and airports in Europe and the Geo-political tension in Taiwan. Even though international travelers are allowed to the US without any restriction the risks of the Covid pandemic still remain. In this context it is still very important to buy the best annual travel insurance with Covid coverage. If you are an international traveler without health insurance or if it will run out soon, do consider buying an alternative annual travel insurance with coronavirus coverage. At American Visitor Insurance we are committed to getting you the most appropriate international travel insurance covid policy you need even under these difficult circumstances.
The United States of America attracts hundreds of thousands of Canadian snowbirds each year .Canadian Snowbirds are travelers who migrate to the US during winter from northern parts of North America to warmer southern locations. These snowbirds travel south, mainly to warmer regions in the United States like Florida, Arizona, California and Texas.
They spend their winter months in the US and return back to Canada after winter. Snowbirds traditionally are retirees who wish to escape the snow and cold weather in winter, however want to maintain bonds with family and friends by staying in Canada for the rest of the year. The lifestyle of Snowbird is evolving and there is an increase in snowbirds amongst all age groups and some business men too.
In recent years, younger groups with jobs often migrate southward and business men also have their second home in warmer locations. The report from Statistics Canada confirms that there are at least 375,000 Snowbirds who go to the United States and Mexico each year. The travel pattern holds true for many Canadian snowbirds travelling back and forth multiple times during the winter.
Along with Snowbirds many Canadians travel between the US and Canada in search of goods and deals across the border for most goods mainly alcohol and gasoline. The US also welcomes the cross border shopping by Canadians and it’s quite popular even before online shopping.
90% of Canada’s population lives within 100 miles of the US border making it is very easier for people to just hoping to the car for cross border shopping. According to October 2018 “Cross-Border E-Commerce Shopper Survey” 53% of cross-border buyers in Canada obtained goods from the US.
Travelling back and forth multiple times as snowbirds and travelling for cross border shopping one must be cautious; travelers must keep in mind the medical emergencies that might arise while traveling. The healthcare system in the US is expensive, in particular its healthcare system which in case of an injury or illness can cause huge financial loss.
Travel insurance will cover you for all unforeseen medical emergencies that may occur during travel to the US. Purchasing travel insurance is very important for a stress free travel. You can view insurance quotes from some of the best US insurance providers and make the best choice according to your requirements. For any assistance you can call our customer service or email us and we will be glad to help you.
Due to the outbreak of coronavirus the US had banned all entries for both air and land travelers. On August 9th 2021, Canada lifted its travel ban to US visitors who were fully vaccinated for non-essential travel. However the US had not eased the restrictions for travelers from Canada.
This has now come to a closure where the White House has announced that effective November 2021, the travel restrictions would be lifted for fully vaccinated visitors from land borders and ferry crossings with Canada and Mexico. There would be travel requirements for visitors which are yet to be decided. Non-vaccinated travelers will be still restricted from entering the country.
Get quote »Given the cost of an international trip, often an annual vacation or sometimes even a once in a lifetime travel experience, these vacation trips can be quite expensive. A planned vacation by Canadians can involve expensive airline tickets, hotel reservations and cruise bookings, much of these done well in advance of the actual vacation. Given the current Covid pandemic, the hectic nature of our work and lifestyles, one cannot be certain that our planned travel plans will not need last minute changes.
A serious medical situation of an immediate family member or even work related pressures can force a change in travel plans. It is here that Trip protection or trip cancellation insurance for Canadian snowbirds can make all the difference. Even if the trip starts on schedule, there can be unplanned adverse situations such as lost baggage, delay in flights resulting in missed hotel or cruise bookings or even a medical ailment during the trip.
Get quote »YES! Canadians CAN purchase US travel insurance policies from us to cover the remainder of their stay (as long as they like). The travel insurance plans that cover COVID have been written not to exclude coverage based on these levels issued by any government authorities.
Note that the policies are generally renewable, so if plans change (as they so often do these days), the policies can be extended (minimum of 5 days and up to 12 months). Policies are available up to $100,000 for persons in their 70s and up to $50,000 for persons in their 80s. You can use our search engine to determine the best prices for you based on age and deductible you'd like.
The deductible on a comprehensive policy is generally a one-time payment if there are any medical expenses (doctor visit, ER visit, medications, etc). A higher deductible will give a lower premium cost, so it is a balance of what you feel you can pay out in the unlikely event you will need medical attention, and how much the policy costs you per month and day.
When you purchase the policy, you will enter your Canadian address as your "home" or "residence" address regardless of whether you own a home in the US or not. The "residence" country and the "destination" country CANNOT be the same. Then, you can choose the start date (even if it says trip start date) as the first day you need the policy. And, even though you choose an "Trip end date" you can always extend most policies without issue (just do not wait until they have expired).
Unfortunately, insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions is very limited on most US visitor policies for foreign visitors. Some policies will cover "acute onset" of pre-existing conditions which should mean life-threatening emergencies due to pre-existing conditions, but they have all recently excluded chronic and congenital disorders from that coverage. As a non-medical person, I'm not sure what illnesses/disorders that leaves that WOULD be covered. The Safe Travels Elite (a fixed plan) and Safe Travels Comprehensive offers some coverage $25,000 or $15,000 for a cardiac issue. The INF Elite and INF Premier travel insurance plans provide coverage for pre-existing conditions up to the limit for pre-ex ailments as indicated in the plan details.
While there will always be some risk involved while traveling and staying in the US, travelers do have travel insurance options for visiting the US. Compare US travel insurance for Canada and buy the plan that best fits your needs.
As ever, we wish you safe and happy travels!
Travel insurance with coverage for Quarantine in case of Covid19 infection.
INF offers visitors from Canada excellent travel medical insurance in the United States which includes adequate coverage for dental, loss of checked luggage, medical emergencies and accidents incurred while traveling. This works ideally for Canadian Snowbirds during their travel to the USA. Following are the best US travel insurance for Canadian Snowbirds.Travel insurance to USA from Canada can be bought online at American Visitor Insurance with ease and the policy documents will be emailed instantly. International travel medical insurance for Canada provides coverage for unexpected medical emergencies during the travel period.
The best travel medical insurance Canada is particularly important given the Covid19 pandemic and the spread of the Delta and Omicron variants across the globe.
American visitor insurance offers customers with some of the best US travel insurance options which can be compared to find the most appropriate product for one’s needs. For more details travelers can call the customer service or email and the team will be glad to help.
A standard US travel insurance plan offers protection for all unexpected travel and medical illness or injury during the trip. Trip cancellation insurance provides coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions, medical emergencies, trip cancellation, trip interruption, delays and medical evacuation, lost -damaged, or stolen of the luggage.
Yes, travelers can buy travel insurance if the traveler has already started a trip. However travelers should keep in mind that the cover is provided for any illness or injury that occurs after the inception of the policy.
The sole purpose of Snowbird travel medical insurance is to cover your medical expenses (and some related travel costs) if you suffer an illness or injury while outside Canada that requires immediate medical attention and can not wait until you are able to return to Canada.
Yes. Snowbird Visitors and tourists can all buy travel health insurance in the US. We recommend the travel insurance for Canadian snowbird visitors to be purchased from the day they leave their home country until they return, however, most companies allow you to purchase it even after the traveler has already started their journey.
Snowbird travel medical insurance is for unexpected medical expenses while on your trip. Many travel insurance for Canadian Snowbirds also cover baggage loss/ delay, trip delays, and have other benefits to help travelers with unexpected problems (loss of documents, etc). Since they are meant to be used in an emergency, you can use any doctor/hospital. In a non-emergency situation, you should consult your documentation and try to stay in-network (if applicable) while in the US since this will likely help defray your out-of-pocket cost.
Often health insurance from a home country will not cover Snowbirds while they are traveling in a different country. If they are in a country with high medical costs such as the US, they should consider purchasing international travel insurance in case they should need any medical care. The travel health insurance for Canadian Snowbird tourists will help defray costs and also often has many travel benefits (trip delay, trip interruption, baggage loss) that will also assist a traveler in getting back on track with their trip.
The maximum of the health insurance for Snowbird travelers will depend on where they are going. For example, if they are headed to Europe or the Philippines, $50,000 may be enough for your trip. If they are going to the US, you may opt for a much higher maximum ($500,0000 or $1 million) if possible due to the higher potential cost of care in those countries.
Snowbird Tourists can use Urgent Care clinics, make appointments at a doctor's office or go the the hospital, if needed. However, they will have to pay out-of-pocket for any and all medical care they receive. This is why we recommend getting a travel or US tourist health insurance for Snowbirds for the duration of their stay.
Snowbird travel insurance coronavirus claims process for hospitalisation.
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