Snowbird travel insurance resources
Choose international travel insurance resources for travel outside your home country.
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 Snowbird Travel Insurance for Canadians seniors visiting USA.
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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 are 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 Snowbirds Travel 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 visiting usa 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 citizens 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.
Compare and Buy Best US Single trip travel Insurance for travel within the US and overseas
Know more »Compare Single trip vs multi trip insurance plans offered by US insurers.
Know more »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 MexicoGiven 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 »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 »YES! Canadians CAN purchase US travel insurance policies from American Visitor Insurance to cover the remainder of their stay (as long as they like).
Note that our 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 travel insurance USA 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 US travel insurance 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 Elite insurance, Elite Plus insurance, Elite 90 insurance,Premier Plus insurance and Premier insurance are cheaper per month if you purchase at least 90 days the first time you buy them.
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!
Compare and buy best Canada cruise travel insurance.
Here are some travel insurance tips for travelers with pre-existing conditions
The travel health insurance plans which cover pre-existing conditions have clear definitions of what is a pre-existing condition, the look back period for pre-existing condition, whether the travel insurance coverage is limited to acute onset of pre-existing conditions, and if it provides full coverage for pre-existing conditions the coverage limit within the policy for pre-existing conditons. Any travel health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions will depend on all these.
Unfortunately, this simple question has a fairly complicated answer. The answer is: it depends. Firstly, it depends on whether you are a US resident traveling outside the US or a visitor to the US. US residents can purchase trip cancellation insurance that can cover pre-existing conditions and even plans that are travel medical only without cancellation often are more generous in their coverage of pre-existing conditions. These plans may have specific requirements in order to waive the usual exclusion of coverage for pre-existing conditions (like purchase them within a certain number of days of your initial trip deposit or that you have a primary domestic insurance plan in the US), so you should check these details carefully if this is important to you.
Non-US residents or US residents traveling into the US have much more limited options to insure their pre-existing conditions are covered. Some plans offer coverage for "acute onset" of pre-existing conditions. However, this is misleading, since a careful look at their definition excludes chronic or congenital disorders from such coverage. Chronic illnesses are those that worsen over time and congenital disorders are issues one is born with. They exclude emergencies due to chronic illness because they will say that is not "acute" it is simply a worsening of your condition. There are only two policies we know of that offer coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. They are INF Premier and INF Elite plans.
Firstly, they define pre-existing conditions in the following way: A pre-existing condition is a condition for which the insured received treatment or took medication for in the previous 12 months before the start of the policy. If the medication dosage has not changed and is taken as a maintenance medication, this would NOT count as a flare up or treatment of the condition. In that case, very stable conditions that have no flare ups in the past 12 months are not even excluded as pre-existing conditions. Conditions that have had flare ups or doctor recommended treatment or change in medication, are still covered by the plans but with a higher deductible and a lower maximum.
INF Elite (also INF Elite 90) are comprehensive plans offering fairly complete coverage. INF Premier is a fixed plan. Find details on these plans here.
The above plans must be purchased for at least 90 days and can be quite pricey for seniors, but they offer the only real coverage for chronic conditions.
The other option, of course, is to take a plans with little ($1K) or no coverage for pre-existing conditions and take a risk that that condition will not flare up during the trip.
Acute onset of a pre-existing condition can be defined as the sudden & unexpected occurrence of a pre-existing condition which requires in-patient, emergency hospitalization within 24 hours of exhibiting first symptoms. The main difference between acute onset & full pre-existing is that with Full Pre-Existing coverage, is that one is covered for all pre-existing conditions and associated medical costs and this includes follow up visits, hospitalizations and doctor’s visits, etc. The acute onset coverage will only cover the in-patient hospitalization expense.
The list of covered services under Visitors insurance full pre-existing conditions coverage can be found on the American Visitor Insurance website of the INF Premier, INF Premier Plus, INF Elite, INF Elite Plus and INF Elite 90 Plan pages. INF plans are open to green card holders
During winter, many Canadians, particularly senior citizens travel to southern countries where the weather is warmer and more pleasant. These Canadian travelers are commonly known as Snowbirds.
Since domestic health insurance in Canada does not offer coverage outside Canada’s border, buying proper overseas travel insurance from Canada is recommended by the Canadian government authorities. Healthcare expenses in the US and Europe is very high and it is risky to be uninsured while traveling in those countries. Know more »
Provides coverage for multiple trips within a specified period, typically one year.
Click here to read more »Travel insurance designed for older individuals, often referred to as "snowbirds".
Click here to read more »Provides coverage for individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, particularly for "snowbirds".
Click here to read more »Snowbird travel insurance provides emergency healthcare coverage for seniors leaving Canada for long periods of time. Canadian provincial health insurance provides very limited coverage for medical emergencies out of country, including in the U.S. There are several Snowbird travel insurance options available and many can provide excellent health insurance however mainly with the exclusion of preventive care and cost of any ongoing medical care.
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 health insurance for Canadian snowbirds.
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.
Snowbirds must be physically present in Canada for at least 183 days in a 12-month period. It is however important for Snowbirds to consult a qualified immigration or legal professional to understand the full requirements.
Canadian Snowbirds can stay outside Canada for up to six months at a time without losing their status as a Canadian resident. It is however important to have good travel medical insurance while outside Canada since your Canadian health insurance will not be available outside the country. This is particularly true for travel to the United States where the cost of healthcare is very expensive.
Yes, you can get snowbird travel insurance if you have a pre-existing medical condition, the coverage for the pre-existing condition will depend on the specific condition and the insurance plan and provider. Some insurance providers offer coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, others offer coverage only for acute onset of pre-existing conditions, while some others may have exclusions or limitations on coverage related to pre-existing conditions.
Choose international travel insurance resources for travel outside your home country.
Important factors to consider while deciding on the best travel insurance.
Understanding different US travel insurance options, fixed benefits vs comprehensive coverage.
Travel medical insurance online claims process for getting medical care in a hospital.
Travel medical insurance for visiting Canada.
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Know more »Compare quotes online for best insurance.
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Know more »Covid19 travel restrictions for travel to Canada.
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