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Travel and Out-of-Province Medical Coverage

What your provincial or territorial health plan pays for emergency care away from home, and how to tell whether you need the travel medical insurance you're offered.

By Nate Sorensen Reviewed for accuracyUpdated Nov 20269 min read
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You're booking a trip, and there's a box at the checkout offering travel medical insurance for an extra fee. If you're leaving Canada with no travel medical coverage at all, you could end up paying most of an emergency yourself. Your provincial or territorial health plan pays only a set amount toward care abroad, and a hospital stay outside Canada can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The box is one way to get coverage, but check first whether a credit card or a benefits plan at work already gives you some. If one covers this whole trip, buying the box means paying twice. Staying in Canada is simpler, because your health card covers you for hospital and doctor care in an emergency, with a few gaps.

Key takeaways

  • Leaving Canada with no travel medical coverage can leave you with most of an emergency bill.
  • Your provincial plan pays a set amount toward emergency care abroad, and in Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick only for certain kinds of emergency. Most plans won't pay for an ambulance there.
  • Before you tick the box, check whether your credit card or a benefits plan at work already covers the whole trip and any health condition you have.
  • The federal government won't pay your medical bills abroad, even if an embassy or consulate helps you.
  • Inside Canada, you're covered for emergency care, though an ambulance or a prescription may not be, and a doctor in Quebec may ask you to pay first.

Do I need travel insurance to leave Canada?

If nothing you already have covers the trip, your provincial plan is all you've got, and most plans pay a set amount for each day you're in hospital abroad. British Columbia's pays at most $75 a day, for every hospital service together.1 Ontario's pays $200 a day, or $400 for intensive care and other higher levels of care.2

Anything the hospital charges above your plan's amount is yours to pay.3 If your plan gives no dollar amount, ask it what it would pay before you go.

What each plan pays toward emergency care outside Canada
Your planWhat it pays
Alberta4$100 a day in hospital, not counting the day you leave. $50 a day for a visit, one visit a day. No ambulance.
British Columbia1$75 a day for all hospital services. No ambulance.
Manitoba5Up to $280, $365 or $570 a day in hospital, the higher amounts for bigger hospitals. $100 a visit.
New Brunswick6$100 a day in hospital after an emergency admission. $50 for a visit.
Newfoundland and Labrador78Up to $350 a day in hospital, or up to $465 in a specialized hospital. Up to $62 a day for a visit. No ambulance.
Northwest Territories9NWT rates, with no dollar amount given.
Nova Scotia10Up to $525 a day if you're admitted, plus half of the other hospital charges for your stay. Nothing for a visit, apart from hemodialysis. No ambulance.
Nunavut11Nunavut's own rates, with no daily amount given. No ambulance.
Ontario2$200 a day in hospital, or $400 for intensive care and other higher levels of care. Up to $50 a day for a visit, or the bill if that's less.
Prince Edward Island12PEI rates, with no dollar amount given. You pay the bill first.
Quebec1314Up to $100 a day in hospital. Up to $50 a visit. No ambulance.
Saskatchewan1516Up to $100 a day in hospital. Up to $50 a visit, two visits a day at most. You pay the bill first. No ambulance.
Yukon17Yukon's own rates, with no dollar amount given. No ambulance.
Amounts are in Canadian dollars. A visit means emergency care without being admitted to hospital.
Source Each province's and territory's own health plan pages, plus Manitoba's and Quebec's regulations and Saskatchewan's June 2026 information sheet. Read 2026-09-13.

A hospital abroad can charge far more than those amounts. In one of Quebec's own examples, eight days in intensive care in South Carolina for pneumonia cost $27,493 for the hospital and $10,543 for the doctors. Quebec paid back $800 and $1,103, which left the traveller more than $36,000 to pay.14 In an example from Nunavut's plan, an emergency room visit in the US, without being admitted, is billed at $1,700, and Nunavut would pay back $287, though both amounts could change.11

Billed abroad, and what the plan paid back
What two plans' own examples billed and paid backThree pairs of bars from two plans' own examples. In Quebec's, eight days in intensive care in South Carolina for pneumonia cost $27,493 for the hospital, and Quebec paid back $800. The doctors charged $10,543 for the same stay, and Quebec paid back $1,103. In Nunavut's, an emergency room visit in the US without being admitted is billed at $1,700, and Nunavut would pay back $287. In each case the plan pays back less than a fifth of the bill.BilledPaid back by the planQuebec: 8 days in intensive care in South Carolina, hospital$27,493$800Quebec: the same stay, doctors$10,543$1,103Nunavut: US emergency room visit, not admitted$1,700$287
Examples from the plans themselves.
Source Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec, Know which services are covered outside Québec, under Examples of the amount reimbursed by RAMQ; Government of Nunavut, Travelling Outside of Canada. Both read in a browser, 2026-09-13.

A doctor's bill works the same way, paid at what your plan would pay for the same care at home.3

Three plans also ask whether your condition started before you left. In Ontario and Alberta, your plan pays only for a condition that's sudden and unexpected, that started after you left Canada, and that needs treatment right away.24 In New Brunswick, care counts as an emergency only if a delay in treatment would threaten your life, and care for an existing condition that needs ongoing monitoring doesn't count.6 So in those three provinces, a condition you already have can leave you with the whole bill.

What you'd still pay yourself

Some costs sit outside those daily amounts. If you'd need to be flown home, your plan may pay nothing toward it, or only a small part.18 Ontario's plan won't pay to move you back to a hospital in Ontario to finish your treatment, and Quebec's won't pay to bring you home.214 A prescription you fill abroad isn't covered in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan or Quebec.141415

Staff at a Canadian embassy or consulate can help you arrange a medical evacuation.19 The Government of Canada won't pay for it, though, or for your hospital or doctor.1819

If you do need care abroad, you might need to pay the whole bill on the spot and claim your plan's share once you're home.1215 Keep every invoice and receipt, because you'll need them for the claim, and there's a deadline. In Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, it's six months.101220

Before you tick the box

If you feel rushed at the checkout, it helps to know it isn't the only place to buy this coverage.18 You might already have some. Some credit cards come with travel insurance.21 Ask your card issuer for the insurance terms, and if you have health benefits through work, check the plan's booklet for emergency coverage outside Canada.

Whichever policy you're looking at, these are the parts that decide whether it pays when you need it:

  1. The dates. Your coverage lasts a fixed number of days. If your trip runs longer than that, you may have no coverage at all.22
  2. Health conditions you already have. A policy may not cover a condition you had before you bought it, and insurers don't all define one the same way.2223 It can even include a problem you didn't know you had, if you'd already seen a doctor about a symptom or been advised to.22 If you have a condition, ask the insurer to confirm in writing that it's covered, and answer the medical questions carefully, because a false answer can cancel the policy.1822
  3. Getting you home. Look for coverage that includes medical evacuation, which gets you flown back to Canada or to the nearest place that can treat you.18
  4. Where you're going. Many policies won't cover you in a place under a Government of Canada travel advisory.18

You'll find out whether you're already covered, for how many days, and what happens with conditions you already have in your card's insurance terms and your benefits booklet.

If you've already ticked the box and changed your mind, look at the policy's own cancellation terms. In Quebec, you can cancel insurance you bought along with your trip by registered mail within 10 days of signing, unless the policy itself runs out within those 10 days.24

Do I need travel insurance for a trip inside Canada?

For emergencies, your health card works across the country.3 The provinces and territories bill each other for hospital care, and all except Quebec do the same for doctors, so you generally won't pay out of pocket if you need a hospital or a doctor in an emergency in another province.25

There are gaps, though. You may not be covered for prescription drugs or an ambulance.3 British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario and the Northwest Territories don't pay for an ambulance outside the home province or territory.1892627

A doctor in Quebec might ask you to pay, and your own plan may pay you back less than you paid.152829 Doctors in other provinces can bill you directly too, though most don't.12028 If your card is from Quebec, a doctor in another province may accept it or refuse it, and Quebec pays back no more than it would pay in Quebec.1430

If your care isn't an emergency, you usually need your plan's approval first.3 Extra insurance can cover what the agreements between plans leave out.1

If a claim is turned down

Ask your insurer for its final position letter, because you'll need that letter to take your complaint any further.31 After that, you can take it to the OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance, or OLHI, as long as your insurer takes part.3233

It's funded by the industry, and your insurer doesn't have to accept what it recommends.33 It aims to finish reviewing your complaint within 120 days.31 In Quebec, you'd take your complaint to the Autorité des marchés financiers, or AMF.34

?

Common questions

Does my provincial health card work in the United States?

Yes, it's good for emergencies, but only up to your plan's own amounts, and a US hospital bill can run far past them. In Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick, it also depends on whether your condition started before you left. You might have to pay the whole bill there and claim your plan's share when you're home.

How do I find out if my credit card covers travel medical?

Ask your card issuer for your card's insurance terms. Look for how many days a trip it covers, how it treats conditions you've already got, and whether it pays for a medical evacuation. If your trip's longer than the coverage, the policy may not pay anything.

What counts as a pre-existing condition?

It's a health problem you already have when you travel. It can even be one you didn't know about, if you'd seen a doctor about a symptom or been advised to. Insurers don't all define it the same way, so your own policy's definition applies.

Can I cancel travel insurance after I buy it?

Your policy's own terms are the first place to look. In Quebec, if you bought it along with your trip, you've got 10 days from signing to cancel it by registered mail, unless the policy runs out within those 10 days.

Sources

  1. Government of British ColumbiaMedical benefits outside of B.C.: hospital services outside Canada limited to $75.00 a day; no PharmaCare or ambulance help outside B.C.; most doctors in other provinces, except Quebec, bill their own plan; extra insurance for services outside the reciprocal agreement. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  2. Government of OntarioOHIP coverage while outside Canada: the condition must be acute and unexpected, not pre-existing, and need immediate treatment; $400 a day for an operating room, coronary care, intensive care or neonatal and pediatric special care, $200 a day for lower levels; outpatient care up to $50 a day or the amount billed, whichever is less; no transfer to an Ontario hospital. Updated January 16, 2026. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  3. Health CanadaHow publicly funded health care coverage works: emergency hospital and doctor care stays covered elsewhere in Canada; you may not be covered for prescription drugs and ambulance services; non-emergency care usually needs approval first; outside Canada, the cost covered is based on what your plan would pay at home, and you pay the balance. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  4. Government of AlbertaHealth care coverage outside Canada: an emergency must be acute and unexpected, arise outside Canada and need treatment without delay; $100 a day in hospital, not counting the day of discharge; outpatient care $50 a day, one visit a day; air or ground ambulance and prescription medication not covered. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  5. Government of ManitobaHospital Services Insurance and Administration Regulation, M.R. 48/93, sections 16(3) and 18(2.1): emergency hospital care outside Canada at the lesser of the charges and $280.00, $365.00 or $570.00 a day, by number of beds; $100.00 per out-patient visit. Unofficial version, in effect since August 1, 2026. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  6. Government of New BrunswickMedicare, submitting a claim for out-of-country services: $100.00 a day for in-patient care after an emergency admission and $50.00 for out-patient emergency services; services for a pre-existing condition that needs ongoing monitoring are excluded. Modified 2023-09-19. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  7. Government of Newfoundland and LabradorHospital Insurance Plan: outside Canada, a maximum of $350 a day in a community or regional hospital, $465 a day in a tertiary or specialized hospital, and $62 a day for outpatient care. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  8. Government of Newfoundland and LabradorOut of province coverage: no cost covered for medevac or ground and air ambulance outside the province. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  9. Government of the Northwest TerritoriesHealth and Social Services, general information for residents: care outside Canada reimbursed at NWT rates only, in Canadian funds; ground ambulance and medevacs not covered in Canada. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  10. Government of Nova ScotiaHealthcare coverage outside Canada: up to $525 a day for emergency inpatient care, plus 50% of ancillary fees; no outpatient cover except hemodialysis; no ground or air medical transportation; claims received after 6 months not accepted. Modified 2026-09-04. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  11. Government of NunavutTravelling outside of Canada: limited costs based on Nunavut's fee schedule and approved hospital rates; ground and air ambulance not covered; its example of a US emergency outpatient visit at $1,700.00, with $287.00 reimbursed; US costs, and what Nunavut pays back, could change. Page read in a browser. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  12. Government of Prince Edward IslandPEI Health Card: care outside Canada reimbursed at PEI rates, and you pay the difference; you will be required to pay medical costs upfront; send your detailed invoice and proof of payment within six months. Published September 3, 2026. Page read in a browser. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  13. LegisQuébecRegulation respecting the application of the Hospital Insurance Act, CQLR c. A-28, r. 1, section 15: up to $100 a day for hospitalization, including day surgery, and up to $50 per visit for out-patient treatment. Up to date to April 15, 2026. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  14. RAMQKnow which services are covered outside Québec: emergency transportation, bringing a person back to Québec and drugs bought outside Québec are not covered; its example of eight days in intensive care in South Carolina for pneumonia shows the hospital charging CA$27,493 with CA$800 repaid, and professional services charging CA$10,543 with CA$1,103 repaid, under "Examples of the amount reimbursed by RAMQ". Page read in a browser. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  15. Government of SaskatchewanHealth coverage outside of Saskatchewan and Canada: hospital inpatient care up to $100 a day, outpatient care up to $50 a visit, two visits a day at most; you must pay upfront; prescription drugs bought outside Canada not covered; in Canada, repayment at Saskatchewan rates may not cover the full amount paid. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  16. Government of SaskatchewanOut of Country Health Care Information for Saskatchewan Residents (June 2026): ground or air ambulance expenses not covered. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  17. Government of YukonFind out about your health care coverage: doctor and hospital fees paid at the rate charged in the Yukon; air or ground ambulance and return transportation not covered. The out-of-Canada rule is under the tab "Spending extended time outside the territory". Date modified 2026-08-18. Page read in a browser. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  18. Global Affairs CanadaTrip interruption and travel health insurance: your health plan may cover none, or only a small part, of medical care abroad, including a medical evacuation; the Government of Canada will not pay your medical bills; where to buy cover, including a credit card company; what a policy should cover, including medical evacuation, a pre-existing condition in writing and a compassion clause; many policies exclude regions under a travel advisory. Modified 2026-05-08. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  19. Global Affairs CanadaIf you become sick or injured while travelling outside Canada: consular officials can assist with a medical evacuation, and do not pay hospital or medical bills or for a medical evacuation. Modified 2026-08-28. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  20. Government of ManitobaOut-of-province coverage: claim within six months of receiving care; some doctors in other provinces may choose to bill you directly. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  21. FCACCredit card balance insurance: card features can include travel insurance. Modified 2025-10-15. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  22. AMFTravel insurance, practical guide: a trip longer than your coverage may not be covered at all; what a pre-existing condition is, and that insurers define it differently (under "Pre-existing conditions"); a false declaration can invalidate more than the contract it was made on. Page read in a browser. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  23. FCACHealth insurance: a policy may not cover medical conditions you had before applying. Modified 2025-10-16. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  24. LegisQuébecAct respecting the distribution of financial products and services, CQLR c. D-9.2, sections 440 and 441: an insurance contract made at the same time as another contract can be rescinded within 10 days of signing, by registered mail, unless it expires within 10 days of signing. Up to date to June 4, 2026. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  25. Health CanadaCanada Health Act Annual Report 2024-2025: all provinces and territories take part in hospital reciprocal billing and all except Quebec in physician reciprocal billing, which generally means no out-of-pocket cost for emergency care in another province or territory. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  26. Government of Nova ScotiaHealthcare coverage within Canada: no ground or air medical transportation. Modified 2026-06-16. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  27. Government of OntarioOHIP coverage outside Ontario: ambulance services not covered elsewhere in Canada. Updated May 2, 2024. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  28. Government of AlbertaHealth care coverage in Canada: you may have to pay up front for a doctor in Quebec; doctors outside Alberta are not required to bill reciprocally. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  29. Government of New BrunswickCoverage and claims outside New Brunswick, within Canada: a Quebec doctor's bill is repaid at the Quebec rate only, which could be less than the amount billed. Modified 2024-02-27. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  30. LegisQuébecHealth Insurance Act, CQLR c. A-29, section 10: for insured services outside Québec, you can claim only the lesser of the amount you paid and the amount the Board sets for those services in Québec. Up to date to April 7, 2026. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  31. OLHIOur process: you must have a final position letter from your insurer; under "Step 2 -OLHI reviews your complaint", its objective is to complete its review within 120 days. Open that step to read it. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  32. Government of AlbertaInsurance consumer complaints: travel and other private health insurance complaints go to the OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  33. OLHIFrequently asked questions: reviews a complaint that involves a participating company; a federal not-for-profit corporation funded by the industry; its settlement recommendations are voluntary. Open each question to read its answer. Accessed 2026-09-13.
  34. FCACHow to file a complaint with your insurance company: Quebec residents contact the AMF. Modified 2026-07-15. Accessed 2026-09-13.

Educational, not financial advice. Figures verified against primary sources on the date shown.

See it in a story: "Protect the Plan," where Maya is offered insurance twice in one week, on a card-activation call and in a pre-ticked box on a line-of-credit form at her bank, and Simon helps her work out which risks are worth paying someone else to carry. Or browse the whole budgeting hub.

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