10 tips for buying visitor insurance

Whether you’re insuring visiting parents or a friend coming to Canada, these are the things I’d tell a member of my own family before they buy.

1. Buy before they arrive

Set the policy to start on the arrival date and purchase it ahead of time. Buying after arrival can trigger a waiting period on new illness and limit your options. A few insurers won’t issue a policy at all once the traveller is already in Canada, and others apply a short wait — often around 48 hours — before new sickness is covered, so buying early keeps the most doors open.

2. Match the coverage amount to the real risk

Coverage commonly runs $25,000–$150,000+ (an illustrative range — your actual limit and premium depend on the traveller and plan). Older travellers and longer stays justify a higher limit. Many families choose $100,000 as a sensible balance — and remember a Super Visa has its own minimum. Visitors can’t use OHIP or any provincial plan, so one ER visit or a few nights in hospital can run into the tens of thousands. The limit you pick is the ceiling the insurer will pay, so under-buying to save a few dollars is where families tend to get caught.

3. Use the deductible to your advantage

Choosing a per-claim deductible lowers the premium. For a healthy traveller comfortable covering a small first portion of a claim, it’s often easy money saved. Keep in mind the deductible usually applies per claim, not once per policy, so weigh how likely a claim really is against the premium you save. For an older traveller with a health history a lower deductible often earns its keep; for a young, healthy visitor a higher one usually makes sense.

4. Declare pre-existing conditions — honestly

The fastest way to a denied claim is non-disclosure. Declare everything, then choose a plan whose stability period fits the traveller’s history. Insurers can pull medical records when a claim is large, and an undisclosed condition — even a seemingly unrelated one — can sink the whole claim, not just the part tied to it. When in doubt, over-declare and let the stability period decide what’s covered.

5. Compare insurers, not just prices

For the same traveller, different insurers quote different prices and different pre-existing rules. The cheapest plan isn’t always the right one if it excludes what you need covered. Two plans at the same price can define a ‘stable’ condition over different windows — commonly 90, 120, or 180 days — which can change whether a managed condition is covered at all. Read the pre-existing clause side by side, not just the premium.

6. Check the refund and visa-refusal terms

Look for a full refund before the start date and a partial refund for early departure. If a visa refusal is possible, confirm the refund-on-refusal benefit before buying. Terms vary by insurer: some ask for a copy of the refusal letter or proof of early departure, and most want the request before or soon after the change. Confirm the wording before you pay so you’re not stuck covering days the traveller never used.

7. Read what’s excluded

Routine care, elective procedures, pregnancy, and high-risk activities are usually excluded. Know this up front — see what’s covered. Exclusions are a common reason claims are denied, so skim the actual policy wording — not just the sales page — for pregnancy, mental-health, and alcohol-related limits. If one specific need matters, such as a known heart condition, confirm in writing that the plan covers it before you commit.

8. Pick the right product

Visiting Canada? That’s visitor insurance. A resident heading abroad? That’s travel medical. Don’t buy the wrong direction. The two products carry different rules and pricing, and the wrong one can leave the traveller without valid coverage at claim time. If they’re here on a Super Visa, factor in the government’s own coverage minimum as well.

9. Keep the policy and assistance line handy

Save the policy number and the 24/7 emergency assistance line in the traveller’s phone. Calling it first in an emergency can enable direct billing. Reaching the assistance team before treatment lets them steer you to an appropriate facility and, where it’s available, arrange direct billing so you’re not fronting thousands of dollars. Paying up front and claiming later is allowed on most plans, but it’s slower and carries more risk.

10. Let a licensed advisor do the comparison

An FSRA-licensed advisor compares plans across insurers, explains the trade-offs, and is there if you ever need to claim. Because the advisor is paid by the insurer rather than by you, that comparison — and the help at claim time — costs the family nothing extra.