Frequently Asked Questions
Visitor Insurance Plan (VIP) Inquiries
Do visitors to Canada, immigrants, and returning Canadians, need travel medical insurance while in Canada?
Yes. The Canadian government does not pay for hospital or medical services for visitors, immigrants, and returning Canadians.
- If you have a medical emergency while in Canada, the average cost of a doctor, clinic, or hospital emergency room visit is $500 to $1,500. The average cost if hospitalized is $2,000 to $4,000 per day.
- If you are visiting, studying, working, or immigrating to Canada, you should have health insurance to cover any medical costs incurred while you are in Canada.
- If you are applying for a super visa, you must show proof that you have at least $100,000 in health insurance coverage and that the policy is valid for a minimum of 12 months.
- If you are a permanent resident of Canada without Government Health Insurance Plan benefits, you should have health insurance during the waiting period.
What does the Visitors Insurance Plan (VIP) cover?
Visitors Insurance Plan health insurance provides coverage for unexpected medical emergencies arising from sudden and unforeseeable circumstance due to an accident or sickness that occur while you are in Canada. The Visitors Insurance Plan offers:
- Standard, Enhanced, and Premium plans
- Optional plan maximums: $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $150,000 and $300,000
- Optional deductibles: $0, $250, $500, $1,000 and $3,000 per claim
- Optional coverage for pre-existing medical conditions
Medical professionals available 24/7
Emergency toll-free number available to you 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. If you have a medical emergency, you will be put in touch with a multilingual customer service team. You will have access to medical professionals, given assistance in locating a medical provider and, if necessary, an ambulance will be provided.
Medical care
You will receive the medical care you require to treat the emergency. Coverage is limited to the plan maximum you select unless specified otherwise. Medical care includes:
- Ambulance (Land & Air)
- Physician, clinic, & emergency room visits
- Lab tests, X-rays, & other medically necessary diagnostic tests
- Surgeon & anaesthetist
- In-patient hospital care including intensive care & coronary care units
- Medical appliances such as wheel chairs (limited to $5,000)
- Private duty nurses (limited to $5,000)
- Prescription drugs (limited to $500 up to $1,000 depending on the plan chosen)
- Fracture treatment
- Follow-up visits (maximum 3) such as for a cast removal, and/or removal of stitches
- Chiropractor, Physiotherapist, podiatrist, & osteopath (limited to $300 up to $500 depending on the plan chosen)
- Dental emergency (limited to $3,000 up to $5,000 depending on the plan chosen)
- Repatriation of remains (limited to $5,000 up to $10,000 depending on the plan chosen)
- Other medical care benefits included depending on the plan chosen. Call for details.
Visitors Insurance Plan (VIP) policy
Buy Now: Call toll-free 1-800-550-1295 (or 905-201-1571)
I have a pre-existing medical condition. Will a medical emergency related to this condition be covered?
Yes, if you are age 74 or younger, when you buy Visitors Insurance Plan (VIP) and select Plan 2, you will have coverage for pre-existing medical conditions that have met the required 90-day stability period.
If you are age 75 to 84 and can answer “No” to all of the questions on a medical questionnaire, you will have coverage for pre-existing medical conditions that have met the required 180-day stability period.
Most of the other visitors to Canada insurance plans do not cover pre-existing medical conditions. They only cover unexpected medical emergencies of new conditions.
Does Visitors Insurance Plan (VIP) cover doctor checkups, eye examinations, dental examinations and other non-emergencies?
Yes, when you buy the Visitors Insurance Plan (VIP) “Premium Plan”, you will have coverage for some non-emergency checkups and examinations. The details are in the policy.
Most of the other visitors to Canada insurance plans do not cover checkups and examinations unless they are required as a result of a medical emergency.
Visitors Insurance Plan (VIP) policy
If I buy Visitors Insurance Plan (VIP) and have a medical emergency what do I do?
It is your responsibility to ensure that the assistance company is contacted prior to receiving medical treatment. If you fail to do so, your benefits will be limited to 80% of eligible expenses to a maximum of $25,000. The only exception is if you are in an extreme circumstance when treatment is required to resolve a life-threatening medical emergency.
The emergency toll-free number is available 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.
1-844-879-8379 (toll-free from Canada and the USA)
1-416-285-1722 (call collect where available)
Email: claims@ardentassistance.com
When you call, you will be put in touch with a multilingual customer service team and have access to medical professionals. You will be given assistance in locating a medical provider and, if necessary, an ambulance will be provided.
May I travel out of Canada with this insurance?
Yes, you may travel out of Canada up to 30 days but the number of days you spend out of Canada cannot exceed 49% of the total number of days of coverage you purchased. For example:
- If you purchase 50 days of coverage, you may travel out of Canada 24 days out of the 50 days because 24 days is 49% (just under half) of 50 days.
- If you purchase 100 days of coverage, you may travel out of Canada 30 days out of the 100 days because the maximum number of days you may be out of Canada is limited to 30 days.