March Break travel insurance tips

For most families with children in school, March Break is a time to look forward to a change from the day-to-day routine of winter. Do your kids have a hockey tournament out of town? Are you going on a vacation down south? These plans require lots of organization, so while you’re writing your to-do list prior to leaving, make sure travel insurance is included.

Why should you consider travel insurance?
It all really comes down to dollars and cents. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (an agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services) the average hospital charge to repair something as common as a broken arm is over $11,000.

Debunking the provincial health insurance plan myth
Many Canadians believe travel insurance is unnecessary for the sole reason they mistakenly believe their provincial health plan will cover all their emergency medical expenses while on vacation. Unfortunately, this is a costly misunderstanding, as a quick search of a few provincial health insurance websites show:

• Ontario residents will only be covered up to $50 per day for any out-of-country emergency care, and only up to $400 per day for any out-of-country inpatient hospital services.
• BC residents will only be covered for up to $75 per day for any out-of-country inpatient hospital services, and;
• Alberta residents are only covered up to $100 per day.

Given that a broken arm typically costs $11,000 to repair, where will the remaining money come from?

Get the right travel insurance for your March Break
Checking out your travel insurance options is the easiest part of your March Break travel plans. Not only can you cover your children for a reasonable price, you can cover yourself, your spouse and your kids all under one plan. Did you know that:

• Families of 4 traveling for 7 days can get covered for as little as $21 from some companies?
• And, other travel insurers even cover children under the age of 16 for free as long as a parent is insured with them?

When shopping for travel insurance, consider these money-saving:

• Buy one policy for the whole family
Buy one policy that covers the whole family, rather than buying one policy per person. Doesn’t matter which type of travel insurance you’re looking to buy—emergency medical only, trip cancellation only, or an all inclusive—family rates are almost always available and usually significantly cheaper.

• Buy an annual multi-trip policy
Multiple-trip policies mean that for one annual rate, you will have emergency medical travel insurance coverage for every trip you take within the year after the policy is issued. Quotes for a variety of trip lengths are available too.

• Buy what you need – no more, no less
If you’re taking a road trip, or going on a last minute getaway, chances are you really only need to buy emergency medical coverage. Anything else and you’ll probably be over-insured and paying too much.

With trips where you might like more coverage (like trip cancellation/interruption, baggage protection, and emergency medical) make sure you buy one policy that provides all the coverage you want, rather than purchasing separately policies. It will save you money.

• Shop around
The one tip that can save you the most off your travel insurance premiums is to shop around and get quotes from competing companies. The vast range in rates available for what seems like the same coverage will surprise you.

Compare instant online travel insurance quotes. It's easy, quick and you can buy online too.