Travel Insurance for Snowbirds
Make the most of your next long duration trip with an insurance solution designed for you.
Personalized Travel Insurance
Québec Blue Cross travel insurance for Snowbirds is designed specifically for Canadians who prefer to head south when winter arrives. You can choose coverage for a single trip, or for an unlimited number of trips with an annual plan. Our flexible travel insurance includes emergency travel assistance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Advantages That Make All the Difference
- Optional deductibles on Emergency Medical Care coverage.
- When possible, we arrange payment directly with the healthcare provider.
- Some pre-existing conditions may be covered to improve your travel experience.
- Access to a wide network of healthcare providers that includes 96% of U.S. healthcare facilities, covering the entire country, including Alaska, Puerto Rico and Hawaii.
- Travel assistance available 24/7 for any emergency, anywhere you travel.
Explore Our Travel Insurance Options
Planning a winter getaway to sunny Florida? Exploring the sights of Arizona or Mexico? Our travel insurance covers you in case of unexpected events.
Emergency Medical Care
Travel is full of surprises, and falling ill or getting injured is never part of the plan. In case of a medical emergency, this coverage takes care of the costs for necessary treatments and services, providing up to $5,000,000 per trip.
In case of a medical emergency due to illness or accident during your trip, your travel insurance can help cover expenses such as:
- Hospitalization costs (semi-private or private room)
- Emergency dental care
- Medical and paramedical treatments
- Medical follow-up in Canada following repatriation
- Transportation costs (ambulance or taxi service, repatriation to your province of residence if required by your health condition, transport costs to visit the insured person, costs for the return of the vehicle, costs for the return or burial or cremation of the remains in the event of death)
- Subsistence allowance (accommodation, meals, essential phone calls, taxis, childcare expenses for accompanying children)
For complete coverage details, please refer to your travel insurance policy.
Please note that medical expenses resulting from certain situations are not covered. For example:
- Trips undertaken for medical purposes
- High-risk sports or activities
- Suicide and intentional injury
- Consumption of alcohol, drugs and other intoxicating substances
- Illegal acts
- Acts of war and civil unrest
The policy has other exclusions, including some due to pre-existing medical conditions. Do you have a pre-existing condition? Option: Period of Reduced Stability may interest you! Call us at 1-855-906-8990, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. to learn more and get a quote.
For full details, please refer to your travel insurance policy.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption
Unexpected events can sometimes disrupt even the best-laid plans. This coverage provides financial protection should any of the events on the list of insured risks require you to cancel, modify, extend or interrupt your trip.
The following fees may be covered and reimbursed:
In case of cancellation before travel:
- Non-refundable insured travel expenses
- Additional charges for new occupancy rates
In case of interruption (or extension) during the trip:
- Unused portion of insured travel expenses
- Additional transportation expenses
- Subsistence allowance
- Vehicle return expenses (personal or rental)
- Costs related to the return of remains, or cremation or burial at the destination in case of death
Insured risks include medical situations such as illnesses or injuries, various issues related to your primary residence or destination accommodations, transportation disruptions, pregnancy complications, and other unforeseen events that could impact your travel plans.
Please refer to the travel insurance policy for the complete list of insured risks .
To cancel your trip for reasons beyond those covered, consider adding the Option: Cancel for Any Reason.
Expenses incurred as a result of the following events are not covered:
- Travel provider default (if known prior to purchase)
- Acts of war and civil unrest
- Suicide and intentional injury
- Criminal or illegal acts
- Known, predictable or ignored circumstances
- Trip undertaken for medical purposes
- Pandemic
- Injury related to high-risk sports or activities
- Use of alcohol, drugs and other intoxicating substances
The policy also includes other exclusions, such as those related to pre-existing medical conditions. Please review the travel insurance policy for full details.
Accidental Death or Dismemberment
Safeguard your trip by protecting yourself and your loved ones. Similar to life insurance, this coverage provides up to $300,000 to you or your beneficiary in the event of death or serious injury during your trip.
Accidental Death or Dismemberment coverage insures the accidental loss of:
- Life
- The use of one or more limbs
- Vision in one or both eyes
Depending on the nature of the loss and the circumstances of the accident, you or your beneficiary may receive up to $300,000. Please review your travel insurance policy for full details.
Accidental Death or Dismemberment coverage does not insure accidents caused by:
- High-risk sports or activities
- Suicide and intentional injury
- Use of alcohol, drugs and other intoxicating substances
- Illegal acts
- Acts of war and civil unrest
- Terrorism
Please review your travel insurance policy for full details.
Baggage
Imagine arriving at your destination only to discover that your suitcase is missing. This coverage provides up to $1,500 per insured person, per trip, in event of delay, loss, theft, or damage to your luggage, helping you enjoy your trip despite these inconveniences.
Baggage coverage provides up to $1,500 per insured person in the following situations:
- Stolen, lost or damaged baggage: Receive up to $1,500 to repair or replace items.
- Delayed checked baggage: Get up to $500 for essential items (such as toiletries and clothing) and sports equipment rental.
- Replacement of lost or stolen official documents: Receive up to $250 to replace your passport, driver’s licence, birth certificate, and/or visa.
Please note that a maximum refund per item or category of items applies. Check your insurance policy for full details.
Baggage coverage does not include losses or situations such as:
- Loss or damage related to certain personal items (e.g., cash, glasses and contact lenses, medication, cosmetics, prostheses, and orthoses)
- Breakage of fragile or breakable items
- Act of war and civil unrest
- Theft without signs of forced entry into a vehicle (please note that thefts with visible signs of burglary are covered)
- Neglect, recklessness or disappearance (not classified as theft)
Other exclusions may apply. Please review your travel insurance policy for full details.
Travelling more than once a year?
Annual plan will make it simple to travel as much as you want while staying insured
Included with your travel insurance
Flight Delay Service
In the event of a flight delay, you could have access to an airport lounge or hotel room, depending on the duration of the delay.
Privileged access to the U.S. healthcare network
Our healthcare providers represent 96% of the healthcare facilities in the country. That gives you access to simple claims management for care received in the United States.
24/7 Travel assistance
Our experts are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist you anywhere in the world.
Frequently asked questions
Medical insurance is essential the moment you leave Quebec. The Canada Health Act requires provincial public health insurance to cover your medical costs in Quebec only; the public plan is not required to cover any medical costs outside the province. In fact, public health insurance covers only a small portion of medical and hospital costs incurred outside Quebec. For example, it may cover $50 for a medical consultation and $100 per day for hospitalization. Because medical costs are significantly higher abroad – particularly in the United States – without travel insurance, your financial security is at risk. Some fees abroad may be very costly.
If you become sick or injured while you’re away, your travel insurance can cover:
- Accommodation costs and meals for your spouse or travel companion
- Transportation costs if your return is delayed due to accident or illness when you have purchased trip interruption with medical coverage
- Cost of medical evacuation by land or air ambulance, or by commercial flight
- Repatriation costs for your children if you are hospitalized
- Transportation costs to bring a loved one to you if you are hospitalized for seven days or more
- Vehicle return costs to drive your vehicle or motor home to your home if you cannot drive due to accident or illness
These are costs the Quebec public plan does not cover and that you would be responsible for if you do not have travel insurance. Take a look at the products we have to offer.
The coverage provided by your credit card company may have limitations or restrictions. It is important to review your policy thoroughly for coverage details. It is often recommended that you purchase additional coverage for complete protection.
Check your credit card coverage for the following:
Travel duration
Travel insurance cannot be purchased once you depart from Quebec. It is important to check the length of stay covered by your credit card company, as well as any restrictions based on age.
Emergency medical care coverage
There are often strict eligibility and stability requirements based on your current health. Make sure you understand the exclusions in your coverage prior to your departure. You could be quite unhappy to learn that a health condition is excluded right when you need emergency medical care. Also make sure the coverage amounts are enough, and inquire about any deductibles you may have to pay.
Trip cancellation or interruption
If you incurred fees up front, make sure the amount covered under trip interruption/cancellation is enough to save you from financial losses. Most credit card companies do not cover trip interruption or cancellation, and when they do, the maximums are not sufficient to fully cover your costs. Blue Cross can provide you with coverage that protects you in the case of unforeseen situations.
Protect yourself and your family. Don’t risk your financial security with incomplete coverage. With Blue Cross travel insurance, you enjoy complete medical coverage by a travel insurance company recognized around the world.
Blue Cross travel insurance offers several deductible amounts if you wish to reduce your insurance premium, but they are not mandatory. If you do choose a deductible, you are responsible for any costs up to the chosen deductible amount.
That’s only partially true. Medical costs are covered across Canada, but provincial health plans:
- do not offer the same services to non-resident travellers as they do to residents (even though you are Canadian, you are considered a non-resident even if you live in a neighbouring province)
- vary from one province to another and do not pay the same rates in all provinces
Below are some examples of costs you may need to pay in a neighbouring province:
- Return of vehicle
- Air ambulance
- Relatives visiting when you are hospitalized
There are billing agreements between certain provinces, but not all. Since medical costs vary from one province to another, what may be sufficient to cover a medical service in one province may not be enough to cover the same service in another.
An illness that already exists at departure is pre-existing. You must declare any pre-existing conditions when purchasing travel insurance to verify whether they are covered. For more information, please read the Travel Insurance Policy or contact one of our agents.
If you have any additional questions regarding travel insurance coverage for your health condition, please contact one of our agents.
A pre-existing medical condition is a health condition, illness, or injury that already existed before purchasing your Blue Cross travel insurance policy. To be covered by travel insurance, the pre-existing medical condition must be stable for a specified period as outlined in the policy. For more information, please feel free to contact one of our agents or read our blog article on the topic.
Travel advice
Travel Insurance, an Essential Part of Your Family Vacation!
Planning your next family trip and wondering if you’re properly covered in case of accident or illness? You may have coverage through your group insurance or credit card… So, why would you need individual travel insurance?
Here are five myths about travel insurance
For many travellers, getting insurance before leaving is not on the list of priorities. Since unexpected issues can happen at any time, having insurance to protect you while travelling is very important.
9 common mistakes when buying travel insurance
It may seem hard to decide and navigate all the travel insurance options out there for protecting yourself in the event of an accident or an unforeseen event. To protect yourself with the best available coverage...
1. The automatic renewal option is offered depending on the age of the travelers and the duration of the trip.
2. Cancellation coverage takes effect upon purchase of the insurance.