If you are one of the brave ones who is still travelling south to a sunny warm destination; remember to include travel medical insurance as part of your planning process.   Our provincial medical plans only cover a fraction of the cost of medical care outside Canada. Travel insurance can protect you from unexpected expenses if you or a member of your party requires medical attention. Travel insurance comes in many forms. Many people have coverage through their employee benefit plan. However, if you are traveling on vacation (not on company business) double check if you and your family are still covered. If you don’t have coverage through your employer, you can buy travel insurance from many different sources including travel agents, associations, the bank or an insurance broker like myself. The types of coverage available vary greatly. Furthermore, you can purchase coverage once a year when you go on a trip; or if you travel often (including cross-border shopping) you can buy annual coverage that will be valid for all your trips. The key to getting the right coverage is to shop around. Here’s what to look for:   Competitive Rates When shopping around make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Medical Questionnaires Read the questions carefully and answer honestly. Your health helps determine your rates, along with your age and length of time you will be away. Be sure to make full disclosure of pre-existing medical conditions or your policy may become invalid.   24 Hour Support Make sure the plan you choose has a 24-hour support line where they can be contacted if you do run into medical problems.   Upgrades Some plans will allow you to upgrade your policy to include trip interruption or cancellation coverage due to illness (Be aware some travel insurance policies have already stated any claims due to COVID-19 will not be included in this coverage) or even baggage coverage if your luggage goes missing.   Coverage Limits Be aware you can purchase policies with different coverage limits, for example $2 million v.s. $5 million in coverage.   Travel insurance like any other insurance is purchased with the hope you will never need it, however it is a small price to pay if something bad happens. If you need some coverage before you head off on your holiday, give me a call, or get a quote off my website; click here   Have a great weekend, or holiday if you are going away.   Tracey Source: Dynamic Funds, MT 03 2017, MT2019-03-07 Note: All insurance and segregated fund transactions are provided through QFS Financial. Any information in the enclosed note is provided by Tracey Marshall who is a registered insurance agent under the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. QFS Financial is not affiliated or related to Security Financial Services.