The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us that having travel insurance is essential and should be part of the travel budget. While some credit cards have great insurance, dedicated travel insurance may be required.

Far too many travellers think they are safe or covered by provincial healthcare. But as soon as you leave the province’s borders, you will not be able to take advantage of this system! You will then have to arrange for care and pay the expenses that may arise.

Tugo Travel Insurance has 3 types of insurance packages:

• The Non-Medical Package
• The All Inclusive Holiday Package
• The Visitor to Canada Package

You can get some insurance separately, such as:

• Emergency medical insurance
• Hospital/medical insurance (students)

And these packages can be completed with optional coverages:

• Sports
• Baggage
• Rental Car protection

While optional coverage for sports and activities is attractive, baggage or rental car coverages are more worthwhile with some credit cards.

Before you see the different coverages in detail, here is a general overview of the 3 Tugotravel insurance packages.

Tugo’s non-medical package includes:

To apply for this insurance, you must be:

• a Canadian resident
• insured under the provincial or territorial health insurance plan of your province or territory of residence, or eligible for its benefits

Tugo’s All Inclusive Holiday Package includes:

To get this insurance, you must be:

• a Canadian resident
• aged 59 and under
• insured or eligible for benefits offered by your province’s or territory of residence health insurance plan

Here is the rate for a typical case:

• A couple of travellers with their two children
• Living in Quebec and visiting British Columbia
• For a period of 2 weeks

Several options are then offered:

• Emergency medical insurance for travel within Canada Only: $33.45
• Non-medical package only: $280*
• Canada Vacation Package: $416*

* For these two packages, we indicated $1,000 as the total cost of the trip per traveller (or $4,000 for this family).

Tugo’s visitor to Canada package includes:

To get this insurance, you must be:

• a visitor to Canada
• an immigrant or Canadian returning home waiting for their provincial healthcare to take effect

Here is the rate for a typical case known to many UK people living in Canada:

• A 70-year-old English grandmother
• Visiting her children and grandchildren in Canada
• for a period of 2 weeks
• Hosted by the family

Several options are then offered:

• Emergency visitor medical insurance in Canada Only: $142.35
• Non-medical package only: $102*
• Visitor to Canada package: $289*

For these two packages, we indicated $1,200 as the total cost of the trip per traveller (the typical cost of a flight from Europe).

Tugo’s emergency medical insurance includes:

• licensed ambulance
• emergency dental expense
• prescription drug reimbursement
• expenses to bring a family member to your bedside if hospitalized
• board and lodging for you or your travelling companion while confined to a hospital
• escorting home of insured children
• and more.

Tugo’s visitor to Canada medical insurance includes:

• medical transport,
• Emergency dental services,
• prescription drug reimbursement
• Additional living expenses for your travel companion while you are hospitalized,
• and more.

Risks covered in Tugo’s trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance are:

• unexpected sickness, injury, and/or death of you, your travelling companion, immediate family or your travelling companion’s immediate family
• natural disaster
• travel advisory
• subpoena
• involuntary job loss,
• missed connection
• the non-issuance of a travel visa

Tugo Travel Insurance is one of the few in Canada to offer optional coverage of sports and activities when you travel.

Here are the three types offered, as well as the excluded activities.

Tugo’s baggage insurance pays for the loss, damage, destruction or theft of your personal effects while:

• in transit
• in any hotel or any other building
• en route anywhere in the world, on water, land or in the air

You can pay for your Tugo travel insurance with your credit card:

• American Express
• Mastercard
• Visa

It’s a great way to earn points, or even unlock a welcome bonus!

On the other hand, you are covered for:

• Travel within Canada
• any other medical emergency not related to COVID-19

Tugo offers customizable and comprehensive travel insurance.

If high-end credit cards can cover you for most situations, including travel interruption/cancellation insurance – such as these best credit cards in Canada for travel insurance – they can:

• be inaccessible for people with incomes of less than $80,000
• have limits on the number of days outside the province of residence
• have age limits
• have exclusions for certain blankets

It is then advisable to apply for travel insurance like Tugo’s to be well protected.