Frequently Asked Questions

When you file an insurance claim, the deductible is the amount of money that you, as the policyholder, are responsible for paying. Once you’ve paid the deductible amount, your insurance provider will pay the remaining costs for all eligible claims. Increasing the amount of the deductible generally lowers the cost of your policy.

Deductible terms and conditions vary depending on your travel insurance provider. Most allow deductibles to be applied to emergency medical care costs, while other providers may extend them to lost baggage or trip cancellation and interruption coverage. You may have a single deductible amount per policy, regardless of how many people are insured. Alternatively, each insured person may have their own deductible. To help provide coverage that’s right for you, CAA Travel Insurance offers a range of deductibles on most policies we issue.

Yes, you do. Your Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) only covers certain emergency medical expenses. It may not cover you for non-medical or other emergency medical costs, such as a semi-private room, prescriptions, ambulance services or expenses that you may incur should you become ill or get injured while travelling.

Because of the limitations of its coverage, OHIP strongly recommends that you purchase supplementary travel insurance when travelling in Canada. To learn more about OHIP coverage, click here.

No. CAA Travel Insurance must be purchased before leaving your home province.

Not all credit card travel insurance coverage is created equal. It’s important to contact your credit card company before you travel to find out what type of coverage your credit card provides (emergency medical, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, for example) and if you’re eligible for coverage.

Knowing the right questions to ask isn’t always easy. We’ve created a Know Your Coverage Checklist to help guide you when you call your credit card company. This list of questions will help ensure that you have a clear understanding of what you may or may not be covered for.

To learn more about the importance of knowing your credit card travel insurance coverage, visit caasco.com/EducateMe to watch an educational video.

Yes, you can purchase travel insurance right up until you leave for your trip – even in the airport departure lounge. However, there are advantages to purchasing travel insurance when you’re paying for your vacation. Additional features, such as the Cancel for Any Reason benefit. This allows you to cancel your trip due to an unforeseen covered reason up to three hours before departure. You’ll receive a refund of up to 50 percent from any prepaid non-refundable charges. And, if you booked your trip with CAA Travel, you’ll get up to percent back. For the full list of eligible reasons covered by CAA’s Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, please read our Travel Insurance Policy Guide.

If you or anyone you’re travelling with need medical help, contact CAA Assistance before you seek out or receive any medical assistance. Please call 1-888-493-0161 from anywhere in Canada or mainland United States. From anywhere else, please call us collect at (519) 988-7044. If you require urgent assistance, call the local emergency service for the country you’re in. In case of an emergency while travelling, remember to keep your policy number and declaration page with you at all times.

A pre-existing condition is a medical condition (or conditions) that exists prior to your departure date. It includes a medical condition undergoing investigation or one that you have been diagnosed with or are receiving medical treatment for. To determine if your medical condition will be covered, your insurer will consider the stability of the condition and the stability period.

Having a pre-existing medical condition doesn’t mean you can’t travel. You can add a rider to your policy, cutting down your stability period from three to six months to only seven days. In addition, this rider will provide up to $200,000 for eligible hospital and medical-related expenses associated with the pre-existing medical condition.

To learn more about pre-existing conditions and stability, visit caasco.com/EducateMe to watch an educational video.

Yes, CAA Travel Insurance offers a top-up product that will allow you to purchase the additional days of medical coverage you require; however, we recommend that you speak with your current provider and ask if they allow you to purchase additional coverage from another company. Each travel insurance provider’s policies are different, so it’s best to ensure that this additional coverage is permitted beforehand.

For a top-up to another provider’s plan, you’ll need to visit your local CAA Store or call 1-800-437-8541 to speak with one of our travel insurance experts.

CAA’s Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance does offer the Cancel for Any Reason benefit. This allows you to cancel your trip up to three hours before departure and receive a refund of up to 50% from any prepaid non-refundable charges. Better still, if you purchased this travel insurance plan within 72 hours of having booked your trip with CAA Travel, you can receive a refund of up to 75%. Please check CAA’s Travel Insurance Policy Guide for complete terms and conditions.

Yes, CAA’s Trip Interruption and Cancellation Insurance protects you from a variety of unexpected events that could delay or cancel your trip. These events include if you’re forced to cancel your flight due to an unexpected medical emergency, a newly issued travel advisory or if the travel supplier you bought your trip from has suddenly gone out of business. Please check CAA’s Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance for more details on how to protect your vacation investment.

With CAA’s Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance in place, you can use the Cancel for Any Reason benefit to cancel your trip up to three hours before departure and receive a refund of up to 50% from any prepaid non-refundable charges. Better still, if you purchased the CAA’s Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance within 72 hours of booking your trip with CAA Travel, you can receive a refund of up to 75%. For more information, please check CAA’s Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance.

Yes, in the event you must interrupt or delay your trip for reasons that are covered, and if you’ve purchased CAA’s Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance policy prior to leaving on your trip, many benefits could apply to you and your travel companion (or companions). For a full list of covered reasons, please check CAA’s Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance.

Yes, you can. Most travel providers will cover women who are expecting as long as their pregnancy is going smoothly. Travel insurance can cover certain situations resulting from unforeseen pregnancy complications or a pregnancy that occurs after you’ve purchased your plan. However, there may be some limitations or exclusions. For example, your pregnancy and any related complications will no longer be covered starting nine weeks before your expected delivery date or for nine weeks after.

If you’re expecting, you should always consult with your doctor to determine whether it’s risky for you to travel and to find out if there are any potential contraindications with your chosen destination.

Family coverage is offered with all CAA Travel Insurance, except for our Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance. Family coverage is available as long as all of the family members travelling with you are insured under one policy and they’re listed on your Declaration Page. This coverage can insure you, your spouse, your children and your grandchildren for the plan purchased. For more information on family member eligibility, please refer to the Family Definition on page 48 of CAA’s Travel Insurance Policy Guide.

Most travel insurance providers will not cover health care for your pets, even though you may think of them as family. Most travel insurance companies will only cover expenses incurred for the return of your pet in the event of an emergency where you need to return to your home province.

In the event that one or more of your pets is accidentally injured while accompanying you on your trip, CAA’s Emergency Medical Insurance covers reimbursement for emergency veterinary services, up to a maximum of $300.

While your travel insurance benefits do not cover pets, we do include service animals, as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), in our definition of “family members.” Therefore, any benefits that apply to your family members would also apply to service animals. Keep in mind that emotional support animals or therapy animals are not considered service animals by the ADA.

To ensure your peace of mind, your best option is to purchase insurance that has been specially adapted to pets. Learn more on how to protect your pet with CAA Pet Insurance.