Health Insurance for Canadian Citizens Living Abroad

No need for home country coverage

Consider if you want insurance coverage back home in Canada or will rely on nationalized care.  Realize that when you travel abroad your universal healthcare plan or private Canadian medical plan through an employer will probably cover almost none of your emergency medical needs overseas. Or they may pay a tenth of your actual emergency room or hospital costs.

An international health insurance policy

Canadian national health insurance will usually cover you for 6-8 months abroad, because it is based on residency. See https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/publications/living-abroad.
(To keep your permanent resident status, you must have been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years. These 730 days don’t need to be continuous. Some of your time abroad may count towards the 730 days.) It takes about three months to have your health care reinstated upon your return to Canada (Since you will need to establish that you are a full-time resident again). Make sure your replacement or supplemental international health insurance will cover you and your family during this period.

Excluding the U.S. where feasible to save on premiums

If you are not primarily living or working in the USA, you can often choose to waive coverage in the USA to save money.

Your budget

Canadians receiving national health care may be surprised by the costs of good international health insurance. Consider your budget and your expectations when selecting an international health plan.

Your age and relative health

(Do you need pre-existing medical coverage? Is there anything you are currently being seen by a doctor for? Are you on medication for any health condition?) Some international health insurance Canada / Canadians feature more flexible underwriting where other carriers tend to be more strict. They may exclude a particular condition (“waiver”) or charge more due to health issues (called a “rate-up”). This is different than in Canada, or even in the USA with new ACA health insurance laws.

Consider what you are buying

The quality of the carrier and their customer service record. Their local network of service providers and direct-pay agreements where you will be living overseas. The cheapest rate may not be the best option depending on your destination and the quality of local care.

What benefits do you require?

Is high-risk, crisis management or terrorism benefits important? How about accidental death benefits or will you continue your current life insurance policy abroad? Will your life insurance benefits pay out if something happens to you while living overseas? Do you want maternity benefits as part of your plan, including for possible adoption?

Is it renewable?

If you decide to stay multiple years or additional months, can you easily renew while living overseas or do you need to reapply/go through underwriting again?

Give us a call or email us at [email protected] about recommendations or to get answers to your questions. We actually prefer to speak with you personally in order to avoid confusion and make sure we understand what you require. Many Canadians looking for international health insurance for travel outside Canada will contact us even one year before actually relocating abroad in order to plan and budget accordingly. They may also wish to give themselves time to select the right plan.