Travelling abroad for school?

Each year tens of thousands of students leave home to study abroad at foreign schools or through exchange programs at Canadian high schools and universities.

Student biking in Europe

The moment these students leave Canadian soil for what will, no doubt, be one of the greatest adventures of their lives, they are also entering another situation most Canadians are unfamiliar with: being almost completely without healthcare protection.

While provincial health insurance plans allow for extended travel outside the country for students, they offer limited coverage for foreign medical costs.

When you consider that the number one destination for Canadians studying abroad, the US, is also the most expensive country in the world for medical care, that proposition gets a little worrisome. Hospital stays in the US can run as high as $12,000 per day (averaging around $5,000), and that’s not including the actual treatment.

Uninsured students abroad can also be flown back to Canada in some cases for medical treatment, leaving them, or their parents, left to pay for the travel costs back home and a return trip to resume studies. The right insurance policy can provide emergency medical treatment in the country where they are studying, and in many cases pays to fly a parent or family member to be with the injured student in hospital.

There is no need to let the risk of illness or injury prevent you or your children from this life-changing experience. Speak to an insurance professional about how a travel insurance policy can take some of the risk out of studying abroad, and provide some peace of mind for parents at home.

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