I'll be riding from California to Alaska and back, through Canada (sorry to state the obvious!).

While in the US, my health care is provided by Veteran Affairs, which provide no services for injury or illness while travelling outside the US. That means I need traveler's insurance or some such. Do any of you have recommendations, warnings, or general advice that might be helpful?

Things I think I need to be insured for:
- health care (think injury)
- disability
- accidental death / dismemberment
- life insurance (?)

Thanks in advance for your help!


My bike and damage it does or is done to it while in Canada is covered by my GEICO motorcycle insurance.

 

My first thought would be to check with your credit card company and see what they offer. After that I would look at www.bcaa.com which should be affiliated with AAA in the U.S.

Enjoy your trip and ride safe.

 

Usually your AAA has plans you can purchase for out of country coverage. My credit card covers me for 30 days out of country. Maybe there's a TARIFFS on it now, ha ha !

 

I traveled from Washington state to Alaska via Canada on my HD in 2015. I have private insurance (United Healthcare) that would cover emergency expenses while in Canada. From a previous actual emergency experience involving a relative visiting in Alberta, I felt confident they would eventually pay if I had a true emergency, after having a dog fight with them. I visited the local AAA insurance office and took out a travel policy. It covered $50,000 in medical expense and up to $2 million in evacuation expenses anywhere in the world, exept I think North Korea. The policy was good for 30 days and cost $42. My trip was 21 days total. I didn't use the insurance and it was money well spent in my mind. My bigger worry wasn't so much Canada but being air evac'd out of some remote Alaskan town back to Washington.

 

Wish I could help ya. GREAT hearing abt ur ride tho........... Go Man Go!

I used to ride coast to coast up there many times. Even got a NEXUS Card and never thought about it. Now u r making me think abt it. Hmmmm. B4 I go next time, I will need to check into this.

With their social system, I would think they would just fix u up and then u r on your way.........??

BuzzCap7

 

They do fix you up, and it was very good care. Broken femur on my 78 year old mother. But since we were not enrolled in the social medical system, they wanted paid. State Farm renters insurance paid most of it, United Healghcare picked up the rest after the Attorney General's office in the state of Nebraska leaned on them. They could never find the claim or the paperwork, but they found the AG's letter.

 

You absolutely need to buy an insurance plan if travelling into Canada, also if you are a Canadian you should also have supplemental insurance when travelling outside of your home province as coverage varies greatly from province to province. Only a fool would trust what your credit card offers for coverage, often times their policies have loop holes that you can drive a truck through and only offer a meager payment only after all other options have been exercised.You may be covered through extended benefits through your health or work plan,but read very carefully,it is often best to just pay a few bucks and buy a plan through AAA or CAA. Health care is far from free no matter where you live,it is horrendously expensive if you have to use it in any foreign country without the right insurance, Canada is no exception to that general rule,you will get the medical attention you need here in an emergency,but you or your insurance company are going to have to pay for it.

 

My only trip into Canada was a visit to Niagra on the Lake and never thought of the health coverage issues probably due to having very good health coverage in the U.S. While I have no immediate plans to travel into/through our neighbors to the north I'm certainly glad I came upon this thread.

 

Recently learned that you want to get the Canada coverage card from your vehicle insurance company. Without it, should you be in an accident, you may well find your vehicle impounded and yourself in a red tape mess.

As for your medical, contact the VA about Canada coverage. It's there, but seems you want some documentation and such to show you're covered, and how.

https://www.benefits.va.gov/persona/veteran-abroad.asp

https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/pro.../fmp/index.asp

 

Hope that wasn't directed at me regarding "card holder coverage".. I had mine thoroughly reviewed, and have used it as such. Any policies have loopholes for those that are dishonest in stating their health conditions on signing coverage documents. Just trying to save the guy money if his card covers it off.