I’m one of those laissez-faire personalities that tends not to worry about insurance so it was a bit of a surprise when my father in law suggested that I get some medical travel insurance for the upcoming trip to Ireland. What? Really? Well he is a Doctor and I’m sure he has seen many a case so I decided to do some digging despite the fact that I’d only be 22 weeks pregnant at the time of travel. Surely nothing’s gonna happen!
As luck would have it I happen to sit next to someone from an insurance company during TBEX (that conference is great for networking I tell you!) and she helped me navigate through some of the muddy waters. Based on what she passed along and the research I’ve done on my own, the conclusion is that if you’re traveling internationally and have a pre-mature birth you’re shit outta luck! Yup. So why bother with travel insurance?
Nearly every travel insurance company I’ve contacted has obviously encouraged me to buy into a travel insurance plan because the plan does cover my medical expenses. My hospital bills in case of an emergency will be covered under their plans as I am travelling well before the coverage cut off date of 8-10 weeks before delivery (most insurance policies will not cover any expenses if it is within 8-10 weeks of delivery or past the due date). If I was the cautious type I would get travel insurance and really I know it is recommended. So if you’re traveling whilst pregnant, think about it. However if your main goal for getting the insurance is to cover any medical expenses for your currently unborn child, know that no Canadian insurance company will cover that. Atleast none of the 10 I interacted with. Those expenses will be out of your pocket.
I really do put EVERYTHING on my credit card so needless to say that if I put my $2.50 tomatoes on my Platinum Visa Avion card, my flights went on it too! Infact, after all our credit card expenses we manage to get a free ticket each year (on points) and the hubs is going to Ireland on points! Why am I telling you this? I could spend $40-$50 on additional travel insurance but I can also save that for Irish stews and sips of Guinness I’ll be sneaking in… because my credit card has a decent coverage plan and will cover most of the basic elements that these additional travel insurance policies cover (lost baggage, delayed flights, death!). Of course you’ll have to do your own research if you’re contemplating travel insurance vs. your current coverage. Just be sure to read through the pregnancy clauses and the “pre-existing conditions” clauses.
Safe travels my friends!
