What Your Provincial Health Plan Actually Covers Abroad (It’s Less Than You Think)

Most Canadians assume their provincial health card works everywhere, but it does not cover you fully across provincial borders, let alone internationally. We outline how much provincial health plans pay outside your province, what costs remain uncovered, and how travel insurance protects you from catastrophic medical expenses.

Does provincial health insurance cover medical care outside your province?

Provincial health insurance provides only a small fraction of coverage for emergency medical care internationally. Most provinces reimburse only a small fraction of emergency medical costs outside Canada.

Ontario (OHIP)

OHIP pays only a small fraction of emergency medical costs outside Canada. It pays doctor services up to Ontario rates, up to $400 a day for an operating room, coronary care unit, intensive care unit, or neonatal or pediatric special care unit, up to $200 a day for lower levels of inpatient care, and up to $50 a day for emergency outpatient services.

British Columbia (MSP)

MSP pays a maximum of $75/day for emergency hospital care outside Canada.

Alberta (AHCIP)

Alberta reimburses $100/day for in-patient hospital services outside Canada.

Quebec (RAMQ)

RAMQ reimburses at Quebec rates for hospital and physician services. This covers only a small fraction of emergency medical costs in the US or Europe.

Does provincial coverage apply when travelling within Canada?

Provincial health plans cover basic physician and hospital visits in other provinces, but they exclude many essential emergency services. Interprovincial travel still leaves you exposed to substantial out-of-pocket expenses.

Travelling from Ontario to BC? Your provincial plan doesn’t cover ambulance fees, prescription medications at out-of-province pharmacies, or medical equipment rentals in the other province. A Travel Within Canada plan fills these gaps, with no stability requirement for pre-existing conditions.

Why do you need travel insurance if you have provincial coverage?

You need travel insurance because provincial health care covers only a minor fraction of medical costs abroad, leaving you responsible for the rest. Emergency travel insurance covers the medical expenses your provincial plan leaves behind.

Abroad, your province covers only a small fraction of your emergency medical costs. Travel insurance covers the rest, up to $5,000,000 on eligible plans.

Coverage is priced to your trip. Get your quote →

Questions travellers ask

Does OHIP cover emergency medical care outside Canada?

OHIP pays only a small fraction of emergency medical costs outside Canada. It pays doctor services up to Ontario rates, up to $400 a day for an operating room, coronary care unit, intensive care unit, or neonatal or pediatric special care unit, up to $200 a day for lower levels of inpatient care, and up to $50 a day for emergency outpatient services. Without private travel insurance, you are responsible for paying most of your international hospital and medical bills yourself.

How much does BC MSP pay for hospital care outside British Columbia?

MSP pays a maximum of $75 per day for emergency hospital care outside Canada, leaving you responsible for the rest of your hospital expenses abroad.

What does provincial health care not cover when travelling within Canada?

When travelling to another Canadian province, your provincial plan does not cover ambulance fees, prescription medications at out-of-province pharmacies, or medical equipment rentals. A Travel Within Canada plan fills these medical gaps with no stability requirement for pre-existing conditions.

How much emergency medical coverage does travel insurance provide?

While provincial health plans cover only a small fraction of emergency medical costs abroad, travel insurance can cover eligible expenses up to $5,000,000. Coverage is priced to your trip, protecting you from substantial hospital and doctor bills outside your home province.