Travel insurance for flights from Montréal

Elsewhere in Canada, hospital care is generally covered. Quebec works a little differently from other provinces for doctor visits, though: because it doesn't take part in the interprovincial physician billing arrangement, a doctor in Ontario or B.C. may ask you to pay up front and claim the money back from RAMQ yourself. Ambulance and prescriptions can be further out-of-pocket costs.

Outside Canada, RAMQ reimburses emergency hospital and medical care only up to set maximum amounts, and those are usually well below what private hospitals charge in the U.S. or many other countries. It doesn't pay for repatriation. The Quebec government recommends buying private travel insurance before you leave.

RAMQ also has rules on how long you can be away from Quebec and stay covered, and how to claim. They change from time to time, so check ramq.gouv.qc.ca before each trip.

Emergency travel medical pays eligible costs if you get sick or injured during the trip, including hospital, doctor, ambulance and a medically needed return to Montréal. This is the one to have on every trip outside the country.

Trip cancellation and interruption reimburses prepaid, non-refundable costs (flights, hotels, packages, a Paris apartment rental) if a covered event, such as a sudden illness or a family emergency, stops you leaving or cuts your trip short. It's especially useful for a sun package booked months ahead for the construction holiday or spring break.

Some credit cards and group plans include one or both, but often with limits. Read what counts as a covered reason. Changing your mind or events already known when you bought the policy are generally excluded.

If you take one big trip a year, like two weeks in France, a single-trip plan is the simple choice. You set the exact dates and choose the benefits for that trip.

If your year also includes a New York weekend, a trip to Toronto or Vancouver and a Florida week, a multi-trip annual plan covers every trip within the year, up to a per-trip maximum length. Compare its price against buying single-trip policies, and make sure the per-trip length covers your longest trip. Remember that annual plans are usually focused on medical cover, so a costly package may still need separate cancellation cover.

Quebec has a big snowbird community in Florida, from Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood to the Gulf Coast. If you winter in the U.S., look at RAMQ's rules on time away so you don't put your provincial coverage at risk, and make sure your private plan covers the whole stay. Long-stay policies usually include health questions, and prices reflect age and medical history.

Short U.S. trips count as well. A weekend in New York or a week at Orlando's parks falls under U.S. hospital pricing from the moment you arrive, and RAMQ's limits leave most of that bill to you.

Most policies only cover a pre-existing condition if it has been stable for a period set in the policy before departure. That usually means no new symptoms, no changes to treatment or medication and no pending tests or referrals. Every insurer defines it in its own way.

If there's a medical questionnaire, answer it fully and accurately, because an error can cause a claim to be denied. For an ongoing condition, check with the insurer or a licensed advisor. We can't give personal advice.

Buy cancellation cover as soon as your trip is paid for. It only protects you from the day you buy it, so illness or a family emergency before then isn't covered. Some benefits also depend on buying within a set time after your first deposit.

You can buy travel medical closer to departure, but do it before you leave Quebec. Some policies restrict cover or add waiting periods if bought after you've left.

Here's how YUL's most-searched routes line up for travel insurance, with links to our fare and timing guides for each.

• Paris & London

  Transatlantic fares, prepaid apartments and rail passes make interruption cover worthwhile. Don't assume European hospitals will treat visitors for free.

  Montréal to Paris · Best time YUL → CDG · Montréal to London

• Florida — Fort Lauderdale & Orlando

  A snowbird favourite and a family classic. You'll pay U.S. medical costs, so medical cover is essential, and longer stays need a plan that covers the whole trip.

  Montréal to Fort Lauderdale · Best time YUL → FLL · Montréal to Orlando · Best time YUL → MCO

• Cancún

  All-inclusive packages are prepaid, so cancellation cover matters. Check whether excursions and water sports are excluded.

  Montréal to Cancún · Cheap calendar YUL → CUN

• New York

  It's a short flight, but U.S. hospital prices apply. A single-trip medical plan costs little next to the risk.

  Montréal to New York · Cheap calendar YUL → NYC

• Within Canada — Toronto & Vancouver

  Hospital care is generally covered, but you may have to pay a doctor up front and claim from RAMQ. Cancellation cover protects prepaid trips.

  Montréal to Toronto · Cheap calendar YUL → YYZ · Montréal to Vancouver