Last Updated on March 24, 2023
In the mid-2000s Emergency Travel Medical Insurance coverage began to emerge as a new insurance benefit on premium travel rewards credit cards and now it is even being added to cash back cards. Also called Out of Province Medical Coverage this type of insurance benefits covers medical needs that should arise if you are travelling outside of your home province. Think of this insurance as something like your provincial health care plan but for outside of your province. Coverage varies by card and the primary condition set out by all of them is the age of the cardholder. Ever since this type of insurance was introduced on credit cards we started receiving and still receive requests from some of Rewards Canada's 'seasoned' readers about coverage once they hit 65 years old. We first looked into this around 2010 and at that time personally responded via email to those who asked. But somehow when 2013 hit, we started to receive so many emails asking about which credit cards provide Emergency Travel Medical Insurance coverage for people over the age of 65 that we figured it was best to summarize all the information into one post.
We have gone through all of the major Travel Rewards and Cash Back credit cards in Canada that provide this insurance benefit and summarized their age coverage in the chart below.
We do want to stress however that if you are picking a card primarily for the Travel Medical Insurance coverage be sure to read the policy before you get the card to see what is and what isn't covered, what the coverage periods are and more as each card has their own 'exclusions' and such. Here are some of the things that stood out for us:
These are only a few of the conditions and/or exclusions. Key word here in many of the cases is Emergency, so if you are getting routine care for something prior to travel there is a possibility it may not be covered. Also, many of the policies require you to contact the insurer as soon as possible and get approval for the treatment except where the emergency is life threatening: This excerpt is taken from the CIBC Avenutra Visa Infinite policy:
"In the event of an emergency, you must call Global Excel before seeking treatment. If it is not reasonably possible for you to contact Global Excel before seeking treatment due to the nature of your emergency, you must have someone else call on your behalf or you must call as soon as medically possible. Failure to do so may limit the benefits payable to you."
So please, before you choose a card based solely on the medical insurance please read the policies carefully of those cards that you are considering before making your decision.
Many of the cards also allow you to extend your coverage for a fee should you be travelling for a period of time that exceeds the maximum time allowed by a card.
You will also want to check the policies regarding the COVID-19 pandemic as many will not cover you if you choose to travel when there is an advisory not to travel (ie avoid all non-essential travel) or if you travel to an area that is not recommended for travel.
Maximum coverage by age group:
Card / Age Group | up to 54 | 55 - 59 | 60 - 64 | 65 - 75 | 76+ | Stabilization Period |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | 90 days |
American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | 90 days |
American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | 90 days |
American Express Cobalt® Card | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | 90 days |
American Express® Gold Rewards Card | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | 90 days |
ATB World Elite Mastercard® | 22 Days | 22 Days | 22 Days | 0 | 0 | 180 days |
BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* MasterCard®* | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | 180 days (stated as 6 months in the policy) |
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* MasterCard®* | 08 Days | 08 Days | 08 Days | 0 | 0 | 180 days (stated as 6 months in the policy) |
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | 90 days |
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege* Card |
22 days | 22 days | 22 days | 03 days | 03 days | 90 days up to 64 180 days for 65+ |
BMO World Elite™* MasterCard®* | 21 Days | 21 Days | 21 Days | 0 | 0 | 180 days (stated as 6 months in the policy) |
Brim World MasterCard | 08 Days | 08 Days | 08 Days | 0 | 0 | |
Brim World Elite MasterCard | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 03 days | 03 days | |
Business Platinum Card® from American Express | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | |
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Card | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 03 days | 03 days | |
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card | 31 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 10 days | 10 days | |
CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 03 days | 03 days | |
CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Privilege Card | 31 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 10 days | 10 days | |
CIBC Aventura® Gold Visa* Card | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | |
CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card | 10 Days | 10 Days | 10 Days | 0 | 0 | |
Collabria Travel Rewards Gold Card | 60 Days | 60 Days | 31 Days | 10 Days | 0 | |
Collabria World Card | 60 Days | 60 Days | 31 Days | 10 Days | 0 | |
Collabria Visa Infinite Card | 60 Days | 60 Days | 31 Days | 10 Days | 0 | |
Desjardins Cash Back World Elite®Mastercard® | 03 Days | 03 Days | 03 Days | 03 Days | 03 Days | |
Desjardin Odyssey® Gold Visa* | 60 Days | 60 Days | 31 Days | 15 Days | 0 | |
Desjardin Odyssey® World Elite® Mastercard® | 60 Days | 60 Days | 31 Days | 15 Days | 0 | |
Desjardin Odyssey® Visa* Infinite Privilege | 60 Days | 60 Days | 31 Days | 15 Days | 0 | |
HSBC World Elite® Mastercard® | 31 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 21 Days | 21 Days | 180 days up to 64 365 days for 65+ |
Laurentian Bank Visa Infinite | 31 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 15 Days | 0 | |
MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard® | 21 Days | 21 Days | 21 Days | 0 | 0 | |
Meridian Visa Infinite* Cash Back Card | 48 Days | 48 Days | 23 Days | 15 Days | 0 | |
Meridian Visa Infinite* Travel Rewards Card | 48 Days | 48 Days | 23 Days | 15 Days | 0 | |
National Bank of Canada World Elite Mastercard | 60 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 90 days up to 60 180 days for 61+ |
National Bank of Canada World Mastercard | 60 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 15 Days | 0 | |
National Bank of Canada Platinum Mastercard | 10 Days | 10 Days | 10 Days | 10 Days | 0 | |
PC Financial World Elite Mastercard | 10 Days | 10 Days | 10 Days | 0 | 0 | |
The Platinum Card® from American Express | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | |
RBC Avion Visa Infinite | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 03 days | 03 days | |
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 03 days | 03 days | |
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege | 31 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 07 Days | 07 Days | |
RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card | 31 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 07 Days | 07 Days | |
RBC Cathay Pacific Visa Platinum Card | 31 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 07 Days | 07 Days | |
RBC Rewards Visa Preferred | 31 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 07 Days | 07 Days | |
Rogers World Elite Mastercard | 10 Days | 10 Days | 10 Days | 03 Days | 0 | |
Scotia Gold American Express Card | 25 Days | 25 Days | 25 Days | 03 Days | 03 Days | |
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card | 25 Days | 25 Days | 25 Days | 03 Days | 03 Days | |
Scotiabank®* Platinum American Express® Card | 31 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 10 days | 10 days | |
ScotiaGold Passport® VISA* card | 25 Days | 25 Days | 25 Days | 0 | 0 | |
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business card | 25 Days | 25 Days | 25 Days | 10 days | 10 days | |
Scotia Momentum® VISA* Infinite card | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | |
Scotiabank® GM®* VISA* Infinite Card | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | |
Servus Credit Union World Elite® Mastercard® | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | |
Servus Credit Union Gold Mastercard® | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | |
SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 0 | 0 | |
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card | 21 Days | 21 Days | 21 Days | 04 Days | 04 Days | |
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card | 31 Days | 31 Days | 31 Days | 04 Days | 04 Days | |
TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card | 21 Days | 21 Days | 21 Days | 04 Days | 04 Days | |
TD Cash Back Visa Infinite* Card | 10 Days | 10 Days | 10 Days | 04 Days | 04 Days | |
Vancity enviro™ Visa Infinite Privilege* card | 22 Days | 22 Days | 22 Days | 03 days | 03 days | |
WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard | 15 Days | 15 Days | 15 Days | 03 days | 03 days |
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This feature was first posted on February 19, 2013 and is updated on a regular basis
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