Travel Insurance for Canadians Going to the US: Visitor Medical Plans Compared

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Plan terms below come from the official VisitorsCoverage and Insubuy plan pages, travel.gc.ca and the Nova Scotia government. We don’t make up prices, and terms can change, so read the policy wording before you buy.

Going to Florida for a week, driving to Maine for the weekend, or spending the winter in Arizona? A US hospital bill is one of the biggest money risks a Canadian traveller can face, and your provincial health card covers only a small part of it. This guide compares two US visitor medical plans that Canadians can buy for a US trip, explains the fine print on minimum trip lengths and pre-existing conditions, and points out when a Canadian insurer is the better choice. If you just want quotes, compare plans on VisitorsCoverage or get quotes from Insubuy.

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Do Canadians need travel insurance for the US?

It isn’t a legal entry requirement for Canadian visitors, but the Government of Canada is clear. On travel.gc.ca it says that if you travel outside Canada, “even for a day in the United States,” you should buy travel health insurance before you leave. It gives these reasons:

• Your provincial or territorial health plan may cover none, or only a small part, of medical costs abroad, including medical evacuation, and it never pays bills up front.
• Hospitals abroad can be very expensive and may want payment right away.
• The Government of Canada won’t pay your medical bills.

Here’s an example from home. Nova Scotia’s health insurance program pays for emergency inpatient care outside Canada at up to $525 CAD a day, plus 50% of ancillary fees. It doesn’t pay for outpatient visits, emergency-room tests and X-rays, prescriptions or ambulances. So if you’re asking “should I get travel insurance for the USA,” the official answer is yes. Your health card isn’t health insurance for Canadians in the US.

How much does US travel insurance cost from Canada?

Prices depend on your age, trip length, policy maximum, deductible and any add-ons, so the only reliable number is a live quote for your dates. We don’t list made-up prices. Here’s what the providers publish themselves:

• VisitorsCoverage’s Safe Travels USA Comprehensive page says a policy “can cost about $4 a day for a person 50 years of age” with the USA as the destination, and that every policy has a $20 minimum premium. Treat that as a rough guide only. Your quote will be different.
• Both plans let you choose your deductible and policy maximum. A higher deductible usually lowers the premium, but you pay more yourself before the plan pays.
• Older travellers usually pay more, and age bands also change some benefits, like the acute-onset limits below.

To see real numbers, enter your dates and ages in both quote tools and compare policies with the same maximum and deductible.

US visitor medical plans vs Canadian travel insurance

There are two quite different kinds of product, and it helps to know which one you’re buying:

• US visitor medical plans, like Safe Travels USA Comprehensive and Patriot America Plus, are made for non-US residents visiting the United States. They’re US-market products sold by US brokers, with access to a US PPO network (UnitedHealthcare for both plans here). They are standalone policies, not provincial top-ups, and they don’t coordinate with your provincial plan the way a Canadian policy might.
• Canadian travel medical insurance from insurers such as TuGo, Manulife and Blue Cross is sold to Canadian residents, priced in Canadian dollars, and often offers medical questionnaires and stable pre-existing condition cover, which matters for snowbirds.

For a healthy traveller on a trip of five days or longer, a visitor plan is worth comparing. For pre-existing conditions or very long winters, start with a Canadian insurer.

Comparison table

Get quotes for both: Safe Travels USA on VisitorsCoverage · Patriot America Plus on Insubuy

VisitorsCoverage Safe Travels USA

According to the VisitorsCoverage plan page, Safe Travels USA Comprehensive is a travel medical plan for international visitors to the United States, and Canadians qualify as non-US citizens and residents. Key terms:

• Coverage from 5 days up to 364 days, extendable before it expires. The eligibility list gives ages 1 to 89.
• After the deductible, it pays 100% of eligible medical expenses up to your policy maximum, both inside and outside the UnitedHealthcare PPO network. Urgent care has a $30 copay.
• Pre-existing conditions are not covered. Acute onset of a pre-existing condition is covered up to the policy maximum through age 69, $35,000 for ages 70–79 and $20,000 for 80+. For acute onset of cardiac conditions, the FAQ lists $25,000 up to age 69 and $15,000 from 70.
• Emergency medical evacuation up to $1,000,000 and return of remains up to $50,000. Trip interruption up to $5,000 and lost luggage up to $1,000 are also listed.
• You can buy it after you arrive in the US (within 364 days of arrival). Cancelling after the start date can cost a $50 fee, and you get no refund if there’s a claim.

Check Safe Travels USA prices for your dates. Insubuy also lists this plan, so you can compare it with other plans on Insubuy.

Insubuy Patriot America Plus

Insubuy’s guide for Canadians visiting the US recommends comprehensive visitor plans and lists Patriot America Plus first. The plan page says:

• It’s for non-US residents travelling to the US from their home country, and it can be bought for 5 days to 2 years.
• Policy maximums from $50,000 to $1,000,000, with deductibles from $0 to $2,500.
• After the deductible it pays 100% to the policy maximum in the UnitedHealthcare PPO network. Outside the network, it pays 90% up to $5,000, then 100%.
• Acute onset of pre-existing conditions is covered up to the policy maximum for people under 70. Check the brochure for limits at 70 and over.
• It’s extendable and refundable (conditions apply), and COVID-19 is treated like any other eligible illness.

Get a Patriot America Plus quote on Insubuy, then compare it with Safe Travels USA on VisitorsCoverage. Insubuy also lists a plan called Visitors Protect, with limited cover for pre-existing conditions. It has a 90-day minimum, so it’s only for longer stays. Read its terms carefully.

Fine print: 5-day minimums and pre-existing conditions

• 5-day minimum. Both plans start at 5 days. A weekend shopping trip to Bangor or a day trip across the border won’t fit, so use a Canadian single-trip or annual plan for short hops.
• Pre-existing conditions aren’t covered. Both plans exclude them. VisitorsCoverage gives diabetes, hypertension and heart conditions as examples that aren’t covered.
• Acute onset is narrow. It’s a sudden, unexpected flare-up with no warning from symptoms or a doctor. VisitorsCoverage says treatment must be obtained within 24 hours. A physician and the insurer decide whether a case qualifies.
• Age matters. Acute-onset limits drop at 70 on both plans, and Safe Travels USA has lower limits again at 80.
• Activities. Safe Travels USA excludes adventure and extreme sports like skiing unless you add a rider. travel.gc.ca also suggests checking for exclusions on activities like scuba diving.

travel.gc.ca’s advice: ask the insurer to explain its definitions, limits and restrictions on pre-existing conditions, and on any tests and treatments you’ve had, before you buy.

Snowbirds and long stays: Canadian insurers

If you spend the winter in Florida or Arizona, take regular medication, or have a heart condition, diabetes or high blood pressure, a US visitor plan probably isn’t the right fit, since stable pre-existing conditions aren’t covered. Get a quote from a Canadian travel medical insurer too, such as TuGo, Manulife or Blue Cross (we earn a commission if you buy TuGo through our links; we have no relationship with Manulife or Blue Cross). Ask how stable conditions are treated, how long the stability period is, and whether you can extend from the US. Also check your province’s rules on how long you can be away and still keep your health coverage.

Heading across the Atlantic instead? Read our Europe travel insurance guide.

FAQ: travel insurance for Canadians going to the US

Bottom line

Don’t cross the border with just your health card. For a healthy traveller on a trip of five days or more, a US visitor medical plan is often the best travel insurance for Canada–USA trips, so quote Safe Travels USA on VisitorsCoverage and Patriot America Plus on Insubuy, using the same deductible and maximum. For shorter trips, pre-existing conditions or a long winter, ask a Canadian insurer such as TuGo: get a TuGo travel medical quote.

Planning the rest of the trip? See flights from Halifax to Orlando, direct winter flights from Halifax and the cheapest places to fly from Halifax. Pick up an eSIM for Canada and the USA, read renting a car without a credit card, and if it’s a resort trip, start with our all-inclusive guide.

Keep planning

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