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Scotia Travel Insurance Review 2024

Updated: Jan 8, 2024, 1:17pm

Scotia Travel Insurance offers comprehensive coverage in the event of a medical or travel emergency. And if you’re worried about testing positive for COVID while travelling, the COVID-19 Pandemic Travel Plan has you covered. There’s also robust travel assistance services, including a mobile assistance app and medical concierge. If you have any pre-existing conditions, the Individual Medical Underwriting Plan can help you get the coverage you need. While the cost is comparable to other plans, Scotia Travel Insurance offers a lot of value, unless you live in Quebec, as travel insurance is not currently offered there.

• Comprehensive coverage
• Robust travel assistance services
• TravelAid mobile assistance app
• Individual Medical Underwriting Plan
• Not available for Quebec residents
• Not able to customize coverage
• No plan upgrades or add-ons
• No CFAR coverage

Table of Contents

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The Bank of Nova Scotia, now operating as Scotiabank, became the first chartered bank in Canada in 1832. With assets of over $1.4 trillion as of October 2023, Scotiabank is one of Canada’s Big Six Banks. Scotiabank offers personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets services.

Scotia Travel Insurance, distributed by the BNS Insurance Agency Inc., is underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife) and First North American Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manulife. Manulife has appointed Active Claims Management Inc. (operating as Active Care Management) as the provider of all assistance and claims services.

Scotia Travel Insurance is currently not available for Quebec residents.

Here are the key types of travel insurance coverage offered in Scotia Travel Insurance plans:

• Emergency medical insurance: If you get ill or are injured on your trip, travel medical insurance can pay for emergency medical expenses, up to the coverage limits in your plan. These expenses can include doctor and hospital bills, medication and lab work, as well as medical evacuations, repatriation and arranging for a bedside companion if you are hospitalized.
• Trip cancellation insurance: If you cancel a trip for a reason listed in your travel policy, such as you or your travelling companion becoming ill, weather conditions cause a massive delay or you lose your job, trip cancellation insurance can reimburse you for prepaid, non-refundable costs.
• Travel interruption or delay insurance: Trip interruption insurance can pay for a last-minute flight home in an emergency and reimburse money that you lose by cutting a trip short due to a covered reason, including non-refundable activities and hotel stays. If your flight is delayed , your insurance can cover the cost of incidentals, such as meals or accommodations, after a specified period of time, such as six, 10 or 12 hours.
• Baggage insurance: Baggage travel insurance can compensate you up to your policy limits if your luggage is lost or stolen. It will reimburse the depreciated value of your suitcases and what you packed. If your bags are delayed, it can reimburse you for the cost of the necessities you’ll have to buy to tide you over. It also extends to your personal belongings, if they are lost, damaged or stolen.
• Travel accident insurance. This coverage offers compensation in the event of accidental death or catastrophic injury from an accident during your trip. Flight Accident Insurance covers injury while you’re on a commercial plane, during a connection or in an airport. Travel Accident Insurance covers death or dismemberment, including the loss of limbs or eyesight, while in transit during your trip.

Scotia Travel Insurance offers three core plans for travelling outside of Canada, as well as a COVID-19 Pandemic Travel Plan.

All Inclusive: This is the most comprehensive plan offered by Scotia Travel Insurance. It includes coverage for unforeseen medical emergencies, trip cancellation and interruption, flight and travel accident coverage, and baggage loss, damage and delay insurance.

Emergency medical treatment includes:

• Hospital accommodation up to a semi-private room and/or treatment expenses in an intensive care unit or coronary care unit
• Treatment by a physician
• Private duty nursing
• Rental or purchase of a hospital bed, wheelchair, brace, crutch or other medical appliance
• X-rays and other diagnostic tests
• Prescription drugs
• Paramedical services, such as care from a chiropractor, osteopath, physiotherapist, chiropodist or podiatrist, up to $70 per visit, maximum $700 per injury
• Ambulance transportation
• Emergency dental due to a blow to the face, up to $3,000 (up to $1,500 during your trip and up to $1,500 when you return home)
• Emergency dental due to pain, up to $300

Medical benefits also include coverage to bring someone to your bedside, expenses for meals, hotel accommodations and associated expenses if you are hospitalized and/or if a medical delay prevents you from returning home, repatriation expenses and return of your remains if you die.

Emergency Medical: If you’re only worried about medical emergencies while travelling, this benefit offers all of the medical coverage listed above.

Trip Cancellation/Interruption: This coverage option reimburses you for insured non-refundable travel expenses (such as hotels or prepaid excursions) if you have to cancel, interrupt, or delay your trip due to a covered reason. This benefit also includes baggage loss, damage and delay coverage, flight and travel accident coverage, and provides a specific benefit for a missed connection.

COVID-19 Pandemic Travel Plan: This plan helps protect you from unexpected emergency medical expenses and includes additional benefits for COVID-19-related expenses. Specifically, this plan pays up to $5 million for non-COVID-19-related claims and up to $5 million for COVID-19-related expenses if you are fully vaccinated, and up to $1 million if you are not. There are also interruption benefits if you need to self-isolate or quarantine.

We’ve highlighted the key benefits of Scotia Travel Insurance for the three core single trip plans to help you identify which coverage is the best fit for you.

The price of a Scotia Travel Insurance plan depends on factors such as the cost of your trip, your age, your answers to a medical questionnaire, if required, and the amount of coverage you choose.

You can reduce your premium cost by choosing a $500, $1,000, $5,000 or $10,000 deductible, or the amount you pay out before coverage kicks in, for the emergency medical insurance.

Here’s how each deductible option impacts your premium:

Scotia Travel Insurance offers the following coverage options:

• Companion, defined as two travellers travelling together
• Family coverage, defined as up to four adults under the age of 60 (parents and/or grandparents) and their dependent children travelling together

Here are some examples of the cost for Scotia Travel Insurance single trip plans for healthy travellers based in Ontario assuming a $0 deductible:

When you start the quote process, you are asked if you are new to Scotiabank or an existing Scotiabank customer. Depending on your answer, you will continue your quote on the Scotiabank web interface or the Scotia Insurance (BNS Insurance Agency) interface. However, using the above sample quote of the solo traveller visiting the UK, the premium costs are the same, as are the insurance policies.

CIBC Travel Insurance

Emergency medical: $10 million Cancel For Any Reason: No Baggage insurance (maximum): $2,000

Related: CIBC Travel Insurance Review

BMO Travel Insurance

Emergency medical: $5 million Cancel For Any Reason: No Baggage insurance (maximum): $750

Related: BMO Travel Insurance Review

RBC Insurance

Emergency medical: Unlimited Cancel For Any Reason: No Baggage insurance (maximum): $1,000

Related: RBC Insurance Travel Insurance

Scotia does not offer additional add-ons, endorsements or upgrades for its travel insurance.

Yes, Scotia offers the Travel Companion Savings discount. When a travel companion also purchases any Scotia Travel Emergency Medical Plan, the premium is reduced by 5% for each traveller.

Yes. You can buy multi-trip annual insurance if you travel more than once a year for multiple individual trips. Scotia offers a Multi-Trip Emergency Medical plan for four, 10, 18, 30 or 60 days, or a Multi-Trip All Inclusive Plan for four, 10, 18 or 30 days.

Worldwide emergency travel assistance is available 24/7 by calling the Active Care Management Assistance Centre, Scotia’s appointed claims and assistance provider.

You can also get immediate access to the Assistance Centre via the TravelAid mobile app that includes features such as:

• Medical facility search by GPS
• International 911 lookup
• Travel tips
• Starting your claim process
• A direct link for immediate 24/7 medical assistance

When you have a travel emergency, depending on your coverage, the following support may be available:

• Verifying and explaining coverage
• Referral to a physician, hospital or other health-care provider
• Monitoring your medical emergency and keeping your family informed
• Arranging for return transportation home when medically necessary
• Arranging of direct billing of covered expenses (where possible)
• Assistance with lost, stolen or delayed baggage
• Assistance in obtaining emergency cash
• Translation and interpreter services in a medical emergency
• Emergency message services
• Help to replace lost or stolen airline tickets
• Assistance with obtaining prescription drugs
• Assistance in obtaining legal help or bail bond

The Assistance Centre also provides the following pre-trip services:

• Passport and travel visa information
• Health hazards advisory
• Weather information
• Currency exchange information
• Consulate and embassy locations

You must contact the Assistance Centre before receiving medical treatment or you may have to pay 20% of the eligible medical expenses. If you are unable to call, you must get someone to call on your behalf. For other insurance coverage, such as trip cancellation or interruption, you must call within 48 hours.

The insurer notes that if you choose to pay eligible expenses directly to a medical provider before prior approval, the reimbursement amount will be based on the “reasonable and customary” charges that the insurer would have paid directly to the provider. You will be responsible for any difference.

Scotia Travel Insurance also offers StandbyMD, a medical concierge service that provides telephone access to a physician who can assess your symptoms and provide treatment options, as well as house-call visits in 86 countries and 4,000 cities. In addition, when you travel to the US, StandbyMD offers the following services:

• Same-day coordination and delivery of lost or forgotten prescription maintenance medication, eye glasses, contact lenses and medical supplies
• Referral to medical specialists, chiropractors, dentists, walk-in clinics, urgent care centres or more than 50,000 hospitals for evaluation and treatment
• Physician co-ordination to an emergency room and, whenever possible in select cities, will “fast track” you through the emergency room

In general, a pre-existing condition is defined as any sickness, injury or medical condition that existed before the start of your coverage, whether or not diagnosed by a physician, that you showed signs or symptoms of or received medical attention for.

With a Scotia Travel Insurance policy, any pre-existing conditions must be stable for three or six months, depending on your age and health status, before the start of your policy to be eligible for coverage.

According to Scotia, a medical condition is considered stable when all of the following are true:

• There has not been any new treatment prescribed or recommended, or changes to the existing treatment, including a stoppage in treatment.
• There has not been any change in medication, or any recommendation or starting of a new prescription drug.
• The medical condition has not become worse.
• There has not been any new, more frequent or more severe symptoms.
• There has been no hospitalization or referral to a specialist.
• There have not been any tests, investigation or treatment recommended, but not yet complete, nor any outstanding test results.
• There is no planned or pending treatment.

Travellers aged 59 and under are not required to complete a health questionnaire and are automatically assigned a Rate Category A.

Travellers aged 60 or over are required to complete a health questionnaire to determine your eligibility and rate category, either B or C.

Your rate category determines the period of the stability requirement for coverage of any pre-existing medical condition(s).

For policyholders assigned a Rate Category A, Scotia will not pay any expenses related to:

• Any pre-existing condition that is not stable in the three months before your coverage begins
• Any heart condition that has not been stable in the three months before your coverage begins or you’ve taken any form of nitroglycerin for angina pain
• Any lung condition that has not been stable in the three months before your coverage begins or you’ve required treatment with oxygen or prednisone

For policyholders assigned a Rate Category B or C, Scotia will not pay any expenses related to:

• Any pre-existing condition that is not stable in the six months before your coverage begins
• Any heart condition that has not been stable in the six months before your coverage begins or you’ve taken any form of nitroglycerin for angina pain
• Any lung condition that has not been stable in the six months before your coverage begins or you’ve required treatment with oxygen or prednisone

Scotia Travel Insurance also offers an Individual Medical Underwriting Plan for travellers of any age who would like their pre-existing medical conditions covered with no stability requirements. When you call and speak to an insurance representative, you will need to answer questions regarding your medical condition(s). The cost will vary according to your health needs and circumstances. If you do not answer all questions truthfully and accurately, in the event of a claim, you may not be eligible for coverage.

In addition to pre-existing condition exclusions, there are a number of scenarios not covered by travel insurance and it’s critical to know what not to do before you make a claim. The following are general exclusions to coverages provided by Scotia Travel Insurance:

• Covered expenses that exceed the “reasonable and customary” charges where the medical emergency happens
• Diagnostic tests, including MRIs, CAT scans, ultrasounds, biopsies, or any surgery (with exceptions) that are not approved in advance
• Any non-emergency, investigative or elective surgery, such as cosmetic surgery, chronic care or rehabilitation
• Continued treatment once your medical emergency has ended
• An emergency resulting from mountain climbing requiring specialized equipment, rock climbing, parachuting, skydiving, hang-gliding or any other air-supported sporting device, participating in a motorized speed contest, your professional participation in a sport, snorkeling or scuba-diving when that sport, snorkelling or scuba-diving is your principal paid occupation
• Self-inflicted injuries, unless the injuries are related to a mental health illness
• Committing or attempting to commit a criminal act
• Non-compliance with recommended or prescribed therapy or treatment
• Any loss, injury or death related to intoxication, the misuse, abuse, overdose or chemical dependence on medication, drugs, alcohol or other intoxicant
• Any loss resulting from a minor mental or emotional disorder
• Your routine prenatal care, pregnancy, childbirth or complications from either in the nine weeks before or after your expected due date, or a child born on the trip
• For insured children under the age of two, any medical condition related to a birth defect
• Any emergency that occurs or recurs after you’ve been advised to return home and you chose not to
• Death or injury sustained while piloting an aircraft, learning to pilot an aircraft or acting as a member of the crew
• Any act of terrorism or medical condition sustained in a country, region or city with a Government of Canada Level 3 (avoid all non-essential travel) or Level 4 (avoid all travel) is in effect before your coverage began
• Any act of war, noting that limited coverage exists with respect to an act of terrorism

There may be additional exclusions specifically for medical, trip cancellation/interruption/delay and baggage coverage.

To be eligible for Scotia Travel Insurance you must be:

• A resident of Canada and covered under a government health insurance plan
• At least 30 days old

In addition, the following makes you ineligible for Scotia Travel Insurance:

• Your physician has advised you not to travel at this time.
• You have a terminal illness or metastatic cancer.
• You require kidney dialysis.
• You have used or been prescribed home oxygen in the last 12 months.
• You have had a bone marrow, stem cell or organ transplant (with an exception for corneal transplants).

You can file a claim 24/7 by visiting the TravelAid mobile app, online at the Active Care Management claims portal (the insurer’s assistance and claims service provider), by email or by phone.

Claims must be reported within 30 days of the occurrence and you must submit your proof of claim within 90 days of the claim or the service provided. Your reimbursement will be paid out within 60 days, after your proof of claim and all documentation has been received. Completed claims forms and required documents can be submitted online, by email or by mail.

If you are making an emergency medical claim, documentation may include (but is not limited to):

• Original itemized receipts for all bills and invoices
• Proof of payment by you and any other benefits plan
• Medical records, including complete diagnosis by the attending physician or documentation by the hospital that must support that the treatment was medically necessary
• Proof of the accident if you are submitting a dental claim
• Proof of travel
• Your historical medical records, if required

For a trip cancellation/trip interruption/trip delay claim, you may be asked to provide:

• A medical certificate completed by the attending physician and stating why travel was not possible as booked, if the claim was for medical reasons
• A report from the police or other responsible authority documenting the reason for the delay if your claims is due to a misconnection
• Complete original unused transportation tickets and vouchers
• Original passenger receipts for the new tickets you had to purchase
• Original receipts for the travel arrangements you had paid in advance, and for the extra hotel, meal, telephone and taxi expenses you may have had
• The entire medical file of any person whose health or medical condition is the reason for your claim
• Any other invoice or receipt supporting your claim

If you are making a baggage insurance and personal effects claim, you may need to provide:

• In the event of theft, burglary, robbery, malicious mischief, disappearance or loss of an item covered under this insurance, you must obtain written documented evidence from the police, or if the police are unavailable, the hotel manager, tour guide or transportation authorities as proof of loss, damage or delay
• Damaged items for appraisal as the insurer covers the actual cash value of your property when it is damaged
• Proof that you owned the items and receipts for their replacement

If you are making an accident insurance claim, you may need to provide:

• A police, autopsy or coroner’s report
• Medical records
• A death certificate

Scotia Travel Insurance FAQs

Does scotia travel insurance pay for medical costs upfront.

According to the company, “The Assistance Centre has existing relations with certain medical providers all over the world to ensure medical emergency situations are handled as smoothly as possible. Our Assistance Centre will communicate with your medical provider, arrange direct billing where possible and coordinate payment of the emergency service received.”

Does Scotia Travel Insurance offer coverage extensions?

Yes. Your coverage is automatically extended for up to 72 hours if your return home is delayed due to a transportation issue. If you or your travelling companion are hospitalized, your coverage is extended for the period of hospitalization, plus up to five days after discharge. If you or your travelling companion are too sick to travel on your return date but do not require hospitalization, your coverage is automatically extended for up to five days.

If you want to stay longer on your trip, you can extend your coverage if you apply before the expiry date of your policy as long as there has been no event that has resulted or may result in a claim, and there has been no change to your health.

Does Scotia Travel Insurance require a medical questionnaire?

Yes. Travellers aged 60 or over are required to complete a health questionnaire to determine your eligibility and rate category.

Does Scotia Travel Insurance have any age restrictions?

Yes. You must be a minimum of 30 days old and no maximum age.

When does my coverage with Scotia Travel Insurance begin?

In general, if you purchase cancellation coverage, it begins the day you buy your policy and ends the day when you make a claim or leave on your trip. Your medical and interruption coverage, if purchased, begins when you leave home. Your delay coverage begins once an insured risk prevents you from returning home as scheduled.

Does Scotia Travel Insurance offer a free look period?

Yes. You have 10 days after purchase to review and return the certificate for a full refund, as long as you have not left on your trip and a claim has not been incurred.

Can I get a refund with Scotia Travel Insurance?

Refunds and cancellations are not available for any all inclusive plans, the Trip Cancellation/Interruption plan or the Multi-trip Emergency Medical plan.

If you’ve purchased an Emergency Medical plan, you can cancel your insurance prior to leaving on your trip. If you return home early, you can cancel your remaining coverage (less a $25 fee) provided:

• There has been no claim reported or initiated.
• You have not been provided with any assistance services.
• You have mailed your written request with proof of your return home.

Fiona Campbell is a Staff Writer for Forbes Advisor Canada. She started her career on Bay Street, but followed her love for research, writing and a good story into journalism. She is the former editor of Bankrate Canada, and has over 20 years of experience writing for various publications, including the Globe and Mail, Financial Post Business, Advisor’s Edge, Mydoh.ca and more.

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Ready for a vacation? What you need to know to protect yourself when travelling during COVID-19

Here’s what you need to know before you pack your bags, from travel advisories to travel insurance with COVID benefits.

Whether you have put off travelling during the pandemic and are finally reuniting with family or you desperately need a week-long holiday someplace warm, you're thinking about setting off on a trip, but you might be unsure about how to travel safely while COVID-19 is still a concern.

From country specific entrance requirements to travel insurance with COVID benefits , we are here to help you navigate what to expect while travelling these days – and how to prepare for it.

Be a COVID aware traveller

Before you choose a destination, it's important to know how the pandemic is affecting the region you plan to visit. Knowing how prevalent the virus is and which variants are spreading there will help you make an informed choice about whether you'll feel safe at that destination.

Unsure where to find a country's COVID stats? There are real-time maps that help you learn how COVID is affecting countries around the world , as well as resources that help you gauge what's happening in Canadian provinces and the United States .

Protect yourself with emergency travel medical coverage *

Excited to jet off? Before you go, make sure you pack the most important COVID-19 travel precaution — travel insurance.

Did you know Scotiabank offers a variety of travel protection options? In fact, the Scotia COVID-19 Pandemic Travel Plan   offers worldwide protection for COVID-19 related and non-related emergency medical costs and includes trip interruption coverage. Family coverage savings are also available.

Take a look at what insurance coverage you currently have to see if this option could provide you with additional protection when you are travelling. Speak to a travel insurance agent at the time you are considering travel to get the best advice.  

Find out more about how to protect your trip with Scotia Travel Insurance

Read up on travel advisories and requirements.

Many provinces, states, and countries have travel advisories or travel requirements for visiting their region. Before you embark, make sure you understand what you need to do.

Some countries currently require that you're vaccinated and require you to provide proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test to enter. Others require you quarantine for a set period of time or face significant fines for breaching their guidelines. If you have to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, you may wish to choose a different destination for your week-long getaway.

There are also some countries that are still closed to all non-essential travel or ones that only allow business travellers entry and require you have a detailed work plan to prove you're entering the country for work.

Travelling within Canada? There might be some COVID-19 travel restrictions in place so be sure to check for any provincial requirements and restrictions beforehand.

Know your re-entry requirements

Perhaps even more important is to check for any provincial or federal re-entry requirements before you leave home. You might need a negative COVID-19 test to return, or you might have to quarantine upon arrival back in Canada. Look into the cost of getting a test at your destination so you can add it to your travel budget. Tests can be hundreds of dollars for non-resident travellers.

You might even want to change your plans if the testing protocols of the place you were planning to visit aren't compatible with Canada's re-entry requirements. Before you book your trip, check what days COVID-19 testing locations at your destination will be open and the average wait time for results to ensure that you'll be able to get a test that's within the required window – which is typically within 72 hours of when you fly home to Canada.

Travelling during COVID-19 is a bit more complicated than just purchasing a ticket and showing up for your flight. Check with your travel provider for mask policies, sudden seat spacing rule changes, changes to both complimentary and for-purchase meal services, or other things that might affect your itinerary or your comfort.

Also, as fewer people are travelling right now, you're more likely to run into delays and cancellations that affect your trip. That's because with fewer flights currently operating, it is harder for a carrier to rebook your flight if something happens to your plane or if it is overbooked. That could mean you could be delayed at or on your way to your destination. Prepare by keeping everything you need for a few days in your carry-on and consider taking out trip interruption insurance to protect yourself.

You should also check to see what safety precautions your hotel or other accommodations have implemented. You'll want to consider whether they have mandatory mask requirements, plexiglass barriers where appropriate, and physical distancing requirements on the property. You might also want to check if there are changes to hotel amenities or restaurants that you should know about.

Protect the local community at your destination

Travelling during COVID-19 involves risks for you - but also for the communities you're visiting. Being a good guest involves learning and following all the COVID-19 protocols at your destination. Being extra cautious is a great way to thank the people whose region you're visiting for sharing the beauty of their home with you.

Don't forget to pack these...

While we've all probably forgotten our toothpaste or our deodorant before when travelling, there are a few things you won't want to forget these days. Here are some must-haves to keep you safe or that you'll need on hand in case you have a pandemic related delay or change of plans.

• Reusable and disposable masks
• Hand sanitizer
• Proof of vaccination
• Proof of COVID-19 test
• Extra medications in case of quarantine
• Extra currency in case of quarantine
• Extra toiletries in case of quarantine
• Travel documents
• Mobile devices and chargers
• Your emergency medical coverage information

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