TIS Products
TIS offers three travel medical insurance plans. If you are not sure, which plan is best for you, please contact us and one of our agents will help you choose.
- Covers stable pre-existing conditions*
- Up to $5,000,000 of Coverage for emergency medical services
- Available up to age 94
- Cancellation and early return refunds
- Single or multi-trip
- Deductible and stability period options
- Direct payment to hospitals*
- Policy document
- See all benefits and options
- PDF brochure and application
- Does not cover pre-existing conditions
- Up to $5,000,000 of Coverage for emergency medical services
- Available up to age 94
- Direct payment to hospitals*
- Single or multi-trip
- Deductible options
- Cancellation and early return refunds
- Policy document
- See policy for benefits
- Premium based on your specific conditions
- Up to $5,000,000 of Coverage for emergency medical services
- Available up to age 94
- Direct payment to hospitals*
- Single or multi-trip
- Deductible and stability period options
- Cancellation and early return refunds
- Policy document
- See all benefits and options
- PDF brochure and application
Benefits Summary*
Medical Emergency
$5,000,000 CAD
Ambulance
Eligible expenses
Private Nursing
$5,000 CAD**
Emergency Dental
$2,000 CAD
Major Event Return Home
$3,000 CAD
Vehicle Return
$2,500 CAD
Emergency Return Home
Eligible Expenses
Expenses Related to Death
$5,000 CAD
Subsitence Allowance
$1,500 CAD
Emergency Paramedical
$250/practitioner
Plan Options
Deductibles
The policy has a US$50 deductible per claim. You have the option to change your deductible to ZERO, US$250, US$500, US$1,000, US$2,000, US$2,500, US$5,000, or US$10,000.
Buy Down Your Pre-Existing Condition Stability Period
The pre-existing condition stability period that you qualify for (either 90 days or 180 days) is based on the plan that you qualify for. If you qualify for a pre-existing condition stability period of 180 days prior to any departure date, you have the option to “buy-down” the stability period for pre-existing condition coverage to 90 days. If you choose this option, the policy will cover eligible expenses for a medical condition that was stable in the 90 days prior to the departure date of any trip.
Also, if you had a replacement, elimination or an increase/decrease in dosage or frequency of a medication that does not treat a heart condition or a lung condition, and was prescribed more than 45 days prior to your departure date, you can reduce the stability period for the medical condition that the medication treats to 30 days prior to any departure date. ** Not available with Travel Health Medical Plan 2.
Important
This insurance covers treatment required only as a result of a medical emergency and has other terms, conditons, limitations and exclusions which may affect your coverage. For a full description, please review the full policy.
*See policy for exact details
** Private nursing not covered by A La Carte plan
If you want coverage for pre-existing conditions, our online application system will show you both pre-existing plan rates.
Comparing ALC and THMP
Travel Insurance Specialists offers two emergency medical travel plans: A La Carte and the TravelHealth Medical Plan. Underneath, they are close to identical — same underwriter, same $5,000,000 limit, same emergency assistance line. What separates them is how each one works out your price.
The TravelHealth Medical Plan sorts you into a category. A La Carte prices the specific conditions you have.
TravelHealth Medical Plan
Five plans. Find yours, and that’s your rate.
You work through a short set of medical questions and your answers point you to Plan 1 through Plan 5. Everyone in the same plan pays the same rate for their age and trip length. It’s easy to work out on paper, and it’s how Canadian snowbirds have bought from us for more than 30 years.
A La Carte Travel Insurance
One rate table. Your conditions set your score.
Everyone starts from the same base rate and 100 points. Each condition you have adds a set number of points — and nothing else does. Add up your points, divide by 100, and that’s the factor applied to your base rate. You pay for what’s on your plate.
What’s the same in both plans
Most of what people shop for is common to both. Both are underwritten by Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. and administered by Travel Insurance Specialists. Both cover emergency medical treatment only, and both carry the same list of exclusions, the same US$50 standard deductible, and the same 24-hour worldwide emergency assistance.
| Benefit | TravelHealth | A La Carte |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency medical services, including COVID-19 | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Emergency ambulance transportation | Eligible expenses | Eligible expenses |
| Emergency evacuation and return home | Eligible expenses | Eligible expenses |
| Private nursing | $5,000 | Not covered |
| Emergency dental, accidental blow to the mouth | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Emergency relief of dental pain | $300 | $300 |
| Removal of a cast or stitches | $300 | $300 |
| Emergency paramedical and professional services | $250 per practitioner | $250 per practitioner |
| Major event return home | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Vehicle return | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| Subsistence allowance | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Expenses related to your death | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Child return under your care | Eligible expenses | Eligible expenses |
| Bedside companion travel | Eligible expenses | Eligible expenses |
Both plans are available as a Single Trip plan or an Annual Multi-Trip plan of 8, 16, 32 or 62 days per trip, and both Annual Multi-Trip plans also cover trips inside Canada but outside your own province or territory. Both let you buy your deductible down to $0, or take a higher deductible for a lower price. Both have the same eligibility requirements — if you don’t qualify for one, you won’t qualify for the other.
The real difference: how your price is worked out
Both plans start from your age and the number of days you need. From there they part ways.
TravelHealth: which plan do you land in?
The medical questions are grouped. Answering yes to one question in a group moves you up a plan; answering yes to two or more moves you up again. Once you know your plan number, you read your rate straight off that plan’s table. Two people in Plan 3 pay the same, whatever put them there.
A La Carte: what’s actually on your list?
Every condition carries its own point value, and the values differ a great deal. Kidney stones add 20 points. A bowel condition adds 30. A lung condition adds 40. A stroke adds 60. A heart condition adds 95. Your total score, divided by 100, is multiplied against the base rate for your age and trip length.
The same two customers, priced two ways
Take one traveller with a history of kidney stones and another with COPD, both otherwise healthy, both the same age, both taking the same trip.
Under the TravelHealth Medical Plan, each of them has answered yes to exactly one question in the same group. Both land in Plan 2. Both pay the same.
Under A La Carte, the kidney stones add 20 points and the lung condition adds 40. The traveller with kidney stones pays noticeably less than the traveller with COPD — and neither is grouped with the other.
The same thing happens at the top end. A heart condition, a stroke, peripheral vascular disease and carotid artery stenosis all place you in TravelHealth Plan 4. A La Carte prices them at 95, 60, 75 and 75 points respectively.
Differences beyond price
A few things work differently between the two plans, and they don’t all point the same way. These are worth a look before you choose.
| TravelHealth | A La Carte | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-existing condition stability period | 90 days for Plans 1, 2 and 3. 180 days for Plans 4 and 5. | 90 days, unless you answered yes to a heart condition or a lung condition, in which case 180 days. |
| Shortening a 180-day stability period to 90 days | Available on Plans 4 and 5, for a premium adjustment. | Available, for 25 points. |
| 30-day stability option after a recent medication change | Available, for a premium adjustment. Not available for medication treating a heart or lung condition. | Available, for 30 points. Not available for medication treating a heart or lung condition. |
| Private nursing | Covered to $5,000. | Not a listed benefit. |
| Early return refund | Calculated pro-rata from the date you re-enter Canada. | Calculated by day band. If your shortened trip still falls in the same band, there is no refund. |
| Annual Multi-Trip age limits | Tighten as your plan number rises. The 62-day plan is not available on Plan 5. | Based on age alone, not on your score. |
| Working out your own price | Read one number off one table. | Add up a score, then apply it to the base rate. |
The stability period is the one to read twice, because it cuts both ways. A history of stroke or peripheral vascular disease puts you in TravelHealth Plan 4 with a 180-day stability window, but stays at 90 days under A La Carte. A lung condition does the opposite: Plan 2 and 90 days under TravelHealth, but 180 days under A La Carte.
So which one should you buy?
There is no plan that is always cheaper. Which one comes out ahead depends on your exact medical history, your age, and how long you are going for — and the answer can flip when any one of those changes. A traveller who is better off on one plan for a two-week trip can be better off on the other for a five-month winter.
That is why we quote both. Tell us your dates and your medical history once, and we will price you on both plans and tell you which comes out lower. There is no charge for that, and no obligation.
Common questions
Is one plan better coverage than the other?
No. Both plans cover emergency medical treatment up to $5,000,000 per person per claim, carry the same US$50 standard deductible, and are subject to the same exclusions. The only benefit that appears on one and not the other is private nursing, which is covered to $5,000 under the TravelHealth Medical Plan.
Which plan is cheaper?
It depends on your medical history, your age and the length of your trip, and the answer changes as any of those change. Neither plan is consistently cheaper than the other. Call us with your details and we will price both and tell you which is lower for you.
What does “pricing by score” actually mean on A La Carte?
Every applicant starts at 100 points, which covers the basic emergency medical coverage. Each condition on the Option Worksheet adds a set number of points, and each deductible choice adds or subtracts points. Your total score divided by 100 gives a factor, and that factor is multiplied against the base rate for your age and trip length to give your premium.
How do I know which TravelHealth plan I qualify for?
The medical questions in the brochure are arranged in groups, and you start at Plan 5 and work downward. Within each group, one yes answer places you in the lower of the two plans named, and two or more yes answers place you in the higher one. If none of the groups apply to you and you meet the eligibility requirements, you qualify for Plan 1.
Do both plans have the same eligibility requirements?
Yes. The eligibility requirements are identical, and they apply every time you leave Canada on a Single Trip plan, or leave your province or territory on an Annual Multi-Trip plan. If you do not meet them for one plan, you will not meet them for the other.
Does either plan give me a shorter pre-existing condition stability period?
It depends on the condition. On the TravelHealth Medical Plan, the stability period is 90 days for Plans 1, 2 and 3, and 180 days for Plans 4 and 5. On A La Carte, it is 90 days unless you have answered yes to a heart condition or a lung condition, in which case it is 180 days. Both plans let you buy a 180-day period down to 90 days, and both offer a 30-day option after a recent medication change, except where that medication treats a heart or lung condition.
Can I switch from one plan to the other?
Before you travel, yes. If you have not left on your trip and have not made a claim, you can cancel for a full refund and buy the other plan instead. Once you have departed, your coverage is set by the policy you bought. Call us before you travel if you want to change.
Are both plans available as annual multi-trip coverage?
Yes. Both offer Annual Multi-Trip plans of 8, 16, 32 or 62 days per trip, and both cover an unlimited number of days travelling within Canada outside your own province or territory. The age limits differ: on the TravelHealth Medical Plan they tighten as your plan number rises, and the 62-day plan is not available on Plan 5. On A La Carte the limits are based on age alone.
What happens if my health changes after I buy?
Under both plans you must contact Travel Insurance Specialists immediately. A change in your health or medication between the date you apply and your departure date is a material change if it affects your eligibility, the plan you qualify for or your score, or the stability of a pre-existing condition. If you do not tell us, a claim may be denied and your coverage may be voided.
Do I still have to call the assistance line if I need treatment?
Yes, under both plans, within 24 hours of any medical or dental treatment, even if the claim is below your deductible. If you do not, you will be responsible for 50 per cent of eligible expenses and the maximum payable will be limited to $25,000. Call unless your condition prevents it, in which case call as soon as you are able or have someone call for you.
Let us quote you on both
One conversation, two prices, and a clear recommendation. Or buy either plan online at www.tis.ca and print your policy, receipt and wallet cards right away.
- BC, AB, SK: 1-888-694-6666
- QC: 1-888-830-6760
- ON, MB and the rest of Canada: 1-800-563-0314
- Email: info@tis.ca
This page contains a plain-language summary for comparison only and does not form part of any contract of insurance. Both plans cover treatment required as the result of a medical emergency only, and both are subject to terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions that may affect your coverage. For the full description, read the applicable policy, available on this website. All benefits and limits are quoted in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified; deductibles are in US dollars. Both plans are underwritten by Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. and administered by Travel Insurance Specialists. Premiums can change at any time without notice unless your premium has been paid in full.
FAQs
We’re happy to help. If you can’t find the info you’re looking for, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
Call us 1-800-563-0314
Travel Insurance Specialists
4-160 Pony Drive
Newmarket, ON L3Y 7B6
info@tis.ca
Navigate