Does OHIP cover me if I get sick on vacation outside Canada?

No. As of January 1, 2020, OHIP no longer reimburses any out-of-country emergency medical costs. Ontario residents are fully responsible for all medical expenses incurred abroad unless they carry private travel insurance. This applies to every destination outside Canada, with the sole exception of limited dialysis coverage through the Ontario Renal Network.

Will my home insurance be affected if I leave my house empty while on vacation?

Most Ontario home insurance policies include a vacancy clause that limits or voids coverage — particularly for water damage — if your home is left unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days without notifying your insurer. Even for shorter trips, many insurers require someone to check on the property every 48 to 72 hours. Call your broker before you leave to confirm your specific policy requirements.

Does my Ontario auto insurance cover a rental car on vacation?

Your standard Ontario auto policy extends third-party liability and accident benefits to rental vehicles. However, physical damage to the rental car itself (collision and comprehensive) is not included unless you carry an OPCF 27 endorsement — also called the Liability for Damage to Non-Owned Automobiles endorsement. This endorsement typically costs $50 to $100 per year and covers rentals in Canada and the U.S. for up to 30 days.

What does trip cancellation insurance actually cover?

Trip cancellation insurance reimburses non-refundable, prepaid travel costs — flights, hotels, tours, cruise deposits — when you cancel for a covered reason before departure. Covered reasons typically include unexpected illness or injury, a death in the family, job loss, jury duty, or a travel advisory issued for your destination. Some policies offer a Cancel for Any Reason upgrade that refunds up to 50% regardless of the cause.

Insurance Guides

Your Summer Vacation Insurance Checklist: What Ontario Travellers Actually Need

By Rob RoughleyJuly 6, 20179 min read

A broken ankle at a Florida resort. A burst appendix on a Caribbean cruise. A fender-bender in a Maine rental car. These are not hypothetical scenarios — they are claims we process every summer at our Durham Region offices.

Here is the part that catches most Ontario families off guard: OHIP has not covered a single dollar of out-of-country medical care since January 1, 2020. Not the emergency room visit, not the ambulance, not the surgery, not the flight home. Nothing.

A routine U.S. emergency room visit now averages over $2,700. A serious injury requiring hospitalization can generate a six-figure bill in days. An air ambulance evacuation back to Ontario? That runs anywhere from $20,000 to $200,000 depending on location and medical condition.

Before you load the car this summer, here is the insurance checklist we walk every client through — the four coverage areas that determine whether your vacation stays a vacation or becomes a financial crisis.

1. Travel Medical Insurance: The Non-Negotiable

Since Ontario eliminated the Out-of-Country Travellers Program on January 1, 2020, you have zero provincial health coverage the moment you cross the border. The old program was already inadequate — OHIP reimbursed a maximum of $400 per day for inpatient care and $50 per day for outpatient services, covering roughly five cents on every dollar of actual costs. But now even that token coverage is gone.

The only remaining exception is limited dialysis coverage through the Ontario Renal Network, which pays $210 per treatment — well short of the $300 to $750 a single dialysis session costs in the United States.

What travel medical insurance covers:

Emergency hospital stays, surgery, and physician fees abroad
Diagnostic tests, X-rays, and lab work
Prescription medications related to the emergency
Medical evacuation and air ambulance back to Canada
Emergency dental treatment for injuries
Repatriation of remains (a coverage nobody wants to think about, but matters)

What to look for in a policy:

Coverage limit of at least $2 million for U.S. travel — American hospital bills escalate fast
Medical evacuation included, not capped at a low figure
Pre-existing condition stability clause — most policies exclude conditions that were not stable for 90 to 180 days before departure. Know your stability window.
24/7 assistance hotline — you want a real person coordinating your care, not a voicemail box

For a healthy family travelling to the U.S. or Caribbean for a week or two, travel insurance typically runs $30 to $150 per person. That is a fraction of the cost of a single emergency room visit, let alone a hospital admission.

Our recommendation: Buy it the day you book your trip. Trip cancellation coverage (see below) only works if you purchase it before a covered event occurs, so there is no advantage to waiting.

2. Trip Cancellation and Interruption Coverage

Travel medical insurance handles emergencies that happen during your trip. Trip cancellation insurance protects the money you have already spent if you never make it there — or need to come home early.

Covered reasons for cancellation typically include:

Unexpected illness, injury, or death of you, a travel companion, or an immediate family member
A travel advisory issued for your destination by the Government of Canada
Your travel supplier going bankrupt (this happens more often than people expect)
Job loss or mandatory jury duty
Serious damage to your home requiring you to stay (fire, flood, break-in)

What gets reimbursed:

Non-refundable, prepaid costs — flights, hotel deposits, tour packages, cruise bookings, event tickets purchased in advance. Coverage amounts typically range up to $50,000 per person, though limits vary by policy.

Some insurers offer a Cancel for Any Reason upgrade. It costs more, but it lets you cancel up to a few hours before departure and recover up to 50% of prepaid costs regardless of the reason. If you are booking an expensive trip and want maximum flexibility, it is worth considering.

Trip interruption is the companion coverage. If a medical emergency cuts your trip short, it covers the cost of rebooking your flight home, unused prepaid expenses, and additional accommodation or meal costs incurred because of the interruption.

Most travel insurance packages bundle medical, cancellation, and interruption coverage together. Single-trip policies work for one vacation; annual multi-trip policies are more economical if your family travels two or more times per year.

3. Your Home While You Are Away

Your home does not stop being insurable when you leave for vacation — but your coverage may change in ways most people do not realize.

The 30-Day Vacancy Rule

Most Ontario home insurance policies include a vacancy clause. If your home is left unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days without notifying your insurer, your coverage may be restricted or voided entirely — particularly for water damage, vandalism, and theft. Some policies are even stricter.

Even if your vacation is shorter than 30 days, many insurers require that someone check on the property at regular intervals — typically every 48 to 72 hours. This is especially critical in winter (frozen pipes), but summer has its own risks: sump pump failures during heavy rains, air conditioning breakdowns causing humidity damage, and unreported break-ins.

What to Do Before You Leave

Notify your broker or insurer if you will be away for more than a few weeks. We can confirm your specific policy requirements and flag any exclusions.
Arrange for someone to check the property every two to three days. A neighbour, friend, or family member who walks through, checks for leaks, collects mail, and confirms the security system is armed.
Shut off the main water supply if nobody will be running water while you are gone. A burst hose on a washing machine or a failed hot water tank can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage to an empty house before anyone notices.
Set light timers or use smart home devices to create the appearance of occupancy. Motion-sensor exterior lighting is a strong deterrent.
Do not announce your vacation on social media until after you return. It sounds obvious, but it remains one of the most common contributors to targeted break-ins.
Update your home inventory. If you have not documented your belongings recently, walk through with your phone and record a quick video before you leave. In the event of a theft or damage claim, a current inventory speeds up the process significantly.

Rental Properties and Cottages

If you own a cottage or rental property, confirm the seasonal or secondary-residence endorsements are in place before the summer season. Coverage requirements differ from a primary residence, especially around occupancy minimums and permitted use.

4. Auto Insurance and Rental Cars

If you are driving to your vacation destination, your Ontario auto policy travels with you across Canada and into the United States. Your liability, accident benefits, and uninsured motorist coverage all apply.

But here is the gap most people discover too late: physical damage to a rental car is not covered by your standard Ontario auto policy.

The OPCF 27 Endorsement

The OPCF 27 endorsement — formally called "Liability for Damage to Non-Owned Automobiles" — extends collision and comprehensive coverage to vehicles you rent or borrow. It covers damage to the rental car itself, including theft, vandalism, and collision.

Key details:

Covers rentals in Canada and the United States (not international destinations — you will need the rental company's insurance or a credit card benefit for overseas rentals)
Valid for rentals of up to 30 consecutive days
Excludes heavy vehicles over 4,500 kg gross vehicle weight
Typical cost: $50 to $100 per year added to your auto policy
Typical deductible: $500

Compare that to what the rental counter will charge you. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) from the rental company typically runs $15 to $30 per day. On a two-week vacation, that is $210 to $420 — for a single trip. The OPCF 27 endorsement covers every rental you take all year for a fraction of the cost.

Our recommendation: If you rent a car even once a year, add the OPCF 27 to your policy before your trip. Call us or request a quote and we will add it the same day.

Credit Card Rental Coverage

Some premium credit cards include rental car collision coverage. Before relying on this, read the fine print carefully. Credit card coverage typically requires you to decline the rental company's CDW, may not cover certain vehicle types (SUVs, luxury vehicles, trucks), and often excludes loss-of-use charges the rental company bills while their vehicle is being repaired.

Your Pre-Vacation Insurance Checklist

Before you leave, run through this list with your broker:

[ ] Travel medical insurance purchased with adequate coverage limits ($2M+ for U.S. travel)
[ ] Trip cancellation/interruption coverage in place, purchased at time of booking
[ ] Pre-existing condition stability period confirmed and understood
[ ] Home insurer notified of vacancy dates if away more than two weeks
[ ] Property check-in arranged — someone visiting every 48 to 72 hours
[ ] Water supply shut off if the home will be completely unoccupied
[ ] OPCF 27 endorsement confirmed on your auto policy (if renting a vehicle)
[ ] Home inventory updated — quick video walkthrough stored in the cloud
[ ] Policy documents accessible — save digital copies on your phone or email them to yourself

Every one of these items is a five-minute phone call or a quick online quote request. The cost of getting them right is minimal. The cost of getting them wrong is not.

We have been helping Ontario families travel with confidence since 1945. If you want to run through your coverage before your next trip, contact us — we will make sure nothing gets missed.