Whether a super visa insurer asks medical questions depends on the plan and the parent’s age. In October 2026, TuGo asked none at 59 and under and three questions from 60. GMS asked none under 55. 21st Century’s Enhanced plan asked from 55 to 85, while its Basic plan and Manulife’s Plan A asked none at any age because they cover no pre-existing conditions. Every insurer verifies the answers against the parent’s medical records at claim time.
The questionnaire decides what the insurer knows when it prices and issues the policy. The stability clause decides what it pays. The two are separate, and a plan without questions is not a plan without exclusions. The stability periods page is the matrix of days; this page is the matrix of questions.
Who asks a questionnaire, and from what age?
Four patterns: no questions under a threshold with stable conditions covered; questions from a threshold; no questions at any age with pre-existing conditions excluded; and questions at every age. Terms seen October 2026 in insurer brochures and wordings — verify at quote time.
| Insurer (underwriter) | Plan | Questionnaire | Pre-existing conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| TuGo (iA Financial Group) | Visitors to Canada Emergency Medical | None at 59 and under; 3 questions from 60 | Covered if stable 90 to 365 days by age |
| GMS (Group Medical Services) | Immigrants and Visitors to Canada | None under 55; eligibility conditions apply at every age | Covered if stable 180 days, to age 79 |
| 21st Century (Manulife) | Enhanced | Required from 55 to 85 | Covered if stable 180 days |
| 21st Century (Manulife) | Standard | Confirm at quote time | Conditions in the 180 days before the start excluded |
| 21st Century (Manulife) | Basic | None at any age | None covered |
| Manulife CoverMe (Manufacturers Life) | Plan B | Confirm at quote time | Covered if stable 180 days, to 85 |
| Manulife CoverMe (Manufacturers Life) | Plan A | None | None covered; any age |
| Secure Travel/RIMI (iA Financial Group; claims by MSH) | With pre-existing cover | Confirm at quote time | Covered if stable 90 days to 69, 180 from 70 to 84 |
| Destination (Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, Canadian Branch) | Standard | Confirm at quote time | Covered if stable 90 to 180 days by age; excluded at 80+ |
| Allianz Global Assistance (CUMIS General Insurance) | Visitors to Canada | Confirm at quote time | Covered if stable 90 days to 59, 180 from 60 to 89 |
| Travelance (Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada) | Premier | Confirm at quote time | Covered per policy wording, to 85 |
The TuGo brochure states “no medical questions if you are 59 or younger” and that from 60 “the Medical Questionnaire is straight-forward with just 3 questions.” The 21st Century brochure states for Enhanced that “a questionnaire is required for this plan for those age 55 to 85” and that Basic “does not cover any pre-existing conditions.” The GMS wording sets separate eligibility conditions for applicants under 55 and, from 70, excludes anyone who needs help with activities of daily living. Where the table says confirm, the published summaries did not state a threshold.
What do the questionnaires ask?
The same ground, in different numbers of questions. A three-question form asks about broad categories; a longer form asks condition by condition. Each question names a look-back period, and the answer is about that period, not about today.
| Area | Typical wording | Why it is asked |
|---|---|---|
| Heart and circulation | Diagnosed with or treated for heart disease, heart attack, angina, heart failure, irregular rhythm, high blood pressure on medication | Highest-cost claims; stability priced separately |
| Lungs | COPD, asthma needing daily medication, home oxygen | Admission risk |
| Diabetes | Diagnosed; treated with insulin; medication changed in the period | Insulin is underwritten separately at most insurers |
| Cancer | Diagnosis, treatment or follow-up within a stated number of years | Recurrence risk; some decline active treatment |
| Stroke, kidney, liver | Diagnosed or treated in a stated number of years | Admission and dialysis cost |
| Hospital admissions | Any overnight admission in the period | Signals instability |
| Medication changes | New, stopped or dose-changed drugs in the period | The stability test in one question |
| Tests and referrals | Investigations ordered, results awaited, specialist appointments pending | A pending test makes the condition unstable under most wordings |
| Daily living (70 and over at GMS) | Need help with bathing, dressing, eating, mobility | Eligibility, not pricing |
The how to fill the questionnaire page gives the nine-step method: parent present, medication boxes out, each question read aloud exactly as written, answers checked against the pharmacy printout.
How are the answers verified at claim time?
The claims administrator requests the parent’s medical records, from the treating hospital in Canada and from the home-country doctor and pharmacy, and compares them with the answers and with the stability clause. Nothing is verified at purchase; everything is verified at claim. That is the sequence for every insurer we compare, with or without a questionnaire.
| Check | Record requested | What goes wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Answers match the diagnoses | Home-country consultation notes | A diagnosis the parent never mentioned, or never knew |
| Answers match the medications | Pharmacy dispensing history with dates | A dose change the family thought was routine |
| Condition was stable for the period | Both of the above plus test results | A test ordered inside the window |
| Treated condition relates to a declared or excluded one | Hospital admitting diagnosis and discharge summary | An undeclared condition causing the admission |
The consequences are in the wordings. TuGo states that for a failure to disclose a material fact or a false or exaggerated statement “your coverage will be void, which means that any claim submitted will not be paid,” with the premium refunded, and separately that for inaccurate questionnaire rate answers “a $15,000 CAD deductible will apply to any incident claimed.” Manulife states the insurance “is void in the case of fraud or attempted fraud, or if you conceal or misrepresent any material fact.” GMS states that misrepresentation or non-disclosure related to medical conditions “will result in non-payment of any related claims.” The misrepresentation page explains the difference between a voided policy and a refused claim.
Is no questionnaire better?
No. A questionnaire is the insurer telling you before you pay what it will treat as excluded. A no-questionnaire plan tells you at claim time. The CP24 case, an 88-year-old on a no-questionnaire plan whose $96,311 bill was initially denied for heart failure that had never appeared in her prescriptions, is the pattern.
| Plan type | What you know at purchase | What you learn at claim |
|---|---|---|
| Questionnaire, stable conditions covered | Which conditions are declared, rated or excluded | Whether the records match the answers |
| No questionnaire under a threshold, stable conditions covered (TuGo to 59, GMS under 55) | Nothing specific; the stability clause applies | Whether every condition was stable for the period |
| No questionnaire, no pre-existing cover (21st Century Basic, Manulife Plan A) | Every pre-existing condition is excluded | Whether the admission relates to any pre-existing condition |
For a parent with any condition at all, the plan that asks and covers is the one to buy. The THIA Bill of Rights entitles you to a copy of your answers before the policy starts; file it with the certificate and the claims page shows where it is used. Definitions of each event that breaks stability are on what is stable, and the hub at pre-existing conditions applies them by condition.
Questions people ask
Which super visa insurers do not ask medical questions?
TuGo at 59 and under, GMS under 55, 21st Century Basic at any age, and Manulife Plan A at any age. The first two still cover stable pre-existing conditions subject to the stability clause. The last two cover no pre-existing conditions at all, so the absence of questions is an exclusion, not a convenience.
Is a no-questionnaire plan safer because there is nothing to get wrong?
No. The insurer still checks the parent's records at claim time against the stability clause or the pre-existing exclusion. The $96,311 Hamilton bill in 2025 was initially denied for undisclosed heart failure on a no-questionnaire plan. A questionnaire tells you before you pay what the insurer will treat as excluded.
What do the questionnaires ask?
Heart and circulatory conditions, lung conditions, diabetes and whether it is insulin-treated, cancer, stroke, kidney and liver disease, hospital admissions in the look-back period, medication changes, and tests or referrals pending. Some ask about activities of daily living over 70. Each question names a period; answer about that period.
What happens if an answer is wrong?
The policy can be voided or the related claim refused. TuGo's wording voids coverage for a false or exaggerated statement and refunds the premium, and applies a $15,000 deductible to any claim where the rate-determining answers were inaccurate. Manulife voids the policy for a concealed material fact. GMS refuses related claims for non-disclosure about medical conditions.
Can the host answer the questionnaire for the parent?
The host can type, but the parent must supply the answers, with the medication list and doctor's notes in front of them. A host answering from memory is the most common source of an honest error, and most wordings do not distinguish honest errors from deliberate ones. Read every question aloud exactly as written.
Do I get a copy of my answers?
Yes. The THIA Bill of Rights states that you will receive a copy of the answers you provided on the medical questionnaire before the start of your policy. Keep it with the certificate. At claim time the adjuster compares it with the parent's medical records; a clean match is what gets the claim paid.
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Sources
- TuGo — Visitors to Canada brochure (no medical questions 59 and under; 3 questions from 60)
- TuGo — Visitors to Canada policy wording (misrepresentation; $15,000 deductible for inaccurate rate answers)
- 21st Century — Visitors to Canada brochure (Enhanced questionnaire 55 to 85; Basic none)
- GMS — Immigrants and Visitors to Canada policy wording (eligibility under 55; ADL at 70+; misrepresentation)
- Manulife CoverMe — Visitors to Canada policy (void for concealment or misrepresentation)
- THIA — Travel Insurance Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
- CP24 — $96,311 hospital bill initially denied for undisclosed heart failure