Visitors to Canada insurance deductibles: what each one saves

A deductible on a visitors to Canada plan cuts the premium by 5% at $100, 10% at $250, 15% at $500, 20% at $1,000, 35% at $5,000 and 40% at $10,000. Those are the schedules at Manulife and 21st Century; Travelance goes to 45% at $10,000. On a $337 two-month premium for a 65-year-old with stable conditions, $500 saves about $51, while one Ontario emergency department visit costs $850 to $1,242. The deductible trims the price of the right plan; it does not make a wrong plan affordable.

What does each deductible save at each carrier?

Five to 45%, on a published schedule at three carriers and at quote time at the others. The percentages are the same whether the trip is a week or a year, so the dollar saving scales with the premium.

Premium discount by deductible, visitors to Canada plans, as published Oct 2026 — verify at quote time.

Sources: carrier pages linked above, iA’s TuGo policy and PolicyAdvisor’s Destination review. GMS (Group Medical Services) sells “deductibles as low as $0” and Allianz (CUMIS General Insurance) shows $0, $250 and $500; neither publishes the discount. Secure Travel (iA Financial Group, claims by MSH): confirm with the insurer at quote time.

How much is that in dollars on a real trip?

Tens of dollars on a short trip, hundreds on a six-month stay. The table applies Manulife’s schedule to three common profiles, using PolicyAdvisor’s October 2026 rates for the $0 premium.

Approximate premium by deductible, $100,000 coverage, stable pre-existing conditions covered, derived from PolicyAdvisor’s 30-day rates and Manulife’s discount schedule, Oct 2026 — verify at quote time.

On a two-week trip the whole debate is worth less than $25. On a six-month stay for a 75-year-old, a $500 deductible saves $301 and a $5,000 deductible saves $702, which is where families start to consider it.

Where is the break-even?

The deductible pays off if claims in the policy period are less than the saving, and loses if there is one claim above it. Ontario hospitals charge non-residents $850 to $1,242 for an emergency department visit alone, before physician fees, so even a $500 deductible is consumed by the first visit.

The asymmetry is the point. The saving is bounded at a few hundred dollars; the exposure is the full deductible on the first serious claim, and serious claims are the reason the policy exists.

Per claim or per policy?

Confirm with the insurer at quote time; the carrier pages we reviewed do not state it, and it changes the maths on a long stay. A per-policy deductible is paid once; a per-claim deductible is paid on each separate emergency. Ask for the clause in writing before buying.

The deductible is usually collected by the hospital at discharge where the carrier bills direct, or netted from the reimbursement; see the claims page, which applies equally to visitor plans.

Does the deductible affect anything else?

Not the coverage, but it can affect renewals. Manulife applies a 7-day waiting period to a consecutive policy that lowers the deductible, changes to a plan covering stable pre-existing conditions or raises the coverage amount. Choose the deductible once and keep it on any extension.

Other carriers have their own rules; the extending coverage page lists them.

Which deductible for which parent?

$0 for anyone over 70 or with a covered pre-existing condition. $500 for a healthy visitor under 60 whose family has savings. $1,000 to $5,000 only for a family that can pay it at the hospital without borrowing. Compare carriers on stability period and age limit first, then set the deductible last.

The super visa version of this decision, with annual premiums, is on the super visa deductibles page. For the coverage amount decision, which matters more than the deductible, see coverage amounts.

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