Visitors to Canada insurance pays for sudden, unexpected emergencies and nothing else. It does not cover a pre-existing condition that was not stable for the carrier’s 90-to-180-day period, pregnancy and childbirth, or routine, follow-up and elective care. Several carriers also exclude mental health conditions. Every carrier excludes treatment in the home country, illness during a post-arrival waiting period, high-risk sports, self-inflicted injury and trips taken to get treatment. GMS puts it plainly: the plan “is only meant for emergency medical treatments.” The exclusions are where claims are lost, so read them before buying, not after the hospital bill arrives.
What are the common exclusions?
Ten categories recur across the carriers in our comparison. Not every carrier publishes every exclusion in its summary page, so a blank in the table means “confirm with the insurer at quote time,” not “covered.”
Published exclusions, visitors to Canada plans, as summarized by the carriers and PolicyAdvisor, Oct 2026 — the policy wording prevails; verify at quote time.
| Exclusion | Manulife CoverMe (Manufacturers Life) | GMS (Group Medical Services) | Travelance (Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada) | Allianz Global Assistance (CUMIS General Insurance) | Destination (Zurich, Canadian Branch) | 21st Century (Manulife) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-existing condition, not stable | Excluded if it existed in the 180 days before the effective date | “Certain exclusions may apply” if treated or symptomatic before buying | Excluded on Essential; 180-day stability on Premier | 90 or 180 days by age | 90, 120 or 180 days by age; all excluded from 80 | Excluded on Basic; 180 days on Enhanced |
| Pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, abortion | Not stated on the summary page | Excluded | Excluded, including newborn care | Excluded, including complications | Excluded | Excluded (“pregnancy-related expenses”) |
| Routine, follow-up, chronic or elective care | Emergency only | “Only meant for emergency medical treatments” | Confirm | Chronic condition management, home care and rehabilitation excluded | Confirm | Confirm |
| Mental or emotional disorders | Confirm | Confirm | Excluded (anxiety, depression) | Excluded, with suicide and self-injury | Confirm | Self-inflicted injury excluded |
| Treatment in the home country | Excluded from side-trip cover | Excluded | Excluded | Cover pauses during the trip | No coverage | Excluded |
| Illness during a post-arrival waiting period | 72 hours or 7 days | 2 days or 7 days | Confirm | Confirm | Confirm | Excluded |
| High-risk sports and activities | Confirm | Confirm | Confirm | Confirm | Speed contests, motor sports, stunts, professional sports, listed adventure activities | Excluded |
| Trips taken to obtain treatment | Confirm | Confirm | Excluded (medical or dental tourism) | Confirm | Confirm | “Known medical treatment before travel” excluded |
| Travelling against medical advice; terminal illness | Ineligible to buy | Confirm | Confirm | Confirm | Confirm | Confirm |
| Unapproved procedures | Confirm | Repatriation requires pre-approval | Confirm | Confirm | Air ambulance requires pre-approval | “Unapproved cardiac procedures” excluded |
Sources: Manulife, GMS, and PolicyAdvisor’s reviews of Travelance, Allianz, Destination and 21st Century. TuGo (iA Financial Group) and Secure Travel (iA Financial Group, claims by MSH) refer to the general exclusions in the policy wording, available on request.
Which exclusion causes the most denied claims?
The pre-existing condition exclusion. Manulife “will not cover any expenses relating to any pre-existing condition that existed 180 days prior to your effective date,” and names a heart condition needing nitroglycerin or a lung condition needing oxygen or prednisone in that window. Plans that cover stable conditions still exclude unstable ones, and no-questionnaire plans exclude all of them.
| Situation | Covered? |
|---|---|
| Hypertension on the same pill for two years, questionnaire plan | Yes |
| Hypertension, dose increased 60 days ago, 90-day plan | No; not stable |
| Any pre-existing condition on a no-questionnaire plan (21st Century Basic, Travelance Essential, GMS under 55) | No |
| Condition disclosed inaccurately on the questionnaire | No; claim denied and policy may be voided |
| New condition arising after the effective date | Yes, as an emergency |
| Recurrence of a disclosed stable condition | Yes, on a plan that covers stable conditions |
The $96,311 Hamilton claim reported by CP24 in April 2025 was first denied for undisclosed heart failure on a plan with no medical questionnaire. The pre-existing conditions page lists every carrier’s stability period and what “stable” means.
Who cannot buy a policy at all?
Visitors whom the carrier treats as ineligible rather than excluded, which means a policy issued to them is void from the start. Manulife’s list is the most detailed and is typical of the market.
| Manulife ineligibility ground | Window |
|---|---|
| Travelling against the advice of a physician | At purchase |
| Terminal illness with less than two years to live | At purchase |
| Congestive heart failure | Diagnosed or treated in the last 12 months |
| Kidney dialysis | In the last 12 months |
| Residence in a nursing home | In the last 12 months |
| Home oxygen use | In the last 12 months |
| Age 86 or older | At the effective date |
Other carriers have their own lists; confirm with the insurer at quote time. A parent who meets an ineligibility ground at one carrier may be eligible at another, which is one reason to compare the panel rather than buy the first quote.
What is not covered because of timing?
Illness in the waiting period after a late purchase, and anything that happened before the effective date. Manulife applies a 72-hour illness wait if the policy is bought within 30 days of arrival and 7 days after that; GMS uses 2 and 7 days; TuGo 48 hours within 60 days of arrival and 7 days after. Injuries are covered from the effective date.
| Timing gap | What is excluded |
|---|---|
| Policy bought after arrival | Illness in the waiting period; injuries covered |
| Symptoms began before the effective date | The condition, as pre-existing |
| Illness or injury that began at home during a trip break | Excluded on return at Manulife |
| Treatment after the policy expires | Excluded, except an automatic extension for an ongoing hospital stay or delayed flight |
| Renewal after a claim | Usually refused; the treated condition is excluded on a new policy |
Buying before the flight removes the first row entirely; see buying after arrival.
What is not covered because of where the parent is?
Treatment in the home country, and treatment on a side trip that breaks the carrier’s limits. Every carrier excludes the country of origin. TuGo’s policy states “visits to home country are permitted; the Policy will not terminate but expenses will not be covered.” Side trips to the US are covered only within 30-to-45-day and majority-of-trip limits; see side trips to the US.
What is not covered because of how the claim is handled?
A claim where the assistance line was not called, where receipts and records are missing, or where the parent chose a non-emergency route. Most policies reduce benefits or deny the claim if the assistance line is not contacted before treatment or as soon as reasonably possible after. The exact rule is in the policy wording, so confirm with the insurer at quote time. The THIA Bill of Rights sets out what the insured can expect in return.
- Call the assistance line before treatment, or as soon as the parent is able.
- Go to the nearest emergency department or the facility the assistance line directs you to.
- Keep every receipt, discharge summary and prescription.
- Report the claim within the policy’s deadline and answer the medical records request promptly.
- If the claim is denied, request the written reason and the policy clause relied on; see denied claim, what next, which applies equally to visitor plans.
Choosing the right coverage amount and a plan whose stability period the parent already meets removes most of the risk in this table. The rest is handled by the phone call to the assistance line.
SuperVisaDirect is operated by Super Visa Direct Insurance Services, an independent Ontario life and accident-and-sickness insurance agency licensed by FSRA (licence [FSRA-LICENCE]). We serve Ontario residents; other provinces are planned for 2028. Email [email protected] or request a callback, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm Eastern Time.
Questions people ask
What is the most common reason a visitor insurance claim is denied?
An undisclosed or unstable pre-existing condition. Manulife excludes any condition that existed 180 days before the effective date unless the plan covers stable conditions, and every carrier checks the medical records at claim time. The $96,311 Hamilton bill reported by CP24 was first denied for undisclosed heart failure on a no-questionnaire plan.
Is pregnancy covered on a visitor plan?
No. GMS, Travelance, Allianz and Destination all exclude expenses related to pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, abortion and complications; Travelance also excludes newborn care. A pregnant daughter-in-law visiting on a visitor visa should ask the carrier in writing; most will not cover the pregnancy at any stage.
Are routine check-ups, prescriptions and follow-up visits covered?
No. GMS states the plan is only meant for emergency medical treatments, and Allianz excludes chronic condition management, home care and rehabilitation. A prescription written during an emergency is normally covered as part of that emergency; a repeat prescription for a long-term medication is not. Bring enough medication for the whole stay.
Is mental health covered?
Not at Travelance or Allianz, which exclude anxiety, depression and other mental or emotional disorders, and Allianz also excludes suicide and intentional self-injury. Other carriers vary; confirm with the insurer at quote time. A parent on a stable antidepressant should disclose it on the questionnaire like any other medication.
Is my parent covered if they go home for a few weeks?
No. Every carrier excludes the home country from side-trip cover; TuGo states expenses there will not be covered though the policy does not terminate, and Allianz pauses cover during the trip. The policy term keeps running. Side trips to other countries, including the US, are covered within the carrier's day and percentage limits.
What happens if the assistance line is not called?
Most policies reduce the benefit or deny the claim if the assistance line is not called before treatment or as soon as reasonably possible after, except where the parent was medically unable. The exact rule and any reduction percentage are in the policy wording; confirm with the insurer at quote time and save the number in the parent's phone before the flight.
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Sources
- Manulife CoverMe – Visitors to Canada Standard plan (180-day pre-existing exclusion; ineligibility; waiting periods; trip break)
- Manulife CoverMe – Complete guide to visitor to Canada travel insurance (unstable condition triggers)
- GMS – Visitors to Canada travel insurance (pregnancy excluded; emergency only; waiting periods; side trips)
- PolicyAdvisor – Travelance visitor to Canada review (pregnancy, mental health, medical tourism exclusions)
- PolicyAdvisor – Allianz visitor to Canada review (mental health, suicide, pregnancy, chronic care exclusions)
- PolicyAdvisor – Destination visitor to Canada review (high-risk activities, pregnancy; pre-existing excluded 80+)
- PolicyAdvisor – 21st Century visitor to Canada review (known treatment before travel, unapproved cardiac procedures, self-inflicted injury, high-risk sports, waiting-period illness)
- iA Financial Group – TuGo Visitors to Canada (home-country visits not covered; waiting periods)
- CP24 – $96,311 Hamilton hospital bill for visiting mother (Apr 2025)
- THIA – Travel Insurance Bill of Rights and Responsibilities