Public advisory: Hospital capacity may affect the ability of ill or injured travelers to return to hospitals in Canada

News Release

If you are planning to travel outside Canada this season, you should know that capacity issues at Canadian hospitals may affect your ability to return home if you get sick or injured, and require hospitalization upon your return to Canada, even if you have travel insurance.

Some medical emergencies require continuing hospital care. In these situations, if you are stable to travel, your travel insurer will work to return you to your home province for ongoing medical treatment.

However, in the winter months, hospitals in Canada may begin to reach capacity due to seasonal illnesses. In this case, there may be delays in finding hospital beds for patients requiring continuing care which will affect your ability to return to Canada.

If you are planning to travel internationally in the next several months, be sure to:

• Have current travel insurance that provides coverage for a variety of potential emergencies.
• Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible when you have a medical emergency outside of Canada.
• Understand that if you are hospitalized outside Canada and require ongoing care, your travel insurance provider will work diligently to secure you a physician and bed in a Canadian hospital for you to receive high quality care, but this process could take several days.
• Read your insurance policy carefully to understand what is covered and the relevant exclusions and limitations. If you have questions, contact your insurer.