# Travel insurance for Canada: the border is close, but your US health plan still stops there

> Canada feels close enough to not need insurance, but Canadian hospitals bill foreign visitors, including Americans, in full and at Canadian private rates. Here is what to carry.

Source: https://roamfact.com/en/analysis/canada-travel-insurance/

Published: 2026-10-12

Canada's proximity and cultural similarity lead many US travelers to skip travel insurance entirely, assuming their US plan covers "North America." It generally does not, and Medicare specifically provides no coverage at all outside the US and its territories except in narrow border-area exceptions.

## Why a short distance does not mean cheap care

Canada's public healthcare system (Medicare, confusingly similarly named to the US program) is for residents; visitors, including Americans, are billed directly and at rates that can run surprisingly high — a short hospital stay or an ambulance ride in Canada can cost several thousand dollars without insurance, comparable to or sometimes higher than equivalent US out-of-pocket costs.

## What a policy should include

$50,000 in medical coverage is typically sufficient for most trips, but check specifically whether your own US health plan has any Canada exclusion (some do, given claim volume from the shared border) before assuming partial coverage exists. If your trip includes skiing, snowmobiling or hiking in remote areas like Banff or Jasper, confirm those activities are not excluded and that evacuation coverage is adequate for mountain or wilderness rescue, which can be far more expensive than a standard ambulance transport.

## Typical cost

A one- to two-week policy for a healthy adult typically runs $20–$45.