The BestQuote MedEC Visitors Emergency Health & Repatriation Insurance was founded in 2019.

Over time, the MedEC policy evolved into two:

The MedEC Visitors Emergency Health & Repatriation Insurance – with Maple Healthcare Access, and the
MedEC Visitors Emergency Health & Repatriation with Winter Sports and Maple.

MedEC is for visitors to Canada, including eligible Super Visa and IEC visa applicants. Like other visitor to Canada policies, it is intended for new, urgent, and emergency medical situations.

Advantages

Policy benefits include Maple telehealth (as of October 1st, 2024)
25% refund when you are enrolled in a Canadian GHIP
An early return refund is available if you return home early from Canada
Side trips outside of Canada for up to 35 days are covered
Multiple deductible and coverage options to suit different budgets and needs
Short trip breaks are permitted if you need to return home during your coverage period
Winter sports and no winter sports option
Competitively priced
2-year policy available

Disadvantages

No coverage for pre-existing medical conditions
No backcountry skiing/snowboarding, ski jumping, and other high-risk sports coverage on any MedEC policy*

*Please check your policy wording for more details on sports exclusions.

Comparing MedEC’s Travel Insurance Plans

Plan	Medical Insurance Coverage	Deductible	Winter Sports Coverage	2-year Policy Option
MedEC Visitors Emergency Health & Repatriation Insurance – with Maple Healthcare Access	Up to $500,000	Up to $1,000		✅
MedEC Visitors Emergency Health & Repatriation with Winter Sports and Maple	Up to $500,000	Up to $1,000	✅	✅

Maple Telehealth

All policies purchased on or after October 1st, 2024 now include Maple, a virtual doctor service.

With your MedEC policy, you get up to 3 pre-paid doctor’s appointments per year at Maple.

Tips for Saving with MedEC

There are two ways to get money back on your MedEC policy:

Government health insurance plan (GHIP) refund
Early return refund

GHIP Refund

Visitors to Canada may be able to apply for a provincial government health insurance plan (GHIP) in Canada.

If you enrol in GHIP, you can get 25% off the remaining premium on your MedEC policy (minus an administration fee).

The GHIP refund is unavailable if you have submitted a claim.

Early Return Refund

The second way to get money back on your MedEC policy is if you return home early from Canada.

Upon returning to your home country, you can apply for an early return refund of the remaining premium on your policy (minus an administration fee).

The early return refund is not available if a claim has been submitted on your policy.

You need to know

The MedEC Travel Insurance policies are underwritten by Lloyd’s Underwriters led by Atrium Underwriters Limited, Syndicate 609.
To qualify for either MedEC policy, you need to be a visitor to Canada travelling for more than 300 days.
Policies and coverage can change at any time without warning. This article is only intended as general advice. Please check your own policy carefully.

If you want more details about the MedEC policy, BestQuote has a breakdown of the MedEC policy.

Want to Compare MedEC’s Travel Insurance Rates?

The easiest way to compare Canadian travel insurance rates is to use a comparison website.

Comparison websites, like BestQuote Travel Insurance, let you compare quotes for travel insurance from several different companies at once. Type in a few details about your trip, and compare policy coverage and prices to help narrow down your choice.

*As always, the information on this page is from one visitor to Canada to another. We have spent years abroad and have gotten to know the ins and outs of the industry however, we are not travel insurance agents. If you have any travel insurance questions, please talk to a qualified travel insurance agent or broker. Finally, policies and plans can and do change all the time, without warning, so always consult your insurance policy since that is the legal document to which you are agreeing to.

*This article is only intended as general advice. Please check your own policy carefully.