TuGo Travel Insurance Review 2024

Founded in 1964, North American Air Travel Insurance Agents Ltd., operating as TuGo, is a licensed insurance agency in all Canadian provinces and territories. TuGo is based in Richmond, BC.

TuGo’s insurance policies are underwritten by Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services and Industrial Alliance Pacific General Insurance Corporation.

To get a quote from TuGo Insurance you need to choose a travel insurance partner in your area. This review is based on information provided by Travel Insurance Office Inc., which is based in Markham, Ont.

Here are the key types of travel insurance coverage offered in TuGo travel insurance plans:

• Emergency medical insurance: If you get ill or are injured on your trip, travel medical insurance can pay for emergency medical expenses, up to the coverage limits in your plan. These expenses can include doctor and hospital bills, medication and lab work.
• Trip cancellation insurance: If you cancel a trip for a reason listed in your travel policy, such as you or your travelling companion becoming ill, weather conditions causing a massive delay or you end up losing your job,  trip cancellation insurance can reimburse you for prepaid, non-refundable costs.
• Travel interruption or delay insurance: Trip interruption insurance can pay for a last-minute flight home in an emergency and money that you lose if you have to return home earlier than expected, such as non-refundable activities and hotel stays. If your flight is delayed, your insurance can cover the cost of incidentals, such as meals or accommodations, after a specified period of time, usually six, 10 or 12 hours.
• Baggage insurance: Baggage travel insurance can compensate you up to your policy limits if your luggage is lost or stolen. It will reimburse the depreciated value of your suitcases and what you packed. If your checked bags are delayed, it can reimburse you for the cost of the necessities you’ll have to buy to tide you over.
• Travel accident insurance: This coverage offers compensation in the event of accidental death or catastrophic injury from an accident during your trip. Flight Accident Insurance covers injury while you’re on a commercial plane, during a connection or in an airport. Travel Accident Insurance covers death or dismemberment, including the loss of limbs or eyesight, while in transit during your trip.

TuGo allows you to customize the amount of coverage you need. You can choose one of two package options— the All Inclusive Holiday Package or Non-Medical Package—or pick individual insurance plans à la carte. For example, you could choose the Emergency Medical Excluding USA plan with the optional baggage coverage, or the Trip Interruption plan and rental car protection coverage. TuGo also has several optional insurance upgrades to give you higher coverage limits.

All Inclusive Holiday Package: This option includes emergency medical insurance, trip cancellation & trip interruption, accidental death & dismemberment and basic baggage insurance coverage.

Coverage for emergency medical treatment includes:

• Hospital accommodation up to a semi-private room
• Physician fees
• Ambulance services, including ground, air or sea to the nearest hospital
• Diagnostic lab tests and X-rays
• Prescription drugs, all in-hospital plus 30-day supply after release
• Medical appliances, such as a wheelchair, crutches or cane
• Private duty nursing
• One follow-up visit within 14 days after the initial treatment for a medical emergency
• Specific provisions for fracture treatment, including up to $1,250 for X-rays, re-examinations, casting and re-casting, as well as cast removal, after the initial emergency treatment and one follow-up visit
• Other professional medical services, such as physiotherapist, chiropractor, chiropodist, osteopath, podiatrist, optometrist and acupuncturist, up to $700 per practitioner
• Emergency dental due to a blow to the face, to the policy limit, plus 30-days of treatment when you return home
• Emergency dental due to illness or pain, up to $700
• Unexpected birth of child, up to $25,000 (not payable during the nine weeks before or after your due date)
• Non-medical evacuation from a remote location, up to $6,000, including search and rescue services
• Replacement of prescription glasses or contact lenses due to theft, loss or breakage, and/or replacement of a hearing aid due to theft, loss or breakage, up to $1,000
• Medical follow-up in Canada including up to semi-private accommodation in a hospital, rehabilitation centre or convalescent home (up to $1,000), up to $100 per day for private nursing, up to $300 for licensed ambulance or taxi services and up to $300 to rent or purchase essential medical appliances, for 15 days after your return date

Medical coverage also provides a hospital allowance to cover incidental expenses, such as TV rental and telephone, as well as one-way economy fare to return home if medically necessary (and includes a travelling companion or medical attendant), as well as baggage return, pet return and return of dependent children. If your return home is delayed, this benefit covers meals and accommodations.

Non-Medical Package: If you have emergency medical coverage elsewhere, such as through a travel credit card, the Non-Medical Package provides you with trip cancellation & trip interruption insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance and baggage insurance. You can purchase the Non-Medical Package and the Emergency Medical Insurance as separate policies.

Emergency Medical: If you’re only worried about medical emergencies while travelling, this benefit offers all of the medical coverage listed above. There are two plans for travellers outside of Canada: The Emergency Medical Worldwide plan and the Emergency Medical Worldwide Excluding USA plan.

The Emergency Medical Excluding USA provides coverage for outside of the United States, except for:

• Flight stopovers or flight layovers in the U.S. up to 48 hours
• Transit through the U.S. by car, van, truck, recreational vehicle, motorcycle, bus or train for up to five days to your travel destination and up to five days to return from your travel destination

Keep in mind that if you are travelling by cruise ship and the cruise departs from or stops at any ports in the U.S., you must purchase a Worldwide plan for the full duration of your trip.

It’s important to note that there is a waiting period with the emergency medical insurance that is laid out as follows:

• If your policy was purchased within seven days after departure, there is no coverage for any disease or illness (either arising or exhibiting symptoms) during the first 48 hours of the effective date, and any related expenses after the first 48 hours, or
• If your policy was purchased more than seven days after departure, there is no coverage for any disease or illness (either arising or exhibiting symptoms) in the first seven days from the effective date, including any related expenses.

Family & Friends: This plan is available with the Emergency Medical plan and covers up to two travellers aged 59 years old and under and up to six dependent children. The travellers named in this plan do not have to be the parents or guardians of the dependent children.

Trip Cancellation & Interruption: This coverage option reimburses you for insured travel expenses (such as hotels or prepaid excursions) if you have to cancel or interrupt your trip due to a covered risk. The benefits depend on the reason for the trip cancellation or interruption.

Trip Interruption Only: This coverage option reimburses you for insured travel expenses (such as hotels or prepaid excursions) if you have to interrupt your trip after departure due to a covered risk.

Accidental Death or Dismemberment: This coverage option offers reimbursement in the event you die, or lose the use of one or more limbs, during a flight or while entering or leaving a common carrier, defined as a boat, cruise ship, airline, bus, taxi, train or other similar vehicle that is licensed and intended to carry passengers for hire. This plan also includes a 24-hour Accident benefit of $25,000 that is paid out in the event of death or dismemberment as a result of an accident in any other situation.

MyFlyt Service: When your flight is delayed by two or more hours, this service automatically gives you access to an airport lounge, as long as you register your flight at least one hour before the original scheduled departure time. If the airport lounge is overbooked or there is no airport lounge, you will instead receive an immediate $40 cash payout via Interac, PayPal or bank transfer. (The bank transfer can take up to 72 hours, depending on your bank.) This service is available at no extra cost to anyone with TuGo travel insurance, even if you don’t have trip interruption coverage.

We’ve highlighted the key benefits for each coverage option available for the single trip plan when travelling outside of Canada to help you identify which is the best fit for you.

The price of a TuGo travel insurance plan depends on factors such as the cost of your trip, your age and the amount of coverage you choose.

Here are some examples of the cost for TuGo single trip plans for healthy travellers based in Ontario. These quotes assume a $0 deductible for the emergency medical insurance and that the insured will not be travelling through the US.

To access a quote from TuGo, you must select a travel insurance partner in your area. These sample quotes were sourced from Travel Insurance Office Inc. Actual prices may differ depending on your choice of travel insurance partner.

It’s easy to build a quote with TuGo as you can click on and off the coverage options you want to create a customized insurance plan.

Note: The All Inclusive Holiday Package is not available (N/A) for the couple travelling to Mexico as they are older than the 59-year-old maximum age limit.

With your Emergency Medical excluding USA coverage, you can also add an optional deductible, or the amount you will pay out of pocket before your coverage kicks in. Here’s how the purchase of a deductible affects your premium.

CAA Travel

Emergency medical: $5 million
Cancel For Any Reason: Yes, 50% to 75%
Baggage insurance (maximum): $1,500

Related: CAA Travel Insurance Review

TD Insurance

Emergency medical: $5 million
Cancel For Any Reason: No
Baggage insurance (maximum): $1,000

Related: TD Insurance Travel Insurance Review

Johnson Medoc Travel Insurance

Emergency medical: $5 million
Cancel For Any Reason: No
Baggage insurance (maximum): $1,500

Related: Johnson Medoc Travel Insurance Review

There are several optional coverages or add-ons that can be purchased as an endorsement to a TuGo insurance plan or package.

Baggage Insurance: This optional coverage can be purchased to increase the amount of baggage coverage from $500 to $1,500 per insured to a maximum of $3,000 for the Family & Friends plan. This benefit also covers the loss of currency due to theft up to $100. If your baggage is delayed by 12 hours while travelling, this benefit will provide up to $200 for personal necessities.

Rental Car Protection: This optional coverage provides up to $75,000 for physical damage to a rented or leased vehicle, in lieu of any collision damage insurance purchased from the rental or leasing agency. Physical damage in excess of $2,000 must be documented by a police report.

Sports & Activities Coverage: This optional coverage can be purchased as an add-on to an Emergency Medical insurance plan. This add-on does not increase the maximum limits of the plan, but provides coverage for activities otherwise excluded from coverage. The coverage provided under this endorsement is as follows:

For all ages: TuGo will cover medical and related expenses for an acute, sudden and unexpected medical condition while participating in, training for or practicing for the following sport or activity, if you select the sport or activity when completing your application.

TuGo will cover up to the policy limit of $10 million for these activities:

• Backcountry skiing or snowboarding
• Boxing
• Downhill freestyle skiing or snowboarding
• Downhill mountain biking
• Ice climbing
• Mixed martial arts
• Mountaineering
• Rock climbing

TuGo will cover up to $500,000 for these activities:

• BASE jumping
• Hang gliding/paragliding
• High-risk snowmobiling
• Motorized speed contests
• Parachuting, skydiving, tandem skydiving
• Scuba diving or free diving over 40 metres
• White water sports, class VI
• Wingsuit flying

For travellers age 21 and over: TuGo will cover medical and related expenses for an acute, sudden and unexpected medical condition while participating in, training for or practicing on behalf of a registered team, league, association or club, or while competing in a registered tournament, competition or sporting event for the following sports, if you select the applicable sport while completing your application:

• Football (American and Canadian)
• Ice hockey
• Rugby

Using the sample quote (above) of a couple going to Mexico, adding scuba diving over 40 metres to their Emergency Medical Excluding USA coverage will add $191.68 to their premium.

Unstable Pre-Existing Medical Condition Coverage: This add-on can be purchased as an endorsement to an Emergency Medical Insurance Worldwide plan or Worldwide Excluding USA plan. It provides the following benefits:

TuGo will pay for the reasonable and customary charges for medical and related expenses up to the policy limits incurred due to a pre-existing medical condition that was not stable before your date of departure. TuGo will not provide coverage for any medical condition that is not stable on or within the seven days before you leave on your trip.

Using the sample quote (above) of a couple going to Italy, adding the Unstable Pre-Existing Condition coverage to their Emergency Medical Excluding USA coverage will add $95.26 to their premium.

A 5% discount is applicable to a minimum of two travelling companions purchasing single trip insurance or a multi-trip annual plan.

Yes. You can buy multi-trip annual insurance if you travel more than once a year for multiple individual trips. TuGo offers emergency medical worldwide, trip cancellation & interruption and accidental death and dismemberment annual insurance for five, 10, 20, 35, 60, 95, 125, 155 and 182 days per trip.

TuGo’s International Assistance is provided to all insured travellers and is available 24/7, 365 days of the year either before or during your trip. Support includes:

• Communications link between traveller and the hospital regarding insurance coverage and procedures
• Medical consultation and advisory services, including a review of appropriateness of medical care
• Monitoring of progress during treatment and recovery
• Establishing contact with family, personal physician and/or employer, as necessary
• Ability to speak in multiple languages
• Coordination of payments
• Management, arrangement and authorization of emergency medical evacuation or repatriation of remains
• Interpretation of policy wordings
• Assistance in locating the nearest and most appropriate medical care
• Payment to hospitals and other medical providers where possible
• Travel assistance for family members
• Arrangements and communications with consulates, travel agents, embassies, tour guides, airlines, police, foreign affairs departments
• Legal referral services

Yes. This optional coverage can be purchased as an endorsement or add-on to the Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption plan, the All Inclusive Holiday Package and the Non-Medical Package.

If you decide to cancel your trip for any reason other than a covered risk, TuGo will pay up to 50% of either of the following, whichever is less:

1. Prepaid travel costs that are non-refundable and non-transferable
2. Up to the sum insured selected before departure which is non-refundable and non-transferable

To be eligible for this coverage, you must buy your insurance in the first five days after making any initial payment, whether it’s a deposit, partial payment or full payment or at any time before any cancellation penalties apply.

To be reimbursed under this coverage you must cancel your trip more than five days before your departure date.

Here’s how the prices compare for coverage with and without the CFAR add-on :

In general, CFAR adds anywhere between 20% and 33% to your insurance premium.

No.

TuGo will not pay any medical expenses related to any medical condition that is not stable for a set period of time.

A medical condition is considered stable when all of the following are true:

• There has been no deterioration of the medical condition as determined by a physician or other registered medical professional.
• There have been no new symptoms or findings or more frequent or severe symptoms or findings.
• There has been no change in treatment by a physician or other registered medical practitioner.

In addition, TuGo will not pay any benefits or services for the following:

• For travellers 59 years and under on a trip of less than 35 days for any medical condition that is not stable on or within the seven days before departure
• For travellers 59 years and under on a trip of more than 35 days for any medical condition that is not stable on or within the 90 days before departure
• For travellers 60 years and over on any length of trip, any medical condition that is not stable on or within the 180 days before departure

There are a number of scenarios not covered by travel insurance and it’s critical to know what not to do before you make a claim. The following are exclusions to all coverages provided by TuGo travel insurance:

• Your participation in or voluntary exposure to acts of war or terrorism
• Death, disablement or injury caused by radioactive contamination or by the utilization of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons
• Any medical condition that is the result of you not following prescribed treatment or medication
• Consumption or use of illegal or controlled drugs
• Your participating, training or practicing in any areas that have been closed off to public access for the following activities: Backcountry skiing/snowboarding, downhill freestyle skiing/snowboarding in organized competitions, high-risk snowmobiling, ice climbing, mountaineering, rock climbing
• Your participation in or training for any of the following sports or activities: Barrel racing, bronco riding, bull riding, chariot racing, chuck wagon racing, harness racing, rodeo bareback racing, rodeo clowning, rodeo team roping, steer wrestling/chute dogging, trick riding
• Any medical condition where the purpose of the trip is to seek treatment, advice or services for that condition
• Routine prenatal or postnatal care or pregnancy, delivery or complications of either in the nine weeks before or after the expected due date
• Your child born during the trip, except as specified under the Unexpected Birth of a Child benefit
• Your voluntary termination of a pregnancy or resulting complications
• Your suicide or self-inflicted injury
• Your commission or attempted commision of a criminal offence or illegal act
• Non-emergency, experimental or elective treatment or procedures
• Cosmetic surgeries, procedures and/or treatments

To be eligible for medical insurance with TuGo, the following must apply:

• You are a Canadian resident
• You are not travelling against a physician or other registered medical practitioner’s advice
• You have not been diagnosed with a terminal condition
• You are not receiving palliative care or palliative care has not been recommended

In addition, for travellers aged 55 and over, you must not:

• Have received medical advice not to travel
• Suffer from a medical condition in a terminal stage
• Suffer from kidney failure treated with dialysis
• Have been diagnosed with or treated for metastatic cancer in the last five years
• Have been prescribed or treated with home oxygen in the past 12 months

You can file a claim online 24/7 by visiting the online claim system at myTuGo.com where you can log in with your insurance policy number and start a new claim. There you can complete, print and return the forms by email or mail. TuGo recommends that you submit your claim form within 60 days from the day you were treated.

For an emergency medical claim, it’s important to provide all itemized bills and receipts including:

• Your full name
• Date(s) of service
• Amount charged
• Types of service/diagnosis
• Prescriptions with the itemized pharmacy-issue prescription receipt

For a trip cancellation and trip interruption claim, you’ll need to provide:

• The original unused tickets or e-tickets
• Original itemized, dated invoices and receipts from all travel suppliers showing full payment, taxes and fees paid
• A copy of the originally scheduled travel arrangements or itinerary
• Proof of cancellation from all airlines, hotel or accommodation providers, tour operators, cruise lines and any other traveller suppliers for unused expenses
• A statement from the travel agency, airline or travel supplier documenting their refund policy and copies of all refunds and/or credits for cancelled or unused expenses
• A medical certificate for any claim before departure stating the diagnosis, onset of symptoms, dates and type of treatment and the reason why travel was not possible or if after departure, the reason why it was necessary to interrupt the trip

For a baggage insurance claim, you’ll need to provide:

• Proof that the lost, stolen or damaged baggage was reported to the most appropriate local authority, such as police, hotel manager, vacation rental, or airline
• Proof of loss, such as a police report
• If your baggage is damaged, a written estimate from a repair shop on the cost to repair