Top Up Travel Insurance

Author: Melissa A.

Published: July 12th, 2024 | Updated: July 12th, 2024
Read time: 5 mins

Travel insurance coverage is often offered through a credit card if you use it to pay for travel or through an employee benefits plan. However, whether through a credit card, employee benefits plan or purchased separately, an existing travel insurance policy sometimes doesn’t provide enough coverage. For example, you might only be covered for a certain number of days and will need coverage for the additional days you will be away on your trip. These extra coverage days require an additional travel insurance policy, commonly called top-up travel insurance coverage.

What is top-up travel insurance?

Top-up insurance for travel is a travel insurance policy that is supplemental to an existing one you may already have, allowing you to have additional coverage and limits for your trip. It can be tailored to fit your travel needs. Top-up travel insurance coverage is what travellers purchase, for example, when they are extending their existing travel insurance obtained from a provider, adding additional days onto an annual travel insurance plan (also known as a multi-trip travel insurance plan) or adding extra coverage days to an existing policy such as one through a credit card or employee benefits plan.

How can I top up my trip insurance coverage?

You can top-up trip insurance coverage by purchasing a top-up plan before your primary travel insurance policy expires, whether before departure or during travel. Check with the provider that you have your primary policy through first, and if they do not provide top-up coverage, you can get it from another provider. Some providers require top-up coverage to be purchased a certain number of days before policy expiry, for example, 48 hours in advance. However, it’s recommended to buy top-up coverage before your trip because you typically will not be able to get it once you file a claim or your health status has changed, deeming you ineligible. If there’s a change in your health, check and see if you are eligible to purchase coverage with no stability period requirement for
pre-existing conditions.

How much does top-up travel insurance cost?

Top-up travel insurance will cost approximately 4%-10% of your total prepaid, nonrefundable trip cost. It will depend on risk factors such as traveller(s) age, number of travellers insured on a policy, and level of coverage. Additional risk factors that affect the cost of travel insurance include destination(s) if it’s high-risk or remote, limits, deductible, and any options or add-ons you choose to add to a plan. To keep the cost of top-up travel insurance minimal, take a look at a policy you may already have and identify gaps in terms of coverage that’s missing or that you want more of and look for a plan containing only the necessary coverage benefits you need and avoid unnecessary coverage benefits, increasing the price you will pay.

Which travel insurance companies sell top-up coverage?

If you want top-up travel insurance coverage, contact your primary travel insurance provider first, whether that be your credit card provider, employee benefits plan provider, or existing travel insurance provider and find out if they offer top-up coverage for your current policy. If they do not, you can get a travel insurance policy from another provider online through us at InsureMyTrip, where you can compare plans from multiple providers to select one that’s most suited to you and your trip. Our live travel insurance agents are also available to answer any questions you might have throughout the process.

What is top-up travel medical insurance?

If you already have travel insurance through your credit card (if you paid for your trip using your card), an employee benefits plan, or an existing travel insurance policy, the travel medical coverage (commonly known as emergency medical coverage) provided may not be enough, for example, cover you for the entire duration of your trip.

Top-up travel medical insurance is emergency medical coverage. It can protect you for the remaining days of your trip out of province or country once your primary travel insurance policy coverage expires and/or allow you to increase your coverage limits. For example, increase the amount of emergency medical coverage your policy provides to the maximum coverage limit available from the provider or increase the amount of emergency evacuation coverage or Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage. AD&D coverage is typically found in top-up travel medical insurance and top-up cancellation travel insurance.

Top-up travel insurance is best purchased before trip departure or before your primary policy expires because you typically will be ineligible for it once you file a claim or your health status has changed. However, if your health status changes, check and see if you are eligible to purchase coverage with no stability period requirement for pre-existing conditions.

Is top-up insurance for travel worth it?

Top-up travel insurance is worth getting when the primary travel insurance policy you have through your credit card, employee benefits plan or purchased separately doesn’t provide enough coverage when travelling outside your home province or Canada. For example, in instances where you want to increase coverage limits, extend your trip to stay away longer than your initial return date indicated on your existing travel insurance policy or need coverage for the additional days that you will be away that your credit card, employee benefits plan, or annual travel insurance plan won’t cover because it limits you to a certain number of days per trip.

Top-up insurance can extend emergency medical coverage and limits, so you won’t have to pay for emergency medical expenses ranging from tens of thousands to millions of dollars upfront and out of pocket if you have an unexpected medical emergency while travelling. In addition to why top-up insurance is worth every penny, please take a look at what our customers are saying about their experience getting travel insurance through us at InsureMyTrip on our reviews forum.

What is the best top-up travel insurance?

The best top-up travel insurance is a policy that includes coverage for emergency medical, emergency evacuation, and repatriation, as well as providing 24/7 emergency assistance, but most importantly, that will protect you for the entire duration of your trip. Enhance a policy with add-on coverages, such as pre-existing conditions, COVID-19, travel disruptions, baggage loss and delay, high-risk and adventure sports activities, personal effects, rental car damage, etc., to tailor it even more to your trip plans.