'Might not be for the faint of heart': What Canadians need to know about travelling across the U.S. land border

Winnipeg -

With the United States set to reopen its land and sea border to fully vaccinated Canadians for non-essential travel for the first time since March 2020, many Canadians are set to hit the road headed south.

However, road tripping in the age of COVID requires a bit more planning, according to the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada.

“While we’re all really excited to get travelling again, it might not be for the faint of heart,” said Will McAleer, the association’s executive director.

McAleer said travellers need to set a plan for themselves before leaving and understand their health coverage when they’re abroad. He advises calling your insurance provider to ask key questions in preparation.

“Are you concerned about a particular medical condition that you’ve got? In which case, you want to ask that question - ‘am I going to be covered for, maybe it’s a breathing disorder that I’ve got, maybe asthma. If something happens to me and I’m in the hospital as a result of that, will I be covered?’”, he explained.

“You want to make sure that you understand that before you go, because you want to shop around and get the best policy that’s going to suit your individual needs.”

McAleer notes the U.S. does not require a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country through its land border and ferry terminals. However, one is required upon return. It’s a policy he feels should be revised, noting the tests can be costly, inconvenient, and ineffective at detecting COVID exposure if the trip is short.

He also believes it’s important to know what your policy will and won’t cover if you contract COVID-19 while travelling abroad.

“Now that the global travel advisory has been removed, if you’re going to a place that’s okay to travel, for instance, the U.S., you’re going to be protected for that if you get sick related to COVID and you end up in a hospital, you’ve got medical expenses,” he said.

“What you’re not likely to be covered for, and what you need to check for, is whether or not it’s going to cover you for a quarantine period, and that’s really important to know. Ask your insurer.”