While most Canadian travellers booking trips abroad know they should purchase travel insurance, particularly an emergency medical plan, they might not realize that they won't have coverage when travelling outside of their province.

Most doctors in other provinces and territories (except Quebec) will bill their own health plan for services provided for travellers who present their valid B.C. Services Card. The provinces/territories recover the funding monthly from each other, according to the B.C. government.

But Will McAleer, executive director at the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada, says locals might be in for a rude awakening travelling to other provinces if they haven't purchased travel insurance that covers them outside of B.C.

"Universal health care doesn't always fit," he underscores, noting that there may not be an agreement between provinces on certain medical conditions. "If there's no agreement between the two, then you might be out for the additional charge."

To read the full article, click here to go to the Castanet website.