TripCovered vs RBC: travel insurance compared

TripCovered and RBC both sell travel insurance, so the question worth answering is not which brand wins in general but which plan fits your trip. The reliable way to decide is to compare them on the features that actually determine protection, then get a quote and read the certificate.

Be clear on what you are insuring

Most Ontario travellers need emergency medical coverage, because OHIP pays little to nothing out of country and never pays a foreign hospital up front — most out-of-country OHIP coverage ended in 2020. Some travellers also want trip cancellation and interruption to protect prepaid, non-refundable costs. Settling this first turns a vague comparison into a specific one you can actually judge.

What to compare between providers

Put any two options side by side on the same dimensions:

• Coverage types — emergency medical, trip cancellation, visitors to Canada, student, baggage.
• Coverage limit — is the emergency medical maximum high enough for a serious event abroad?
• Trip-length caps — does the plan cover your entire trip, including longer stays?
• Age rules — does coverage change or stop at a certain age?
• Pre-existing conditions — how are they treated, and can you meet the stability terms?
• Assistance and claims — is 24/7 support included, and how are claims filed and paid?

These points reveal real protection far more reliably than a single headline price.

How TripCovered is structured

Our underwriting partner is a Canadian insurer operating since 1964, with 24/7 emergency assistance available in multiple languages. Its shelf includes emergency medical (single trip and multi-trip annual; worldwide, excluding-USA and within-Canada options), optional sports and activities, visitors to Canada including Super Visa plans, student plans, trip cancellation and interruption, all-inclusive packages and baggage. On eligibility there is no age limit; travellers under 60 answer no medical questions, while those 60 and over complete a medical questionnaire that sets the premium rather than eligibility.

Reading the other option fairly

When you look at an RBC plan — or any provider’s — compare the plan details, not the marketing. Pull the emergency medical limit, the maximum trip duration, the age restrictions, the pre-existing condition rules and what is included versus optional. A plan that appears cheaper may cover a shorter trip, cap coverage at a lower age, or treat pre-existing conditions more strictly. The fair comparison is always certificate to certificate.

Where price belongs

A travel insurance premium typically depends on age, trip length, coverage amount, destination and health, so the same traveller can see different numbers from different providers for different reasons. That is why price is the last step, not the first. Once you have confirmed two plans genuinely cover your trip, duration, age and health, comparing cost becomes meaningful — because you are comparing like for like.

Where claims and assistance fit in

Service is easy to overlook until something goes wrong. When you compare providers, look at how a claim is actually filed and paid, and whether 24/7 emergency assistance is included for the moment you need help abroad rather than only afterward. TripCovered handles claims directly and provides round-the-clock assistance in multiple languages, alongside services such as telemedicine and flight-delay support. A plan that is slightly cheaper but harder to reach in an emergency may not be the better deal once you are standing in a foreign hospital.

Decide with the details in front of you

Either provider can be a sensible choice for the right traveller. To know which fits you, define the coverage you need, compare the plans on limits, duration, age and pre-existing terms, and only then weigh cost. Get a quote, read exactly what it covers, and choose the plan sized to your trip rather than the lowest number on the page.