Travel insurance for a baby or young child
A baby or young child needs their own emergency medical coverage, because OHIP does not meaningfully cover children out of country and never pays a foreign hospital up front. Children answer no medical questions, and family plans let you cover them alongside parents on one policy.
Key takeaways
- Children are not covered by OHIP abroad any more than adults are.
- Each child needs their own emergency medical limit for a serious event.
- Children answer no medical questions, keeping them simple to insure.
- Family plans cover parents and children together on one policy.
- Size coverage to the trip and confirm the destination's coverage region.
Travelling with a baby or young child adds a lot to the packing list, and health coverage belongs near the top of it. Parents sometimes assume children are automatically covered, or covered under a parent’s policy by default. Neither is safe to assume, and sorting it is straightforward.
OHIP doesn’t cover children abroad
OHIP is Ontario’s in-province plan, and it does not follow your child out of the country in any practical way. Most out-of-country OHIP coverage ended in 2020, and OHIP never pays a foreign hospital up front. This applies to a baby exactly as it applies to an adult. Children get sick on trips — fevers, ear infections, tummy bugs — and accidents happen. If a child needs care overseas, the hospital expects payment at the time, so each child needs their own emergency medical coverage sized for a serious event, not just a parent’s policy covering the adults.
Children are simple to insure
The reassuring part: children are easy to add. Because they are under 60, they answer no medical questions at all — their coverage is not subject to a health questionnaire. A family plan is designed for exactly this, letting you cover parents and children together on a single policy rather than arranging separate paperwork for each person. The goal is simply that every family member, down to the youngest, carries a high enough emergency medical limit.
What to prioritize for a little one
- A high medical limit. Paediatric emergency care abroad can be expensive; a strong limit matters.
- 24/7 assistance. our round-the-clock help in multiple languages is invaluable when a child is unwell in an unfamiliar place and you need guidance fast.
- Telemedicine. Virtual care services can handle minor issues — a rash, a mild fever — without a clinic trip, which is a relief when travelling with young children.
- The right coverage region. Confirm your destination falls inside the plan’s region before you go.
Trip shape and deposits
Size a single-trip plan to your actual travel dates. If your family travels several times a year, a multi-trip annual plan may be better value, with each trip capped at a set number of days — confirm the cap covers your longest trip. Family trips also tend to carry sizeable non-refundable deposits, so adding trip cancellation and interruption early can protect that money if a child’s illness or another covered reason disrupts plans.
Price for families with children
There is no age limit, and children and parents under 60 answer no medical questions. Any grandparent 60 or over travelling along completes a questionnaire that sets their premium, not eligibility. Your family’s price typically depends on the number and ages of travellers, trip length, the coverage amount, destination and any health answers. A personalized quote is the only accurate figure.
Cover your youngest traveller too
A baby or young child needs the same protection abroad as everyone else in the family, and they are the easiest member to insure. Give each child a solid medical limit, lean on the assistance and telemedicine services, and size the plan to your trip. Comparing your options with a quote is the quickest way to cover the whole family and see your real price before you book.
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Frequently asked questions
Does my baby or child really need their own travel insurance?
Yes. OHIP does not meaningfully cover children out of country and never pays a foreign hospital up front, exactly as with adults. If a child needs care abroad, the hospital expects payment at the time, so each child needs their own emergency medical coverage with a high enough limit for a serious event.
Are children hard to insure?
No. Children are under 60, so they answer no medical questions at all, which makes them simple to add. A family plan lets you cover parents and children together on one policy, so you are not arranging separate paperwork for each child.
What if my child has a health condition?
Children answer no medical questions on these plans, so a condition does not form part of the application in the way it would for a traveller 60 or over. Emergency medical coverage pays eligible costs for a sudden, unexpected event, subject to the policy terms. If you have specific concerns, ask the insurer directly.
TripCovered is a licensed insurance referral service operating in Ontario. Insurance is administered by North American Air Travel Insurance Agents Ltd., doing business as TuGo®, a licensed insurance broker in all provinces and territories. The issuer of the contract is Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. and Industrial Alliance Pacific General Insurance Corporation. Coverage is subject to the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the policy. This website provides general information only and is not a contract of insurance. Always read your policy wording before you travel.