Its summer and Vacation time for many of us.
Will you be out of your home province for even a few hours? Your provincial medical coverage will not be adequate to cover most medical or hospital bills in another province or country, whether you've scraped your foot on barnacles or had a stroke.
Don't forget to confirm your travel insurance is in force and that you carry their contact information with you at all times.
Don't rely on credit card travel insurance coverage without thoroughly checking the "small print".
One common credit card restriction is that coverage is dependent on your having purchased your travel tickets for the specific trip you are on with that particular credit card.
Also be aware of the pre-existing conditions clause in your coverage...
make sure that there are no exclusions, and note the maximum trip length of the coverage.
Some travel insurances will pay the medical facility directly for you, but many policies require you to pay and then be reimbursed later...
could your cash or credit cards cover a medical bill for thousands of dollars and then wait weeks or months for reimbursement? Many medical facilities require payment up front, before they will even check your condition, which can be a major problem if you need emergency care and can't produce sufficient money.
The better travel insurers will make payment arrangements for you immediately, in most cases.
Do you have visitors from another country staying with you here for a few weeks, or months, to study, travel, or work? If they are injured, or get sick, provincial medical insurance will not cover them, and the cost of medical treatment or hospitalization can be thousands of dollars.
Eventually they may qualify for provincial medical, but in the interim, they should have In-bound travel insurance coverage, which can be arranged here.
On a related subject...
Do you or your parents own a vacation cottage, cabin or condo? Do you hope to continue to have access to it for many years to come? Do you hope to inherit it (or pass it on to your children)? There can be very significant estate tax consequences to do that.
Do you have children, or siblings who don't have any interest in eventually owning any part of it? Can you, or some of your children, afford to buy their share.
How do you plan to pass it on to your kids, or to inherit your fair share of it? It's worth a family discussion, and then find an expert to help all of you understand the details, consequences, and solutions available.
Enjoy the warm summer weather.
Don't forget the sunscreen!