Canadian snowbird season puts travel insurance exclusions in focus

Canadian travellers heading to the US for extended winter stays are being reminded to check how government travel advisories, pre-existing conditions, and trip duration could affect their insurance cover.

The approaching ‘snowbird season’ – when many older Canadians and retirees escape the colder winter months by spending extended periods in warmer US states – brings particular considerations for travel insurers and brokers.

Canada updated its travel advice for the US on 24 September, although the country’s overall risk level remains unchanged at ‘Take normal security precautions’.

The guidance nevertheless highlights the high cost of healthcare in the US and advises Canadians to obtain travel insurance covering hospital stays and medical evacuation.

For travel insurers and brokers, the approaching snowbird season brings particular exposure because many travellers spending the winter in the US are older, stay abroad for extended periods, and may require cover for existing medical conditions.

Government advisories can also have direct implications for travel insurance. Many Canadian policies contain exclusions or restrictions linked to official advice, particularly where the government advises travellers to “avoid non-essential travel” or “avoid all travel”.

Canada’s government advises travellers to check the relevant destination guidance when booking and again shortly before departure, and to establish how changes to official advice could affect their cover.

Medical cover under scrutiny

Pre-existing medical conditions represent another important consideration for snowbirds.

Canadian government guidance advises travellers with existing conditions to establish whether they are covered and understand any stability clauses applying to their policy. Travellers are also required to provide accurate and complete medical information when arranging cover.

Trip duration can present an additional issue for travellers spending several months outside Canada, making maximum policy periods and extension provisions important considerations before departure.

The Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA) has previously highlighted declining demand for US travel among Canadian snowbirds. Its 2025 Winter Smart Traveller Survey found that 26% of Canadians planned to visit the US during the following winter, representing a 37% decline, with particularly weak demand among baby boomers.

Despite fewer Canadians travelling south, those who do so can present substantial medical exposure for insurers because of the cost of US healthcare.

The combination of longer trips, medical histories, high treatment costs, and potentially changing destination advice makes pre-departure communication particularly important – including ensuring customers understand stability periods, medical disclosure requirements, trip-duration limits, and advisory-linked exclusions.

As older travellers increasingly continue to travel with chronic health conditions, ITIJ recently explored how insurers are adapting their approach to pre-existing medical conditions.