Hello I am planning to go to Vancouver later in the year,

I am trying to find some insurance that is going to cover me for the duration of my stay in Canada. I have looked at a few and as other people have suggested ACE seem to be the best so far.

My one problem is they wont cover me for any racing. I plan to do a lot of yacht and dinghy racing, does the state funded medical plan cover things like this?

thanks
Alex

http://www.dogtag.co.uk/ give them a call

If you are a visitor, no provincial medical will cover you. In BC, if you come to live, you don't get coverage until you have been here 2 months.

We don't have 'States' in Canada, we have provinces and territories.

I had a look but at 2k more than ace i'm not sure its worth it for a specific sport, I think im better of trying to find something that supplements my other insurance.

Yeah I read up on it and as long as i get a job of more than 18hrs a week I can apply for it on my visa, I would like to stay but obviously its a bit early for me to commit to that. I was wondering more if it covers me for these sorts of activities.

Presumably you will be doing amateur dinghy/yacht racing as in local clubs and not professionally?

If so, then this one might suit you.
http://www.etravelinsure.com/ETLSquote2012.aspx - select backpacker 12+ months, it also includes working.

http://www.etravelinsure.com/travel_...activities.htm list of sports covered.

thanks they are a much better price but I couldnt see racing on that page so i will drop them an email, they seem much more willing to customize insurance policies.

I've done a fair amount of recreational sailing and, as a kid, dinghy racing. Are you doing it at the extreme enough end to warrant specialist insurance? I imagine if you presented yourself at an ER in Vancouver with a sailing related injury - broken arm, concussion from the boom, or whatever, you'd be covered by the provincial healthcare system - assuming you are eligable for coverage on whatever immigration status you'll have in Canada.

I'm at the other side of the country but some years ago I did have cause to be medevac'd from a yacht on a remote island by fast rescue craft, transferred to an ambulance and taken to the local ER. My provincial healthcare plan took care of all of that bar the ambulance which my work health benefits covered.

You may be overthinking this. Or confusing Canada with the US.

If you are "amateur" racing at club level, there would be no need to get additional insurance out as it covers competition.

You are covered for: ‘safe and normal’ participation in the sports and activities described below, as an amateur to amateur competition level.

Hello, I have been given a quote for $820 for medical insurance with $100k cover and $0 excess/waiver. Is this a competitive quote?

So far the next best quotes I have found is from a british company and is £650. I am 27 with no pre existing medical conditions.

One of the good things for me is that it is a refundable policy if/when I get a job and can be covered by the Provincial cover.

You need to give us a little more to work on here. Not quite sure what you're asking.

Provincial coverage is predicated on the visa you're here on, not whether you're working. There is a waiting period for new residents who qualify for provincial coverage, so you'll need to insure yourself for the first 3 months.
If you get a job that comes with additional medical benefits, they typically cover you for things that are not covered by provincial schemes - which may include ambulance transport, drugs, eyecare, dentristry, etc etc. It varies between provinces.

What status will you have in Canada - IEC? TWP? PR?
How long are you here for?
How long a period is the coverage you've quoted above for?

fwiw, $100k seems low as far as coverage goes.

12 months cover
Includes transport, drugs, dental (not eye care though, hadn't noticed that)
IEC ( so I believe I need cover for the duration of my stay when I arrive)
Initially for a year but employment dependant longer hopefully.

Well I dont have any experience of what prices usually are, and as this is something I dont have to consider in the UK I have nothing to compare it to either.

Ok well after you mentioned that it was a bit low I have done some some searching, all the insurance I found offers between $100k -$200k it seems that i am guessing that its quite low because these policies with repatriate you as soon as they can!

These policies were for visitors to canada, I dont think I am eligible for any other types of cover until i'm eligible for the provincial coverage.

Try pm ing Bandit .

Ah, and there's the rub. If you're here for a year on an IEC visa, you might be better off looking at coverage specifically designed for "new residents" rather than visitors/travellers... the last thing you want is to be bundled into an air ambulance and flown back home if all your household stuff is here for the year.

I'm no expert on this (wd second 4Bells' suggestion to get in touch with Bandit) but it seems IEC holders don't qualify for provincial coverage except in some cases where they might. I'd take professional advice, if I were you.

I know when I went around the world in the mid-90s my backpacker insurance covered me for incidental sporting injuries; so I was covered when I went snowboarding for a couple of days in New Zealand, but wouldn't have been covered if I'd spent all six months snowboarding.