TuGo review
High limits with flexible pre-existing options
Our rating · #1 of 9 for travel insurance
At a glance
The bottom line
TuGo is a well-established national brand behind a genuinely strong A+ (Superior) iA carrier — a safe, feature-rich pick. It offers emergency medical up to $10M, optional cancel-for-any-reason at 50%, an optional 7-day stability buy-down on pre-existing conditions, and specialty high-risk-sports riders, all buyable instantly online or through a broker. Its claims-paid reputation is among the better in a category that skews negative. Mind the default stability rules.
- High limits with flexible pre-existing options
- Cancel-for-any-reason caps at 50%
The expert assessment
How our analysts score TuGo’s travel insurance — 87/100 across six weighted pillars.
Carrier is iA (A+); the Pacific General P&C entity is A (Excellent).
Source: https://www.tugo.com/en/legal/
What experts like
- A+ (Superior) iA carrier — genuinely strong
- $10M medical + optional 7-day stability buy-down
- National, buy online or via broker; solid claims reputation
Watch-outs
- Cancel-for-any-reason caps at 50%
- Default stability terms can be strict
What TuGo's travel insurance policy wording actually says
Read from TuGo Traveller travel policy (ttand_traveller_01pw_2025-04), not the brochure. Each answer is the contract's own sentence with its page number.
- Stability period
- 59 and under: 7 days for trips of 35 days or less, 90 days for longer trips; 60 and over: 180 days. Optional rider reduces to 7 days.
Read the clause
“59 years and under 35 days or less Any medical condition which is not stable on or within the 7 days before the date of departure. Over 35 days Any medical condition which is not stable on or within the 90 days before the date of departure. 60 years and over All Any medical condition which is not stable on or within the 180 days before the date of departure.”
p. 19 - Call-before-treatment rule and penalty
- Contact as soon as possible if hospitalization may result; no percentage penalty stated. Air ambulance not arranged by TuGo is excluded outright.
Read the clause
“Expenses incurred for emergency air transportation and any expenses incurred after emergency air transportation, when the emergency air transportation was not arranged by us.”
p. 21 - Pregnancy exclusion
- 9 weeks before and 9 weeks after the expected delivery date
Read the clause
“Pregnancy, delivery, or complications of either, arising within the 9 weeks before the expected date of delivery or within the 9 weeks after.”
p. 53 - Government travel advisory
- 'Avoid all travel' or 'avoid non-essential travel' issued before the effective date or before you travel there is excluded; if issued after arrival, related coverage limited to 30 days
Read the clause
“An official travel advisory issued by a Canadian government stating to “avoid all travel” or “avoid non-essential travel” regarding the country, region or city of your destination, before the effective date of the Policy or the date you travel to that destination”
p. 21 - Mental health
- No mental-health exclusion in the emergency medical section; excluded under trip cancellation unless hospitalized
Read the clause
“Emotional or mental disorders, unless they result in hospitalization.”
p. 35 - Claim deadline
- Notice within 30 days, proof within 90 days, all documentation within one year
Read the clause
“All required documentation must be received within one year from the date of loss. Failure to do so will result in the denial of the claim.”
p. 70
All 13 questions for TuGo, and the same questions for 8 other insurers →
TuGo travel insurance in detail
Scored on our travel insurance Expert Score — see the full travel insurance ranking.
Ranked #1 of 9 travel insurance providers we rate
4.4Good for high limits with flexible pre-existing options
TuGo is a well-established national brand behind a genuinely strong A+ (Superior) iA carrier — a safe, feature-rich pick. It offers emergency medical up to $10M, optional cancel-for-any-reason at 50%, an optional 7-day stability buy-down on pre-existing conditions, and specialty high-risk-sports riders, all buyable instantly online or through a broker. Its claims-paid reputation is among the better in a category that skews negative. Mind the default stability rules.
- A+ (Superior) iA carrier — genuinely strong
- $10M medical + optional 7-day stability buy-down
- National, buy online or via broker; solid claims reputation
- Cancel-for-any-reason caps at 50%
- Default stability terms can be strict
How to buy TuGo travel insurance
Buy online at tugo.com for instant issue, through a licensed broker, or by phone at 1-855-929-8846 (Mon-Sat, PST hours). A Medical Questionnaire is required for travellers 60 and over and sets your premium. Sold Canada-wide to residents with valid provincial health coverage; some plans are also distributed under partner brands such as Goose Insurance.
TuGo travel insurance plans
Emergency Medical Insurance (Single Trip or Multi-Trip Annual)
Core emergency medical plan, sold as single trip or multi-trip annual. TuGo's own site markets up to $5 million; the underlying policy wording for partner-distributed versions shows a $10,000,000 maximum, so confirm the limit on your confirmation. Stability is 7 days (trips 35 days or less) under 60, 90 days on longer trips, 180 days at 60-74, 365 days at 75+. Medical Questionnaire at 60+. No stated maximum age.
Best for Travellers who want a travel-insurance specialist with in-house claims rather than a bank or a third-party administrator.
Not for Travellers 75 and over, where the 365-day stability lookback is among the harshest in the Canadian market.
Optional Unstable Pre-existing Condition Coverage
A rider that buys back coverage for pre-existing conditions that were NOT stable, subject to a $250,000 maximum limit rather than the full policy limit. TuGo's own blog states it is available to travellers 79 and under, provided the condition was stable in the 7 days before the policy effective date. It sits on top of the Emergency Medical plan.
Best for Someone with a recent medication change or new diagnosis who would otherwise be uninsurable under a 180- or 365-day stability rule.
Not for Anyone 80 or over, or anyone who assumes it restores the full $5M/$10M limit — it caps at $250,000.
Travel Within Canada Emergency Medical
Coverage for trips outside your home province but inside Canada. Its distinguishing feature is that no pre-existing condition stability requirement applies at all — TuGo states there is no stability requirement for pre-existing conditions on this plan. Coverage tops up provincial health plans for interprovincial gaps such as ambulance and out-of-province physician billing.
Best for Seniors with unstable conditions travelling only within Canada, who are effectively locked out of international plans.
Not for Anyone leaving the country — it provides no coverage outside Canada.
Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption Insurance
Sold standalone or bundled. Pre-existing conditions affecting you, a travelling companion, an immediate family member or a business partner must have been stable during the 60 days prior to the date the insurance is purchased — a purchase-date test, not a departure-date test, which catches buyers out. Baggage benefits run to $1,500 per insured, $3,000 per family.
Best for Travellers with large non-refundable deposits who buy insurance immediately after booking.
Not for Anyone buying weeks after booking with a family member in declining health — the 60-day clock runs to the purchase date.
All Inclusive Holiday Package
Bundles emergency medical, trip cancellation and interruption, baggage and accidental death into one package policy. Third-party reviews note it is restricted to applicants aged 59 and under, which rules out the exact demographic that most needs bundled protection.
Best for Under-60 travellers who want one policy and one claims number instead of stacking coverages.
Not for Anyone 60 or older — they must buy the components separately.
What TuGo travel insurance costs
Premium is driven by age band, trip length, whether you add the Unstable Pre-existing Condition rider, deductible chosen, and your Medical Questionnaire answers at 60+. TuGo sits mid-market: PolicyAdvisor's aggregated data puts TuGo's average travel policy at $98.61, below Manulife's $113.67 but above Allianz's $86.26. The premium curve steepens sharply after 65 — TuGo's published sample single-trip premium roughly quadruples between age 25 and 75.
| Profile | Premium | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Age 25, single-trip Emergency Medical, $5M coverage | $157.22 | View source |
| Age 65, single-trip Emergency Medical, $5M coverage | $274.15 | View source |
| Age 75, single-trip Emergency Medical, $5M coverage | $662.02 | View source |
| Age 65, multi-trip annual Emergency Medical, 15-day trip length, $5M coverage | $241.50 | View source |
| Age 65, Trip Cancellation & Interruption, $2,000 trip cost | $167.40 | View source |
Premiums are the figures published or quoted at the sources above as at September 2026. Insurance is priced individually — treat these as a realistic benchmark, not a quote.
What TuGo travel insurance customers say
TuGo is the clear outlier in this group: 3.6/5 on Trustpilot across 223 reviews, on a page that is specifically about its travel insurance rather than a parent bank's whole product line. Reviewers consistently praise the purchase experience, the app, and named agents who answer the phone. The recurring failure is reimbursement speed, not denial — several reviewers describe waiting 8 to 12 weeks with the claim portal still showing 'waiting for receipts' after TuGo acknowledged receiving everything.
TuGo's score reads high partly because its Trustpilot page is a genuine travel-insurance page, while its bank competitors are rated on corporate-wide pages dominated by auto, home and group-benefits complaints. It is not a like-for-like comparison and we would not read TuGo as three times better than Desjardins on that basis alone. That said, the pattern of slow payment is real and management responds publicly to almost every negative review, which is more accountability than the banks show.
- Trustpilot (tugo.com) 3.6/5 223 reviews
Read this in context: Canadian insurers cluster at 1.2–1.4 out of 5 on open review platforms almost without exception — the people motivated to post are overwhelmingly those with a claim dispute. Read this score against that category floor, not against a 5-point scale.
- Claims that actually pay on large medical events. A reviewer whose family faced an unexpected major surgery abroad wrote that TuGo covering the hospital expenses let them 'focus on what truly mattered most: the health, recovery, and wellbeing of our loved one, rather than the constant fear and stress of overwhelming medical costs.'
- Patient agents during application. 'Karen was so very helpful and patient when we were going through the application process' — a repeat customer describing her second TuGo purchase.
- Fast fixes on service issues. One reviewer reported a spelling error on the policy was corrected within five minutes of leaving a message, with new documents emailed five minutes later.
- Usable digital tools for seniors. 'Easy to follow, instructions to print policy... as seniors we need everything as easy as possible.'
- Reimbursement delays measured in months. 'I also have been waiting over 8 weeks for my medical reimbursement. They originally told me 8 weeks, but now they are saying another two to three weeks.'
- Claim portal shows stale status. One reviewer waited three months on a small claim while the portal 'continues to show waiting for receipts in spite of their acknowledgement that they have everything.'
- Slow policy refunds. A reviewer reported waiting roughly ten weeks for a refund on a $5,000 policy and struggling to reach customer service.
- Account and login friction. 'Even though i have set up a profile i cant log in to Tugo with the user name and password i created — making it useless.'
TuGo: frequently asked questions
Can TuGo be trusted to pay out a claim?
On the evidence, yes: TuGo holds an A+ (Superior), ICR aa- financial-strength rating from AM Best (Sep 2025) — an independent agency’s verdict on its ability to pay claims. Carrier is iA (A+); the Pacific General P&C entity is A (Excellent).
Who is TuGo travel insurance a good fit for?
TuGo stands out for high limits with flexible pre-existing options. A+ (Superior) iA carrier — genuinely strong, and $10M medical + optional 7-day stability buy-down. If those things matter most to you, it’s worth a close look; if your priority is something else, compare it against the companies that rate highest on that pillar.
What are the downsides of TuGo travel insurance?
The watch-outs we found: cancel-for-any-reason caps at 50%; default stability terms can be strict. We spell these out so you can weigh them before buying — every insurer has trade-offs, and knowing them upfront is the point of a real review.
How does TuGo compare to other travel insurance companies in Canada?
TuGo ranks #1 of the 9 travel insurance providers we scored, at 87/100. It’s strongest on financial strength and has the most room to improve on customer satisfaction.
Does TuGo really cover pre-existing conditions that aren't stable?
Yes, but through a separate optional rider and with a hard cap. TuGo's Unstable Pre-existing Condition Coverage carries a $250,000 maximum limit — not the full emergency medical limit — and TuGo states it is available to travellers 79 and under, provided the condition was stable in the 7 days before the policy's effective date. So it does not cover a condition that is actively deteriorating in the week you leave. Treat it as meaningful protection against a moderate claim, not as a substitute for meeting the standard stability period on a catastrophic one.
What stability period does TuGo apply to me?
It depends entirely on your age on the application date and your trip length. Under 60 on a trip of 35 days or less, only a 7-day lookback applies — the shortest in this comparison. Under 60 on a trip longer than 35 days, the condition must have been stable 90 days before departure. Age 60 to 74, it is 180 days. Age 75 and over, it is 365 days on all trip lengths. Critically, if you extend a short trip past 35 days, the 90-day rule retroactively applies. Travel Within Canada plans have no stability requirement at all.
What happens if I make a mistake on TuGo's Medical Questionnaire?
The consequence is unusually specific and worth reading twice. TuGo's policy wording states that for insureds 60 years and over who qualify for the coverage selected but failed to answer any Medical Questionnaire question truthfully and accurately, any claim is subject to an extra deductible of $15,000 USD on top of any other deductible — and no future coverage is provided unless you pay the corrected premium. That is less severe than outright voiding your policy, which some competitors do, but a $15,000 USD hit will still wipe out most claims.
Who handles a TuGo claim — TuGo or a third party?
TuGo, through its own unit branded 'Claims at TuGo,' which the policy names as the sole provider of assistance and claims processing. This is a real structural difference from RBC (Allianz Global Assistance) and Manulife CoverMe (Active Care Management), where the insurer's name on the policy is not the company you deal with when something goes wrong. TuGo offers 24/7 in-house emergency medical assistance with support in 27 languages. Reviewers' complaints about TuGo are about speed, not about being bounced between the insurer and an administrator.
Is TuGo's maximum $5 million or $10 million?
Both figures are in circulation and you must check your own confirmation. TuGo's direct-to-consumer Emergency Medical Insurance is described by PolicyAdvisor as offering up to $5 million, with the Canadian Student Plan at $2 million. However, the TuGo-underwritten policy wording distributed through partner brands such as Goose Insurance states a maximum limit of $10,000,000 for emergency medical. The limit is a function of which plan and which distributor you buy through, so read the maximum limit line on your policy rather than trusting a marketing page.