You generally do not have to make any changes to your Insurance Corporation of British Columbia auto insurance unless your travelling does not qualify as a vacation. You should check with your local insurance broker if you are working or have a permanent residence at your destination. Be aware that ICBC does not classify all holidays as vacations. Also, ICBC will not cover any vehicle while it is in Mexico. If you can provide proof of time that you have been in Mexico for longer than 30 days, ICBC will refund the premium it has charged for that same time period.

If you are traveling out of B.C., your B.C. Medical Plan (MSP) will not be adequate and it is necessary to purchase an Out of Province Travel Medical Policy.  The MSP has been designed to cover B.C. residents in B.C. and excludes or reduces coverage outside of the province.  For example, it will only pay $75 a day for an overnight hospital stay outside of Canada. Also, it is important to note that your MSP has a residency requirement of at least 183 days per year. It is possible to obtain permission from MSP to go beyond this residency requirement once every five years.  Remember that the travel medical policy is excess of your B.C. Medical Plan and therefore, if your MSP is not in effect, your travel policy is void.

When you leave your house for any extended period your home insurance policy  stipulates that you need to have

someone check your home regularly. It is important that  that person walks through the home to ensure that there is no water leakage or other problems. It is also important that you do not depend on your neighbours too much since they have their own house to deal with.

Last winter I had a claim where a tree fell and split the house in half while the owner was on vacation. Neighbours are fine when everything is going well, but a company like Seaside Home Checks that specializes in looking after unoccupied homes is trained to handle emergencies like break-ins and weather damage.
Residential security alarm systems are generally reliable, but do not replace the personal home checking required by insurance companies during various periods of absence. For more information about Seaside Home Checks visit www.seasidehomechecks.ca or email them at info@seasidehomechecks.ca. You can also phone them at (250)248-7033.

Ann Buchanan, CAIB CIP BA MALA is the owner/manager of Parksville Insurance Service Ltd.  Her 25 years of experience allows her to specialize in unique and ‘hard to place’ insurance. Her expertise covers a wide area of products including house, auto, business, marine, r.v. vehicles and travel. If you have any questions or wish to obtain a quotation call 250-248-5784 or email ann@parksvilleinsurance.com