Students from Ottawa's Hillcrest High School prepare to leave for a Dominican Republic resort. (CBC)

Teenagers looking for fun in the sun this March break would be wise to pick up travel medical insurance, says an Ottawa mother whose son was in an accident that cost him one of his legs.

Sue Holland's son, Matt, went to a Cuban resort in 2003 with some classmates, the year they were set to graduate from high school.

He was playing football and running on the beach when his foot caught a dip in the sand.

"He ended up breaking his leg and severing an artery," Holland said.

Matt was taken to a local hospital and treated for the break. But the leg became severely infected and he was flown to Miami for emergency medical attention.

After a few days, with the infection spreading to the rest of his body, the doctors had to amputate his leg.

Holland, who had travel insurance that covered Matt's medical bills, estimated the accident cost over $340,000 US.

She believes that if Matt had broken his leg in Canada, he would have received proper treatment right away and may have been able to keep his leg.

"I guess we just shouldn't take for granted the quality of health care we have in Canada," she said. "And just because you have health care to go away, doesn't guarantee you the same health quality of health care we get at home."

She said she could see how a family without travel medical insurance could face bankruptcy if their child went through a similar situation.

Canada's Public Health Agency advises travellers to arrange for travel medical insurance. The agency says a Canadian who suffers an injury or illness abroad can contact the nearest Canadian government office for assistance, but they wouldn't receive financial help for medical or travel expenses.

Provincial health plans would also fall short of full coverage outside Canada.

Vacationers with travel medical insurance are also advised to behave carefully abroad. People at all-inclusive resorts may be tempted to drink every cocktail in sight, but they should be aware most policies do not cover accidents or illness caused by "abuse" of drugs or alcohol.

What constitutes "abuse" is open to interpretation.

In April 2006, a Nova Scotia man who fell off a hotel balcony in Mexico found his insurance claim was denied because he had been drinking. His total bills for treatment and a flight home: $50,000.

Some policies also don't cover risky sports like bungee jumping, rock climbing, scuba diving or hang-gliding.