Travel Insurance-Medical, Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption

[Sue M]

I just received this from my work insurance (Blue Cross):

The Government of Canada is warning to avoid all non-essential travel outside Canada remains in place and we continue to view this as the essential point of reference with respect to travel safety.

Any plan members with travel coverage should carefully consider the following:

1. All standard Medavie Blue Cross travel plans will now cover eligible emergency hospital and medical expenses related to COVID-19, subject to existing maximums and all other terms, conditions and limitations of your policy.
To qualify for coverage, before departure you must:

• Be symptom free
• Have not tested positive (or be awaiting a test result), and
• Have not been in contact with anyone who tested positive in the last 14 days.

Please note: due to the impact of COVID-19 on health and travel resources in foreign countries, although we will endeavor to provide access to health resources in case of an emergency, we may be limited in the support that can be accessed.
2. Medavie Blue Cross travel insurance does not cover:

• Any COVID-19 testing, including those required by governments to re-enter the country
• Any costs related to delays caused by testing requirements
• Any costs related to quarantines, including those mandated by governments.

If you do opt to travel internationally during this period, we recommend you carefully review the guidance available at travel.gc.ca around international travel and requirements around returning to Canada, and to regularly check the site for any new or updated information.

I’m not sure if Blue Cross is the same in BC. We have Pacific Blue cross. Now I’ll know what to ask!
I believe Tour+Med which I had for last November included $100/day expense incase you got Covid while on your trip and had to quarantine.
But I’ll need an annual plan as I have a trip in Aug & October and Tour+Med last time didn’t offer that.

 

[Sue M]

Today I booked an Annual travel med policy with Blue Cross, since I have 2 trips booked already. Aug & Oct. And I imagine I may have another at some point. Plus if border opens without all the testing fuss I live close to Washington border and do day trips. Gotta get my Trader Joes shopping!
coverage is 10Mil CAD. Covid included as long as you’re fully vaccinated.
I compared price to Medi-PAC and Blue Cross price was way better. I got annual policy for same price as single trip from Medi-PAC.
Before I leave I’ll get Interruption Insurance from CAA. Since it is hurricane season for Florida.
Because I have Blue Cross extended medical we get 10% off travel med.

 

[Starwind]

We get an annual multi-trip emergency medical policy through TuGo and will probably get cancelation/interruption through them as well. Our policy renews at the end of the year so I was checking the wording out...

Tonight I was going through their new policy language and learned that if you are fully covid-19 vaccinated you are covered for it under the full terms of the policy with a couple small restrictions (clause re: if you show symptoms or are diagnosed BEFORE departure; clause re: if there is a government covid-19 related "“avoid non-essential travel”" advisory issued). If you are NOT fully vaccinated they have a separate policy you have to get [note: the normal policy will cover you if the prov health authority has not made the vaccine available to you - which I assume would cover kids too young to get the vaccine, but one would need to confirm that interpretation).

Good to see the insurance companies getting full or close to it coverage back again.

SW

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

I just got off a live chat with Manulife and their covid policy / trip interruption (quarantine) only covers people who are fully vaxxed for trips 31 days or longer. Nothing for anyone else. That isn't helpful for the majority of travelers.

Also, the providers I looked into all said no coverage with the Level 4 Govt Advisory of Do Not Travel is in effect. I can't see how we will be able to travel until the govt lowers that advisory.

 

[thr33boys]

I'm a bit discouraged. I used a travel agent for the first time to book my trip as I wanted to support the industry. The problem is, she never advised me or gave me the option of how I wanted my flights booked. She mentioned she could book it so that each traveler gets 1 free checked bag. Apparently, booking through AC Vacations has different terms than booking direct with AC. What she failed to tell me is that with ACV, you are not allowed any changes to the flights. AC was offering one free change (only responsible for the difference in fare cost). I rejected the insurance because I thought I had the free change option. I wish she would have been forthcoming with the options. I most likely would have opted to pay the baggage fee as we won't all have a bag to check.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

My SIL is a travel agent with Flight Centre and I forgot she booked a cruise on Virgin Voyages for January 2022. She sells insurance for Allianz Insurance. I will post here whatever she is using for her cruise.

 

[Sue M]

We get an annual multi-trip emergency medical policy through TuGo and will probably get cancelation/interruption through them as well. Our policy renews at the end of the year so I was checking the wording out...

Tonight I was going through their new policy language and learned that if you are fully covid-19 vaccinated you are covered for it under the full terms of the policy with a couple small restrictions (clause re: if you show symptoms or are diagnosed BEFORE departure; clause re: if there is a government covid-19 related "“avoid non-essential travel”" advisory issued). If you are NOT fully vaccinated they have a separate policy you have to get [note: the normal policy will cover you if the prov health authority has not made the vaccine available to you - which I assume would cover kids too young to get the vaccine, but one would need to confirm that interpretation).

Good to see the insurance companies getting full or close to it coverage back again.

SW

Don’t we have an Avoid all non essential travel in effect?

 

[Starwind]

Don’t we have an Avoid all non essential travel in effect?

Yes.

And for cruises specifically, avoid all cruises.

So you will still have issues if you travel right NOW [obviously depending on the terms of ones policy], but for future travel when the advisories are changed the policies that have adopted this new type of provisions will cover covid [subject to their provisions of course]. Which is better than just a few months ago when there was no coverage or you had to buy a separate additional rider with very limited max $ amounts [which in most instances were nowhere near enough if e.g. you landed in an ICU for any length of time].