I’m going to be travelling outside Canada. Will I have emergency medical coverage?

VIP Travel Plans

As of October 1, 2020*, the VIP Travel Optional Benefits under our Blue Choice and Conversion plans will provide Emergency Medical Care coverage for both domestic and international travel, including for COVID-related care at destination. If you should contract the COVID-19 virus while travelling, the Emergency Medical Care benefits will cover you, provided you have not tested positive for COVID-19 or have shown symptoms of the virus in the 90 days prior to your departure.

It is important to note that given the magnitude of the crisis, the reduced availability of medical resources around the world and the measures taken by different countries to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, our assistance service is very limited in its ability to assist people in emergency situations abroad.

All travellers should be aware that there are health risks when you travel. While our coverage will protect you against medical expenses for COVID-19 while travelling internationally, we recommend adhering to advice of the Government of Canada by avoiding non-essential travel outside of Canada in order to protect the health of travellers and the Canadian public.

Important: The VIP Travel Optional Benefit contains an exclusion for any expenses incurred in a country, region or city where a travel warning of ‘Avoid non-essential travel’ (Level 3) or ‘Avoid all travel’ (Level 4) was in place prior to the date of departure. An exception has been made to this rule in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic only. If there is a Level 3 or 4 warning advising against travel for your destination for any reason other than the COVID-19 pandemic, you will not have emergency medical care coverage when travelling to that destination. Please refer to the Government of Canada’s Travel Advisories page to check advisories for reasons other than COVID-19 for your destination.

*Prior to October 1, 2020, the VIP Travel Benefits offered coverage for travel within Canada only.

Group/Employer Plans:

While our standard Outside Province of Residence Travel Benefits under our Group Plans do not include an exclusion in relation to travel advisories, and will protect you against medical expenses for COVID-19 while travelling within Canada and internationally, we recommend adhering to advice of the Government of Canada by avoiding non-essential travel outside of Canada in order to protect the health of travellers and the Canadian public.

If you should contract the COVID-19 virus while travelling, the Emergency Medical Care benefits will cover you provided you have not tested positive for COVID-19 or have shown symptoms of the virus in the 90 days prior to your departure.

It is important to note that given the magnitude of the crisis, the reduced availability of medical resources around the world, and the measures taken by different countries to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, our assistance service is very limited in its ability to assist people in emergency situations abroad.