COVID Travel Insurance for Your Safety

It’s hard to imagine anything having as much of an impact on the daily lives of so many Canadians as COVID-19 has had. In only a few short months, COVID managed to bring most of the world to a sudden halt. As the virus worked its way across the globe, Canada warned against travel abroad. In March, travel insurance providers discontinued COVID-19 medical coverage. Workers began working from home, students attended classes online, and people everywhere were forced to cancel travel plans.

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Gradually, life settled into a new normal, and those who had been stuck at home with little or no contact with friends and family began to venture out. As restrictions were eased, many Canadians took the opportunity to begin travelling again, both within our borders and abroad.

Although things are not back to pre-COVID normal, and even with a second wave of infections looming large, Canadians are once again able to obtain COVID-19 medical coverage, along with their regular travel insurance plans. Manulife Financial Corp. for example, is offering COVID-19-related travel insurance for those Canadians making trips to domestic or international locations. Despite global travel advisories that are still in effect, many are anxious to resume travel, and the renewed availability of travel insurance is offering them an incentive to do so.

What sort of insurance coverage is available to you while travelling in the age of COVID?

The most obvious concern and greatest need, of course, would be emergency medical coverage. Manulife’s plan offers coverage up to $200,000 for COVID-19 and related conditions (following a positive test result). The plan also includes emergency air transport to get you back home. In addition to the medical coverage, Manulife’s Pandemic Travel Plan covers daily costs related to quarantine, up to $150 per individual or $300 per family, for a period of two weeks. Plans interrupted due to quarantine receive some compensation, though customer cancellations are not covered.

Should the level 3 travel advisory be upgraded to level 4, the plan provides up to $500 per person for return airfare, meals, and accommodations.

With several insurance providers now offering coverage, there comes the perception that they are encouraging travel at a time when cases are on the rise, but it is simply a response to growing consumer demand. While it is still currently advisable to avoid travel whenever possible, there are occasions when it is unavoidable, such as with business travel, or in the unfortunate event of a family emergency. In these situations where travel is required, consumers can feel more at ease knowing that they have some protection in the event of illness, quarantine, or some other disruption to their plans.

If you are planning to travel and need travel insurance, call us today. We will review your options so that you can travel with the peace of mind that insurance provides.