Update on out-of-country travel insurance
Updated March 17, 2022
On February 28, 2022, the Government of Canada revised the travel advisory and border entry requirements for fully vaccinated travelers. Under Travel Advisory Level 2, Canadians are advised to continue practicing enhanced health precautions when travelling internationally. We strongly encourage plan members (employees) visit the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 and International Travel website and understand the border entry requirements for their destination country, prior to leaving Canada.
Here are some important reminders:
- Trip Duration Limit: the trip duration limit in your contract still applies. Employees need to check their contracts to ensure their trip duration falls within these limits. We won’t extend the trip limit even if travel home is restricted.
- COVID-19 coverage: Our standard contracts don’t exclude or limit coverage in the event of epidemics or pandemics. We’ll treat a medical emergency resulting from COVID-19 in the same way as any other medical emergency outside Canada.
- However, please note, if employees do have a medical emergency while outside of Canada, medical resources at the destination may be limited or unavailable.
- Travelers may experience delays in assistance that are beyond the control of Sun Life and Allianz.
- We won’t cover plan members who are required to quarantine unless they require immediate emergency medical treatment. This includes employees who:
- Test positive for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic or are experiencing mild symptoms that do not require immediate medical treatment; or
- Test negative for COVID-19 but are still required to quarantine.
- Trip cancellation or delays: plans don’t cover the cost of:
- Flight cancellations, delays, or other expenses caused by border closures.
- Difficulties meeting Canada’s border entry requirements, or other trip disruptions due to COVID-19.
- COVID-19 tests: Sun Life does not cover the cost of COVID-19 tests under Out-of-Country Travel, EHC, or standard Personal Spending Account. Plan members may have coverage under Health Spending Account if prescribed by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner. Canadians do not require a prescription to obtain a test to travel.
This plan member communication provides an overview of what plan members need to know if they still plan to travel abroad. Please share with your employees. It’s important they know their coverage details before they decide to travel.