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IMPORTANT NOTICE - temporary pause on sales of new travel insurance policies – March 20, 2020

Aligning with direction from the federal and provincial governments advising against non-essential travel during the COVID-19 situation, and as international borders have now been closed to most travel, effective immediately, Alberta Blue Cross® has temporarily paused sales of all travel coverage plans (including emergency medical, trip cancellation and interruption and coverage extensions) until this situation is resolved.

Your safety and well-being and the health and wellness of our community are our top priority during these uncertain times and we want to do our part to ensure we help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We believe that in such circumstances, limiting travel and encouraging our community to follow the recommendations of public health authorities is greatly aligned with our mission to be your partner in health and wellness.

We will continue to keep you, our valued customer, informed as this situation changes and look forward to serving your travel coverage needs once it's safe to travel again.

Questions?

If you have questions about this update, please call 1-800-394-1965 and select option 4.

Travel Insurance

Don’t let trip disruptions cost you

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Alberta Blue Cross® provides reliable, affordable travel insurance to give you peace of mind on every trip. Whether you’re a snowbird ready for your next vacation, a family of four headed to Florida or a student set to explore Europe, we have a travel plan for you.

When plans don’t go to plan, we’ve got you covered.

Why do I need travel insurance?

Anything can happen when you travel and it usually does when you least expect it. When you’re outside of Alberta, your provincial health care plan provides little to no coverage. Without travel insurance, you’ll be responsible for covering the costs of unexpected medical expenses which can be extremely high. Travel insurance helps to eliminate the ‘what-ifs’—it gives you protection from the financial hardships associated with medical emergencies and trip disruptions, so you can travel with peace of mind.

Every trip is different and our travel coverage options reflect that.

What do our plans cover?

Our emergency medical travel insurance provides up to $5 million in coverage, with no deductible. You can choose between a single-trip plan for all ages or a multi-trip annual plan. Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption and Baggage insurance is also available to all ages. Coverage includes trip cancellation up to $15,000, unlimited trip interruption and up to $1,500 for baggage loss, theft and damage.

Why Alberta Blue Cross® travel coverage?

When you travel, you’re often looking for the best—the best prices, the best food, the best views and the best experiences. That’s why it’s worth it to bring the best travel insurance along too. Here’s what makes our coverage unique.

Trusted coverage—as Canada’s most trusted brand of travel insurance three years in a row and the largest benefits carrier in Alberta, we know what Albertans need. Our priority is your well-being and that extends beyond our borders with travel coverage.

Recognized carrier—in an unfamiliar country, in an emergency medical situation you can take comfort in knowing the Blue Cross symbol is recognized around the world, with Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliations in nearly 170 countries.

Reliable and experienced service—we’ve been providing out-of-province insurance to Canadians for more than 40 years. Our travel specialists are seasoned, industry-experts. We can explain the ins and outs of your plan options to you in way that makes sense, so you can get the best travel plan for your specific needs.

Honest and upfront plans—our travel team and website have the same goal: to get you the information you need. The first thing you’ll see when you try to buy an insurance plan from us are the exclusions and stability requirements, so you know, upfront, if you’re eligible for our coverage.

Invested in wellness—we believe that everyone deserves to be and live well and travel plays a part in enhancing your wellness. We’re here to give you the confidence to book your first trip, your best trip or that special trip.

Visitors to Canada

Blue Cross visitors to Canada travel insurance is available through Ontario Blue Cross. Apply for visitors to Canada coverage or call Ontario Blue Cross at 1-800-884-7471 to speak to an attendant. (Weekdays 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST; weekends 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST).

Do you need emergency travel assistance right now?

1-888-772-2583 (toll free)

1-403-225-4289 (collect)

Travel advisories

Before you book, check the Government of Canada’s travel advisories to make sure your intended destination is safe.

Click here for more information on COVID-19 and your travel coverage

Frequently asked travel questions

If navigating the current pandemic has taught us anything, it’s to not take certain things in life for granted—one of those being travel. For many of us, COVID-19 has impacted travel plans near and far and we are itching to find out when it will be safe to visit our favourite international destinations again.

Though we don’t have all the answers to your questions, here are some frequently asked travel questions and answers to help put your mind at ease.

Currently, the Government of Canada travel advisory is at a level three, which is to avoid non-essential travel. So, before we can sell travel insurance again, this advisory will need to become a level two: to exercise a high degree of caution, a level one: exercise normal security precautions or be removed completely.

Our number one priority is your safety and the safety of others, which is why we must abide by these levels. For more information on the risk levels, visit the Government of Canada’s travel advisories webpage.

Similar to the above, the current level three travel advisory advises against non-essential travel including travel to the United States. Before we can sell travel insurance to go to the United States, this advisory also needs to become a level two, one or removed completely. Plus, the Canada-U.S. border will need to re-open.

Yes; you will be covered for COVID-19 if you have not had any symptoms or a diagnosis in the 90 days prior to your departure date. You also cannot be awaiting a test result or have been in contact with anyone who tested positive in the last 14 days.

As COVID-19 is now an anticipated event, it will not be covered.

Please visit the Government of Canada’s travel website for travel advice and advisories.

For more information on our travel coverage as it relates to COVID-19, please visit our website.

It depends on the length of your trip and the number of trips you’ll be taking this year. We offer both single-trip and multi-trip annual travel plans for emergency medical travel insurance. Compare plan options to see what fits with your trip or trips. If you want coverage to protect against trip disruptions, consider adding trip cancellation, interruption and baggage coverage to protect your travel investment. You can add it to either a single-trip or a multi-trip annual plan. If you already have emergency medical coverage through your employer, consider buying trip cancellation, interruption and baggage coverage.

Buy it as soon as you book your trip—one less thing to worry about! You need to make sure you’re covered for the full length of your trip—this includes the day you leave and the day you get back. If your dates aren’t accurate, your coverage might be void. And remember to purchase before you leave on your trip—you can’t purchase Alberta Blue Cross® travel insurance once you’ve left the province.

Alberta residents with valid Alberta Health Care are eligible to buy our coverage.

Yes, we do! We have single-trip emergency medical plans and trip cancellation, interruption and baggage coverage options for seniors. Whether escaping the snow to go to Arizona or adventure-seeking in Europe, seniors can get coverage with Alberta Blue Cross®. Prep for your next snowbirds vacation and buy online or get a quote today.

If you have a pre-existing condition, you are still eligible for coverage. A pre-existing condition is any medical condition you were aware of before you left on your trip. To be covered for a pre-existing condition, you need to meet our minimum stability period to receive full coverage—this can range from 30 days to a year. Stable means that, during the stability period, your medical condition didn’t get worse and that there weren’t any changes in treatment, medication or hospitalization.

Our single-trip and multi-trip annual plans can be extended. For a single-trip, you’ll need to call us before the return date of your original travel agreement. For multi-trip annual plans, you need to purchase the first extension before your eligible trip limit ends (it’s usually 30 days). In both cases, extensions need to be purchased over the phone.

Of course you can! We will also give you a discount for this extension—just for being a valued Alberta Blue Cross® member. Unfortunately, you can’t purchase your additional days of travel online, but please give us a call at 1-800-394-1965 and we can set you up. Make sure you call prior to the end of the existing trip limit on your employer or individual health plan.

We recommend purchasing travel insurance when travelling within Canada. Medically necessary health care services—hospital care and physician services—are typically covered in other provinces, but additional services like ambulance, hospital transfers, air ambulance and repatriation to your province are not covered. The additional coverage provided by our medical travel insurance goes beyond what is covered by the provincial government and helps to keep medical costs in check in case of an emergency.