Manulife to offer travel insurance that covers COVID-19

Manulife to offer travel insurance that covers COVID-19


Manulife Financial Corporation to offer COVID-19 travel insurance to Canadians traveling internationally and domestically.

The insurance plan, which is expected to be available from October, will provide emergency medical coverage that includes the coronavirus and related conditions. It will also offer coverage related to travel interruptions or cancellations in the event of a quarantine, Manulife said in a statement on Wednesday.

The new "pandemic travel insurance" includes countries subject to a Level 3 Travel Advisory, which warns against non-essential travel, and which Canada has issued for all countries.

The country's largest insurer is mimicking some smaller companies by offering medical travel insurance that covers COVID-19, including Medipac and the Canadian Association of Blue Crosses in Ontario and Quebec. Travel interruptions are not covered by Blue Cross plans.

Quarantine

Manulife's plan includes emergency medical coverage of up to $ 200,000 for COVID-19 and related conditions after a positive test result, as well as emergency air travel back home.

It also covers emergency medical expenses of up to $ 5 million for non-coronavirus health issues and daily quarantine costs of up to $ 150 per person or $ 300 per family for up to $ 150 per person or $ 300 per family for up to $ 150 per person or $ 300 per family. two weeks.

The price of this insurance has not been specified and more details are to come. Basic travel insurance policies generally don't cover pandemics or fear of getting sick, with viral exclusions being part of various insurance plans since the SARS outbreak. Plans often have a very specific list of covered reasons for cancellation, such as job loss or a terrorist attack.

“This pandemic has had a remarkable impact on the daily lives of Canadians, and at Manulife our top priority remains the health and safety of our customers, employees, partners and communities. This specialty travel insurance is designed to protect what matters most to you, ”Manulife chief insurance officer Alex Lucas said in a statement.

Tour operators in insurance

Also to support consumers' desire to reconnect with travel, Air Canada Vacations and Blue Diamonds, a hotel subsidiary of Sunwing Travel Group, have added COVID insurance to their offerings.

At Air Canada Vacations, the COVID-19 insurance and assistance plan, provided by Allianz Global Assistance, is included in packages to selected destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.

For its part, Blue Diamond Resorts, in partnership with MAS Servicios, offers free “All-In” medical insurance including extended health insurance to cover costs incurred in the event of accident or illness, including medical needs related to COVID-19