Summary of Changes - Effective October 30, 2024
Travel Insurance Updates
Summary of BCAA Travel Insurance Policy Wording Updates – Effective October 30, 2024
For new policies with an application date of October 30, 2024, or later and renewals with effective dates from December 8, 2024.
Your BCAA Travel Insurance policy wording has been updated to enhance your coverage and provide increased clarity. Changes have also been made to clarify your coverage when a travel advisory has been issued and to exclude coverage when travelling in war impacted countries or regions. A summary of these changes can be found below. For the full details of these changes, please review the full wording available in the ‘Your Policy Wording’ section.
COVID-19 Coverage Expansions
This change confirms vaccination is no longer required for COVID-19 coverage, and coverage will be provided under the Emergency Medical benefit up to the policy limit.
- COVID-19 Emergency Medical benefit has been deleted
- Vaccine Requirement is no longer required for coverage
- Fully Vaccinated definition has been deleted
- COVID-19 related Conditions and Exclusions have been removed
This change provides coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions due to COVID-19 illness (unless a formal written travel advisory and/or travel warning is in place “to avoid all travel” or “avoid non-essential travel” due to COVID-19).
COVID-19 related cancellations/interruptions will now be covered under the following Covered Risks:
- Sickness, injury, death or quarantine of you or your travelling companion.
- Sickness, injury, death or quarantine of your immediate family or your travelling companion immediate family.
- Sickness, injury, death of your or your travelling companion caregiver, or death of a friend not travelling with you on the trip.
- Sickness, injury, death or quarantine of your host at your final destination.
- Hospitalization of you, your travelling companion or your accompanying immediate family member that prevents you from returning on your regular scheduled return date and that causes you to incur boarding fees for your accompanying pets.
- Hospitalization (including home based palliative care) or death of a family member not travelling with you that causes you to interrupt your trip before your scheduled return date.
This change removes requirement that quarantine expenses must be related to COVID-19 quarantine.
Old Wording | New Wording |
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2. COVID-19 Quarantine Expenses |
2. Quarantine Expenses |
Acts of War and Terrorism General Exclusion
General Exclusion #1
This change clarifies how coverage is impacted when losses are incurred in war-impacted countries/regions.
Old Wording | New Wording |
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1) a) Applicable to Policies with Trip Cancellation & Interruption |
1) a) Applicable to all plans and coverages other than Trip Cancellation & Interruption |
Travel Advisory Exclusion #10
Exclusion #10
This change clarifies how coverage is impacted when an advisory is issued.
Old Wording | New Wording |
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10) Emergency sickness or injury incurred if you choose to travel to a destination after a formal written travel advisory and/or travel warning has been issued by Global Affairs Canada or Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) recommending that you avoid all or non-essential travel to that destination during your trip. This exclusion applies if the advisory/warning is issued on or before the date you leave for your trip and the sickness or injury is caused by, contributed to or arising out of, directly or indirectly, or in connection with the reason for the travel advisory/warning, regardless if there are other contributing factors that are not otherwise excluded. |
10) b) Travel Advisory/Warning Issued After Your Departure |
Emergency Definition
Emergency Definition
This change clarifies when a situation is no longer considered an emergency.
Old Wording | New Wording |
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Emergency means an unforeseen sickness or injury, which requires immediate medical treatment to alleviate existing danger to life or health. An emergency no longer exists when the medical evidence indicates you are able to continue the trip or return to your home province or country of permanent residence. Once such emergency ends, no further benefits are payable in respect of the condition that caused the emergency. |
Emergency means an unforeseen sickness or injury that happens during your covered trip, which requires immediate medical treatment to alleviate danger to your life or health. The end of your emergency is determined by the company’s medical advisor based on the available medical evidence. The emergency no longer exists when:
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Emergency Medical Exclusion #7
Emergency Definition
This change is to align with the Emergency definition.
Old Wording | New Wording |
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Any medical treatment, other than continuous treatment as specified in the Fracture Treatment and the Dental Services Benefits, which is a continuation of or subsequent to an emergency sickness or injury during the same covered trip, including its recurrence or any complications, regardless if there are other contributing factors that are not otherwise excluded, that are, or could be, caused by, contributed to or arising out of, directly or indirectly, or in connection thereto unless you were declared by an attending physician medically unfit to return to your home province because the initial emergency had not ended. |
Any medical treatment in respect of an emergency sickness or injury that occurs after the company’s Medical Advisor has declared, based on the available medical evidence, that the emergency with respect to such sickness or injury has ended, whether or not such medical treatment is a continuation of or subsequent to such emergency sickness or injury during the same covered trip, including its recurrence or any complications, regardless if there are other contributing factors that are not otherwise excluded, that are, or could be, caused by, contributed to or arising out of, directly or indirectly, or in connection thereto unless otherwise specified in an Emergency Medical benefit. |
Emergency Medical Benefits Section
This change aligns with the Emergency definition
Old Wording | New Wording |
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Emergency Medical Benefits
The company will pay the actual, reasonable and customary expenses up to the coverage limits for acute, sudden and unexpected emergency sickness or injury, resulting from an emergency that occurs while you are travelling outside your home province. |
Emergency Medical Benefits
The company will pay the actual, reasonable and customary expenses up to the coverage limits for acute, sudden and unexpected emergency sickness or injury, resulting from an emergency that occurs while you are travelling outside your home province. Once the emergency ends, no further benefits will be payable related to the specific medical condition/injury that initially caused the emergency. |
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Visitors to Canada Benefits Maximum limit – Up to the sum insured as indicated on the application/declaration |
Visitors to Canada Benefits Maximum limit – Up to the sum insured as indicated on the application/declaration |
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Baggage Coverage Updates
Exclusion #1
These changes update outdated technology references, such as DVD players and MP3 players, to more generic and modern terminology.
Old Wording | New Wording |
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Loss, damage, or theft of animals; self-propelled conveyances of any kind or their equipment; trailers, boats, motors, aircraft or other conveyances or their appurtenances; bicycles except while checked as baggage with a common carrier; household effects and furnishings; artificial teeth and limbs; hearing aids; eye glasses, contact lenses; money (except as specified under the Currency Benefit), securities, tickets and documents; personal entertainment devices including but not limited to portable DVD players, mp3 players including but not limited to iPods, personal computers, software, pagers or cellular phones; professional or occupational equipment or property; antiques and collectors items; property illegally acquired, kept or stored, or transported; works of art, jewellery, furs, cameras or camera equipment. |
Loss, damage, or theft of animals; self-propelled conveyances of any kind or their equipment; trailers, boats, motors, aircraft or other conveyances or their appurtenances; bicycles except while checked as baggage with a common carrier; household effects and furnishings; artificial teeth and limbs; hearing aids; eye glasses, contact lenses; money (except as specified under the Currency Benefit), securities, tickets and documents; electronic devices and their accessories and/or related equipment , personal computers, software, ; professional or occupational equipment or property; antiques and collectors items; property illegally acquired, kept or stored, or transported; works of art, jewellery, furs, cameras or camera equipment. |
Updates to Statutory and General Conditions
Additions:
- Termination of Insurance added to the Statutory Condition section
Changes:
- Action Against Company and Notice to Company moved from Statutory Conditions to General Conditions
- Notice of Limitation moved from Statutory Conditions to Other Conditions