Travelling soon? Make it worry-free by getting travel insurance. It is more than just protection from risks and losses while travelling, thus helping to ensure peace of mind and a relaxing trip.
A household name, Blue Cross has been offering travel insurance to Canadians for years. In this review, I will cover Blue Cross travel insurance in Canada, its coverage, costs and pros and cons.
Key Takeaways
- A provider of quality healthcare for over 80 years, Blue Cross provides travel insurance to Canadians to help ensure a worry-free trip.
- Blue Cross Travel Insurance Canada offers emergency medical insurance, trip cancellation insurance, travel interruption or delay insurance, baggage insurance and travel accident insurance.
- With the Blue Cross travel insurance plans, you can customize and combine the coverage you need and choose between the all-inclusive or the individual coverage.
Blue Cross Travel Insurance – An Overview
Blue Cross Travel Insurance is an insurance provider offering coverage for Canadian travellers. It established its first travel insurance policy in the country in 1997.
It has been a provider of quality healthcare for over 80 years, with Canadians choosing it to get protection through the appropriate coverage. For five years, it has been voted the #1 travel insurance.
Blue Cross provides insurance through seven regional not-for-profit service organizations, including:
- Alberta Blue Cross (serving Alberta and Northwest Territories)
- Manitoba Blue Cross (serving Manitoba and Nunavut)
- Medavie Blue Cross (serving New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and PEI)
- Ontario Blue Cross
- Pacific Blue Cross (serving British Columbia and the Yukon)
- Quebec Blue Cross
- Saskatchewan Blue Cross
Blue Cross travel insurance is underwritten by Canassurance Hospital Service Association (CHSA) or Canassurance Insurance Company.
Travel insurance plans differ by location. If you need more information, here are the phone numbers for every province or territory.
| Province | Telephone Nos. |
| Alberta | 1-800-661-6995 |
| British Columbia | 604-419-20001-877-722-2583 |
| Manitoba | 204-775-0151 |
| New Brunswick | 1-800-667-4511 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 1-800-667-4511 |
| Northwest Territories | 780-498-8000 |
| Nova Scotia | 1-800-667-4511 |
| Nunavut | 204-775-0151 |
| Ontario | 416-640-3444 |
| Prince Edward Island | 1-800-667-4511 |
| Quebec | 1-888-822-5383 |
| Saskatchewan | 306-244-1192 Saskatoon306-525-5025 Regina1-800-667-6853 |
| Yukon | 604-419-20001-877-722-2583 |
What Does Blue Cross Travel Insurance Cover?
Blue Cross offers travel insurance plans with the following coverage types:
- Emergency medical insurance
- Trip cancellation insurance
- Travel interruption or delay insurance
- Baggage insurance
- Travel accident insurance
With the Blue Cross travel insurance plans, you can customize and combine the coverage you need and choose between the all-inclusive or the individual coverage.
- Package Plus
This is a combination of popular coverages for a trip anywhere in the world and includes:
- At least one emergency medical care and/or trip cancellation or interruption
- Accidental death or dismemberment
- Baggage coverage
- Emergency Medical
- Trip Cancellation or Interruption
- Accidental Death or Dismemberment
Types of Travel Insurance
Blue Cross offers two types of plans based on the length of your trip and the number of trips you will take in a year.
Single-Trip Annual Insurance
The single-trip plan is for travellers taking one trip, up to a maximum of 366 days. It has various coverage for travellers of all ages (including seniors).
The Blue Cross single-trip travel insurance covers the following:
- Emergency Medical Care
- Maximum coverage per traveller – $5,000,000
- Trip Cancellation or Interruption
- Maximum coverage per trip per traveller – $5,000
- Accidental Death or Dismemberment
- Maximum coverage per traveller – $300,000
- Baggage
- Maximum coverage per traveller – $1,500
The Single-Trip Annual Insurance also comes with flight delay service, Blue Cross Travel Assistance and 24/7 accessibility.
Multi-Trip Annual Insurance
The Multi-Trip Annual Insurance provides a customizable 12-month coverage all year round for an unlimited number of trips.
Its features are as follows:
- Coverage for an unlimited number of trips in a 12-month period
- Effective at the start of the first trip
- Choice of per-trip duration
- Extension for trips exceeding the purchased duration
Its coverage includes the following:
- Emergency Medical Care
- Maximum coverage per trip per traveller: $5,000,000
- Trip Cancellation or Interruption
- Maximum coverage per trip per traveller: $5,000
- Accidental Death or Dismemberment
- Maximum coverage per trip per traveller: $300,000
- Baggage
- Maximum coverage per trip per traveller: $1,500
The Multi-Trip plan includes flight delay service, Blue Cross travel assistance and 24/7 accessibility.
Blue Cross considers you an insured person if you have:
- Met the eligibility requirements
- Purchased the travel insurance before your departure date
- Purchased insurance for the entire duration of the trip
- Paid the premium in full before the contract’s effective date
What is Not Covered by Blue Cross Travel Insurance?
Knowing what Blue Cross travel insurance does not cover is vital before you file a claim. Below are some common scenarios that travel insurance does not cover:
- Routine checkups, rehabilitation and aesthetic care
- Treatment received without prior Blue Cross Travel Assistance approval
- Foreseeable treatment for a pre-existing medical condition
- Failure to comply with a prescribed treatment
- Injuries or accidents related to extreme sports or risky activities
- Travel to countries under travel advisories or warnings
Blue Cross Travel Insurance for Seniors
Blue Cross travel insurance for seniors typically offers comprehensive coverage that often includes:
- Emergency medical expenses
- Trip cancellations
- Baggage loss
The insurer may also provide seniors travelling abroad coverage for pre-existing medical conditions and extended trip durations.
To be eligible for Blue Cross travel insurance for seniors (if you are aged 55 and over), you must not:
- Have received medical advice not to travel
- Suffer from a sickness in a terminal stage
- Suffer from kidney failure and have undergone dialysis
- Have been diagnosed with or underwent treatment for cancer in the past five years
- Have received home oxygen treatment in the past 12 months
How to Get a Quote for Blue Cross Travel Insurance
If you are from Ontario, you can get a quote by visiting the Ontario Blue Cross website.
Answer the questions about your residency, public healthcare plan coverage of the travellers, trip details and coverage.
After completing the details, you will get a personalized quote containing the total cost of insurance for a single-trip plan and a multi-trip plan.
Click “Buy” if you want to continue with the purchase. Proceed with providing the necessary information, the payment details and confirmation.
How Much Does Blue Cross Travel Insurance Cost?
The cost of Blue Cross travel insurance depends on the following factors:
- The cost of the total trip
- The coverage level
- The age of the traveller
- The destination
Below are samples of the cost of insurance offered by Blue Cross travel insurance in Ontario for single-trip plans for Ontario-based travellers:
| Traveller | Destination | Single-Trip Travel (Individual) | Multi-trip (Annual) | Emergency Medical Care | Trip Cancellation and Interruption | Accidental Death or Dismemberment | Baggage |
| Individual, age 24 | Brazil, 7 days, $3,000 trip cost | $156.48 | $375.85 | $28.94 | $113.34 | $5.46 | $8.74 |
| Individual, age 27 | UK, 5 days, $3,500 trip cost | $167.89 | $381.52 | $24.37 | $132.65 | $4.62 | $6.25 |
| Couple, age 27 | Mexico, 8 days, $3,000 trip cost | $312.29 | $751.12 | $53.89 | $226.68 | $11.76 | $19.96 |
| Couple, age 50 | Italy, 15 days, $4,000 trip cost | $608.01 | $977.94 | $121.69 | $431.24 | $17.64 | $37.44 |
Advantages of Blue Cross Travel Insurance
- Comprehensive coverage for medical costs and emergencies that occur while travelling abroad
- Coverage options for trip cancellations and interruptions
- Coverage for lost or delayed bags
- Multi-trip plans for frequent travellers
- Access to a vast network of healthcare professionals
- Covers pre-existing medical conditions, provided they are stable and controlled before the trip
- Free quotes are available online
- Travel assistance is available 24/7 for any emergency, anywhere you travel
Downsides of Blue Cross Travel Insurance
- High deductible on some policies
- Older travellers may have higher policy costs
- Travel coverage is sometimes insufficient or not available
- Coverage for pre-existing conditions may not have all-inclusive coverage
- Some insurance plans do not cover adventure activities
- May not cover claims related to pre-existing medical conditions
- Does not cover injuries or accidents related to risky activities or extreme sports
- Plans differ by location
Alternatives to Blue Cross Travel Insurance
In this section, I will cover a few alternatives to Blue Cross Travel insurance and provide a basic background on what they offer and some of their features.
soNomad
soNomad is an insurtech (a subset of Fintech) company based in Quebec that provides Canadian travellers with emergency medical travel insurance while on a trip within the country or abroad.
It provides affordable coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. Patients can find the right medical coverage through a proprietary health questionnaire that determines their health condition.
soNomad also offers multi-trip annual travel insurance plans for frequent travellers with a range of coverage options from 7 days to 15, 30 or 45 days.
Allianz
One of Canada’s largest insurance providers, Allianz provides a diverse range of insurance products, including travel protection.
The company offers multiple coverage plans with extensive coverage per travel package, from travel interruptions to medical interventions.
Allianz offers plans for single and multiple trips for individuals and businesses. Free coverage is offered to dependent children under 17 years, and extensive coverage for long trips.
CAA
Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization providing travel insurance and related services to over 7 million members.
CAA travel insurance plans include a Vacation Package, Emergency Medical, and Trip Cancellation and Interruption Plans (trip only).
Lots of options are available for customizing premiums to fit your budget. CAA members also get a 10% discount on their premiums. Coverage is also available for kids, grandkids and pets.
Is Blue Cross Travel Insurance Worth It?
Blue Cross has a reputation for being a reliable company that has served the industry for years. It aims to provide travellers with peace of mind through its range of insurance plans that cater to various travel insurance needs of Canadians.
Many Blue Cross travel insurance reviews describe how the insurer has been providing varied travel insurance requirements through customizable plans that target the specific needs of travellers.
If you want to protect the money you prepared for your vacation, it makes sense to purchase travel insurance. Some reasons why travel insurance can be worth it include the following:
- You are travelling overseas, and the cost is much more than you can risk losing
- Your itinerary involves numerous connecting flights and multiple destinations
- Your travel plans include a lot of prepaid and non-refundable tours, trips and activities
- You are heading to a remote location with limited facilities
Generally, travel insurance is not necessary if you are taking domestic trips, do not have many prepaid expenses and if your credit card benefits include travel insurance coverage.
FAQs
Blue Cross is a top insurance provider to get travel insurance with since it has a solid history of offering comprehensive coverage for Canadian travellers. Its diverse range of customizable plans helps customers get the protection they need.
Thailand no longer requires foreigners to have travel insurance when entering the country. But you may want to consider travel insurance coverage to get protection from travel risks and losses, have peace of mind and enjoy a stress-free trip.
Reducing travel insurance excess can help save you out-of-pocket costs if you need to make a claim. A travel insurance excess, also called a deductible, is the amount you must pay before your travel insurance policy will cover your claim.
Six shareholders own Blue Cross. These are Pacific Blue Cross, Alberta Blue Cross, Saskatchewan Blue Cross, Manitoba Blue Cross, Blue Cross Canassurance, and Medavie Blue Cross. The company maintains an office in each province across Canada.
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