Ontario Blue Cross and Quebec Blue Cross – members of the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans – have both announced that they will immediately stop selling individual travel insurance products until further notice.
The announcements come a week after the Canadian Association of Blue Cross advised on “eligibility restrictions” for trip cancellation coverage.
In their individual statements, the insurers said that the decision to suspend travel insurance was undertaken given current global efforts to limit the movement of individuals as much as possible due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Both companies said that limiting travel and encouraging the public to follow the recommendations of public health authorities is “inseparable” from their mission to be their consumers’ partners in health and wellness.
The companies did confirm, however, that consumers who are currently travelling are still insured in accordance with their contract. But they have been advised to return back to Canada immediately, as the insurers may be unable to assist them “due to the scale of the crisis and the limited availability of medical resources abroad.”
Ontario and Quebec Blue Cross gave assurances that they will reassess the situation on an ongoing basis in light of any developments, information, and recommendations communicated by health and government authorities.
