DEC 2020 Travel Insurance Set to Resume – Important Details

It is renewal season for all Johnsons’ Medoc and Prestige policy holders. Both Medoc and Prestige Travel eliminated premiums for several months but continued to provide coverage. By now you should have received information which describes the resumption of premiums. The coming ‘policy year’ will be a shortened 8-month ‘policy year’ running from January 1, 2021 to August 31, 2021. The policy year beginning September 1, 2021 is planned to be a return to the standard 12-month policy year.

Remember that both travel programs provide a policy year’s coverage for any number of trips up to the maximum days in that plan. You cannot treat these plans as single trip plans and just purchase coverage for the months you will travel.

Both Medoc and Prestige Travel provide up to $5 million of emergency medical coverage and include medical coverage for COVID-19 incidents. Other insurance companies, some working with airlines, offer COVID coverage but be aware that they have much lower maximums.

It is important to know that both Medoc and Prestige include trip cancellation and interruption for most reasons but there is an exclusion for COVID-19. You have medical coverage if you get COVID while travelling, but do not have trip cancellation, trip interruption or trip delay coverage before or during your trip if the claim is directly or indirectly related to COVID-19. However, many airlines, hotels and package trips have much more favorable policies about cancelling vacations and refunding deposits at the last minute than they had pre-COVID-19.

NEW CONDITIONS FOR BCRTA MEMBERS

BCRTA has worked with Johnson Insurance to reduce the usual restrictions on re-enrolling should you choose not to travel for a period of time.

If you wish to cancel your travel coverage because you are not traveling outside of BC in the coming days, here is what you need to know:

Medoc – You have until March 5, 2021 to cancel or to submit your health option questionnaire to receive reduced rates. If you cancel, and then decide that it is safe to travel again, you can rejoin at any time without paying back premiums.

Prestige – You may cancel the Travel portion of your Prestige coverage and continue with EHC benefits. Previously, if you cancelled Prestige Travel you were not eligible to rejoin for 2 years. Johnson has eased this requirement for this year only. If you wish to cancel Prestige Travel you can rejoin at any time however you will be subject to a one-time 90-day stability clause when you rejoin.

• This 90-day period would apply to any trip that is taken during the first 90 days of coverage after rejoining the plan. For any trip taken during the first 90 days of that policy, only medical conditions that were stable in the 90 days prior to departure would be covered.
• Once those 90 days pass, coverage reverts to the sudden and unforeseen wording for any trips taken later in the year, or for any renewal in the future as long as you remain in the plan.
• There are no other application requirements.

Suggestion: plan ahead and re-enroll in Prestige at least 90 days before your trip begins so that the 90-day stability clause period has expired, and you are covered by the sudden and unforeseen language.

BCRTA continues to work with our partner Johnson Insurance to provide reliable and appropriate coverage options for our members. For those of us who are not insurance professionals, all the terminology can get a bit overwhelming. That’s why our MEDOC and Prestige programs are supported by “Best Friend Advice” by knowledgeable service providers.
To clarify any questions you have, we encourage you to contact the BC office of Johnson Insurance:

Chair, Pensions and Benefits Committee