Through your group benefits plan you and your eligible dependents have protection in a medical emergency anywhere in the world. Your travel insurance coverage is designed to provide benefits during a medical emergency while you or your dependents are temporarily outside of Canada, for vacation, business or education. Provincial healthcare must be in place to apply. You also have protection in Canada if your trip takes you more than 500 km from home.
Travel assistance services will be provided by Global Excel. Should you need to file an out of country claim, step by step instructions can be found HERE. You will be given the option to email your claim documents into Canada Life/Global Excel, or you can file your claim online through the Global Excel portal. Note that if you decide to file your claim online through the Global Excel portal you will be required to register with Global Excel. In doing so, you will be able to track the status of your out of country claim. NOTE: Although referenced on the Global Excel website, the IATSE 667/669 Group Benefit Plan does not provide coverage for trip cancellation / disruption / delay and baggage coverage.
A medical emergency is:
- A sudden and unexpected injury;
- The onset of a condition not previously known or identified prior to departure from Canada; or
- An unexpected episode of a condition known or identified prior to departure from Canada.
Out-of-Country travel insurance covers medical expenses incurred only during the initial treatment of a medical emergency. Eligible medical expenses are reimbursed at 100% up to a maximum of $1,000,000.00 per person per lifetime. It’s important to review your benefits booklet for details about your coverage before you travel. If you are planning to be away from Canada for an extended period greater than six months, it is suggested that you contact your provincial health plan to determine whether extended coverage is available.
If you have any specific questions regarding your coverage, call Canada Life’s customer service at 1-855-729-1839 and they can help you. Attached is a sample of Canada Life’s OOC coverage letter, which defines an unexpected episode of a condition known or identified prior to departure from Canada. This additional wording may help. You can personalize and download this letter from GroupNet for Plan Members.
Before you travel, give your Canada Life plan number and the Assistance Centre phone numbers to a family member or travelling companion – someone who can contact the Assistance Centre on your behalf just in case you are involved in an emergency and you are unable to contact the Assistance Centre yourself.
Call the nearest Global Exchange Centre (at the phone number below) if you are travelling and:
- You are hospitalized or about to be hospitalized
- You are involved in an accident and require medical treatment
- You have difficulty locating medical care
- You have a medical problem and require translation services
- You have other serious travel difficulties
Our group plan doesn’t make reference to pre-existing conditions or a stability clause for pre-existing conditions. It does outline the words ‘sudden/unexpected’ or acute episode. With this said, the intent of the OOC Emergency Care benefit is to pay for medical emergencies which cannot be reasonably anticipated based on the patient’s medical experiences in the few weeks leading up to their departure from Canada.
In an medical emergency, go immediately to the nearest physician or hospital, then contact the nearest Global Excel Centre. It is recommend that you call the applicable number below for any medical emergency and the Assistance Centre will advise accordingly.
If you do not have your travel insurance card with you, the phone numbers to call are:
Policy No. 164609
ID No. (your 9 digit Canada Life Number)
Canada or the United States call toll-free:
1-855-222-4051
All other Countries call collect:
1-204-946-2577*
*If you’ve incurred any long-distance charges from calls placed outside of Canada and the US, you can request reimbursement by including the receipt as part of your claim.
If you must seek a follow-up appointment while away for your emergency, it is best that you ALWAYS call the Global Excel Centre first to find out if the visit to the Doctor will be covered.
With regards to any billing, the billing process can be different depending on which part of the world you’re in and the specific events surrounding the emergency. Ideally, either you or a family member should contact the Global Excel Centre prior to being admitted to hospital. In most circumstances you can make arrangements for the hospital to bill Global Excel directly so you or your dependent don’t have to pay out of pocket. However, again although rarely, there are situations where the hospital, or medical facility will not agree to this arrangement and will insist that the payment is received before being discharged.
Non-emergency services such as vision, paramedical or dental expenses are subject to the in Canada limitations, i.e. eligibility, coinsurance, plan maximums, frequencies, etc.
The following out of country expenses are not covered by Canada Life group plans:
- Non-emergency medical care or follow-up care after the initial emergency treatment. The plan provides coverage for the initial medical emergency treatment.
Continued medical care following an emergency outside Canada if the patient’s medical condition permits a return to Canada for treatment.
The policy is not designed to provide coverage for non-emergency continued medical care during an extended absence from Canada. Canada Life suggests alternate insurance arrangements be made for non-emergency or continued care outside Canada during an extended absence.