Getting back to travelling and choosing the right travel insurance can be easy (especially with the help of SBIS). Understanding how COVID impacts your travel insurance claim is not quite as simple.

TuGo is our travel provider that goes the extra mile to help clarify things for you. They have made extensive updates to their Travel Insurance and Claims FAQs (frequently asked questions). Here are a few questions you should know the answers to. 

If I’ve previously been diagnosed with COVID-19, can I still have coverage for COVID-19? What requirements do I need to meet?  

You’ll be covered for COVID-19 under TuGo’s Emergency Medical Insurance if you haven’t been diagnosed with COVID-19 on or within 30 days before departure and aren’t showing symptoms on or within 14 days before departure. Keep in mind that just like any other medical condition, coverage for COVID-19 (and any related complications that arose before departure) is subject to pre-existing medical condition stability period requirements.

If you’re diagnosed with a new case of COVID-19 during your trip that isn’t a continuation of a previous COVID-19 diagnosis, we do consider this to be a new event and coverage would be available, if you have met all the criteria outlined under the COVID-19 benefit. 

What coverage is available if I have to quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 test result, which prevents me from returning home as scheduled?

What coverage is available if I have to quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 test result, which prevents me from returning home as scheduled?

If you purchased TuGo’s Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption or Trip Interruption Only (with or without Emergency Medical Insurance) before leaving for your trip, you’ll have access to all the applicable trip interruption benefits, which includes coverage for the cost of a one-way economy airfare to your original point of departure (or the cost of a flight change fee in lieu of) as well as out-of-pocket expenses up to $350/day per insured person to a maximum of $1,500 per insured person for commercial accommodation, meals, internet, telephone and taxi expenses.

Remember, you can only claim for the cost of a new flight (or change fees in lieu of), if you incur unexpected expenses due to cancelling or rescheduling your flight.

Keep in mind that trip interruption coverage is provided up to the sum insured amount selected at the time you purchased your policy and as indicated on your policy declaration. This amount is the total maximum limit for all available interruption benefits, but there are also some interruption benefits that have specific limits. If you’re claiming under a benefit with a specific limit, such as the out-of-pocket expenses outlined above, then TuGo will cover either up to the trip interruption sum insured or up to the limit of the benefit, whichever is less. For example: 

  • The cost of a new flight was $1,000 and the cost for hotel and meals was $2,000 ($400 per day for 5 days). 
  • The total costs incurred was $3,000. 
  • If you selected a trip interruption sum insured of $1,500, you can claim up to $1,500 for all expenses combined. 
  • If you selected a trip interruption sum insured of $10,000, coverage is available for the full cost of the new flight and up to $350 per day to $1,500 for your hotel and meals.
  • Total claim amount payable by TuGo: $2,500. 

What happens to my coverage if my policy is expiring and my mandatory COVID-19 test results come back positive, preventing me from returning home as scheduled?

An automatic extension to emergency medical coverage is available, due to a positive COVID-19 test result, when it prevents you from returning home as scheduled and the test results are received within 14 days of your scheduled return date.

If you’re eligible for the automatic extension, you don’t need to contact TuGo; the extension is provided automatically. The number of days available for your automatic extension would vary depending on the reason you need to extend your trip. To support an automatic extension to coverage resulting from a COVID-19 diagnosis made outside the 14-day period before your scheduled return date, written confirmation from a doctor is needed to confirm that you are medically unfit to travel or still need to quarantine on the scheduled return date. 

When an automatic extension is provided due to a positive COVID-19 test result, the positive test result must include a name and date, as well as the laboratory or medical clinic name. A COVID-19 home test can’t be used to substantiate a claim because it doesn’t specify the date the result was received or who took it. Keep in mind that if you can’t book an official antigen or PCR test to support your claim, you may need to pay for a private test or get written confirmation from a doctor advising that you can’t travel.  

Want more tips on making a travel insurance claim?

At SBIS we like to give you clear information that can help ensure any travel insurance claim you need to make goes smoothly. Check out these blogs for even more facts you should know

Want more information on TuGo travel insurance?

If you want to learn about TuGo, check out Travelling Soon? Try New TuGO Travel Insurance Options (sbis.ca). Ready to put your TuGo travel insurance in place? Go online here or call us today at SBIS at 1-800-667-0429 or 416-601-0429. Our business hours are Monday to Friday 8:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. eastern time.