| As we approach the traditional travel season, the Green Shield Canada (GSC) team remains focused on striking the right balance with the COVID-19 coverage offered under our standard travel plans.
That means continuing to view the Government travel advisory as the primary guideline while providing peace of mind to those plan members who make their own choices around travelling. Equally, it means acknowledging the medical evidence that indicates vaccinations reduce the risk of an individual contracting the virus and transmitting it to others. Against that backdrop, GSC is pleased to provide these key updates:
Coverage for Fully Vaccinated Travellers who test positive for COVID-19 extended until June 2022
As we have communicated, standard GSC travel plans include coverage for emergency medical expenses related to COVID-19 for the period of August 15, 2020 through December 31, 2021, up to the existing maximums and limitations within each plan. This coverage is in place regardless of vaccination status.
NEW! From January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022, emergency medical expenses related to COVID-19 will be included in standard GSC travel plans for Fully Vaccinated Travellers only.
Note: for the purposes of the COVID-19 emergency medical expenses and quarantine benefit, a Fully Vaccinated Traveller is someone who is eligible for and has completed the recommended vaccine treatment considered by the Canadian government (typically two doses) at least two weeks prior to departure. Travellers who are not able to receive a vaccine in Canada based on age or medical condition will be considered a Fully Vaccinated Traveller for the purpose of this coverage.
If your out-of-country travel coverage is under a pure ASO funding arrangement or you have an out-of-country pooling limit, we are also extending these most recent COVID-19 coverage enhancements to your plan – the same approach that we have taken with other travel enhancements during the pandemic. Please contact your GSC account team for more information.
Reminder on quarantine benefits
As you may have seen, effective August 1, 2021, standard GSC travel plans which include COVID-19 medical coverage are also covering some quarantine benefits for Fully Vaccinated Travellers who are unable to return home as planned due to a positive COVID-19 test pre-departure, resulting in the requirement to quarantine outside of their province of residence. This coverage extension will also be in effect until June 30, 2022 and will continue to apply to Fully Vaccinated Travellers only.
Answering employee questions
Should you receive questions from employees about travel coverage, we encourage you to direct them to the GSC Support Centre for all of our latest information.
They can also review Government of Canada travel information to check for new updates and determine if they are considered fully vaccinated. |
