Blue Cross Visitors Insurance Review
Blue Cross Visitors Insurance
Blue Cross is a well-known name in Canada due to the number of group (employer) insurance plans they underwrite nationwide. Blue Cross offers annual travel insurance with their group plans, including extended health and dental coverage. They have been offering visitors to Canada insurance for a long time, but only recently decided to compete with the Canadian travel insurance companies for visitors to Canada insurance business.
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Blue Cross is most popular with IEC applicants aged under 59 |
Blue Cross Standout Features
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Available After Arrival in Canada Yes, within 30 days of arrival. 3-day waiting period for illness coverage. (Visitors to Canada Plan) |
Return of Deceased Up to $10,000 (Visitors to Canada Plan) |
Travel to Other Countries Max 30 days coverage on side trips, up to 49% of the trip total. Must start and end in Canada. (Visitors to Canada Plan) |
Blue Cross Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
- For younger travellers especially, and some older age brackets, Blue Cross is priced quite low compared to most plans offered by other Canadian travel insurance companies.
- Blue Cross Visitors to Canada Insurance provides coverage for stable pre-existing medical conditions with a stability period of 3 months for those aged under 54, and 180 days for those aged between 55 and 79.
- Change in medication language is friendly for aspirin, routine insulin and Coumadin. Please ask for details, or read the policy wording.
Disadvantages
- This is a discount plan with restricted benefits:
— Secondary benefits are greatly reduced compared with other available plans. For example, the accidental dental coverage is only $2000 max, whereas most other plans are $3000-5000;
— No follow-up benefits;
— They offer no accidental death and dismemberment coverage; - The policy is only offered with a $0 deductible. No deductible options to help lower costs.
- Unlike most other plans, partial refunds are only granted (as long as no claims have been or will be made against the policy) if the insured travels back to their home country (most other plans will also allow a partial refund once a traveller becomes eligible for and covered by a provincial health care plan).