Tag: Canadian Traveller

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How Long Can Canadians Stay Out of the Country?

One of the questions most frequently asked by Canadian travellers is, “How long can we stay out of the province or country?” There are a few things to consider on this one. For starters, it depends on your destination.

Here are the entry requirements and stay limits for the countries most visited by Canadians:

United States: Six months (about 182 days), whether all at once or over several cumulative trips, during a 12-month period.

Europe: 90 days, with no visa requirement however there are changes slated to take effect in May 2023.

The United Kingdom: Six months, or 180 days, with no visa requirement.

Cuba: Six months, however you must obtain an extension from immigration authorities for a stay beyond 90 days.

Mexico: Six months, or 180 days, however you must complete a Mexican tourist card, known as FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple).

Dominican Republic: 30 days, however you must obtain a tourist card for entry.

China: 30 days on a single-entry visa.

Australia: Three months on a mandatory Australian Electronic Travel Authority.

Now here comes the curveball: be sure to check the residency requirement in your home province. This is a set of rules that specifies the number of days that you must be physically present to qualify for provincial health benefits. While most provinces require that residents be present for six months to maintain their health coverage, it’s worth checking before planning a long-term vacation. Your residency requirement doesn’t affect your ability to leave Canada for vacation but it does impact your eligibility for provincial health benefits when you return.

No matter your destination country, it’s recommended that you always maintain at least six months of validity on your passport. Some countries may also require that your passport have a certain number of blank pages so be sure to do your research on entry requirements.

For peace of mind during your travels, take MSH coverage with you. Get a quote today!

Now, get packing!

 

Do you not see the answer to your question in the comments below? Feel free to get in touch with our experts for more assistance.

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Visitors to Canada Insurance Grows into the Mainstream

With global borders reopening, albeit unevenly, the prospect of reconnecting with long-separated family and friends is made a lot easier given Canada’s increasingly generous “Visitors to Canada” travel insurance product line.

Crafted to protect short-term international tourists as well as parents and grandparents visiting their families under the federal government’s Super Visa program, Visitors to Canada (VTC) plan benefits are also available to residents awaiting permanent visa status, citizens applying for reinstatement of their provincial health plans, as well as international students seeking alternatives for their college-based health insurance options.

Health care in Canada is expensive. Don’t underestimate it

Though Canadian residents don’t normally receive “bills” for hospitals or physician services, they pay a lot in taxes or premiums to maintain their health care system—one of the most expensive in the developed world.

In any large Canadian city, uninsured visitors can expect to pay up to $1,000 or more for an emergency room visit, $5,000 for a daily ward, or much higher for intensive care. And doctors’ and ancillary services or ambulance fees may be charged in addition. As hospital administrators freely admit, international patients can be a substantial source of supplemental (but necessary) revenue for their own publicly funded operating budgets.

Fortunately, Canada’s travel insurance providers have over the years increased their limits on coverage—some up to $300,000 CAD—and have continued to expand the range of benefits necessary to meet the variegated needs of a global clientele: emergency air repatriation to the patient’s home country if necessary; transporting family members to patients’ bedsides; arranging for and paying costs of returning bodily remains to the country of origin; expanding the range of necessary medical services (i.e., including telehealth services, prescription medication benefits, and in some cases even maternity coverage [so long as pregnancy did not precede outbound travel]).

But product lines, age limitations, benefits, and exclusions vary among insurance providers, so it’s necessary to do some homework to get the right fit.

Expanded services—but limits still apply

All VTC plans have many common elements. But none are intended to replicate the broad range of comprehensive, preventive, and health maintenance services offered to resident Canadians by their provincial health plans. They are not designed to cover unstable pre-existing conditions, or elective services, or terminal care, or treatment for serious conditions that require pre-determined medical intervention or that don’t meet the eligibility standards cited in the applications for coverage.

Though VTC plans may cover certain defined pre-existing conditions that are stable during a specified pre-travel period (e.g., 180 days), those conditions must still meet the definition of “stable” as explained in the policy, even if the applicant’s doctor has approved travel. The published definition determines eligibility for coverage.

When and where to buy

Visitors to Canada policies are best purchased from a Canadian insurer before travel begins as that allows coverage as soon as the traveller arrives in Canada. However, an application done at a distance may be a little more difficult as coverage is based on the insurer having a complete and accurate medical profile of the client. Take that into consideration if you’re assisting a parent or relative prior to their arrival. If they have any pre-existing conditions, the insurer should know before the application is completed.

In most cases, if the policy is purchased in Canada, benefits will only kick in 48 hours after its effective date, except for accident or injury, which will be covered as of the effective date. However, if symptoms of an illness that set in prior to or during the 48-hour waiting period are revealed only after the waiting period, expenses for treating those symptoms will very likely be voided. This stands as a caution to any aspiring applicants who might “wait until the last minute” before deciding to buy insurance.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

Get a quote today!

To find out more about how MSH Americas can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

HelpLine@americas.msh-intl.com 

+1 416 730 8488 (or toll-free at +1 800 360 3234)

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New Alerts for EU-Bound Holiday Season Travellers

Reports of COVID infection rate spikes, growing objections to government lockdowns, and frustration with constantly changing vaccination passport rules are sparking recurring public protests throughout much of the European Union.

According to Schengen News, protestors in Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia are resisting enforced lockdowns of indoor restaurants, bars, ice cream shops, sporting events, museums, cinemas, and even private parties. Though most of the protests have been peaceful, some—particularly in the Netherlands—have led to material damage, violence, and arrests.

Consequently, Canadians planning holiday travel to Europe need to make doubly sure they have the proper documents, are thoroughly covered for COVID-related illnesses and trip cancellation expenses, and fully aware that individual countries in the EU can suddenly impose their own entry rules on travellers from other countries, as well as those within the EU.  

For example, effective November 22, Austria went into full lockdown on all non-essential activities through at least December 13. Until then, inbound travel has been halted. And in a move that may presage significant rule changes in other countries, Austria has cut down the validity period of vaccination certificates (passports) from 12 to nine months. This is Austria’s fourth lockdown since the start of the pandemic—a pattern seen in other EU countries.

Third booster shots may become mandatory

The European Union Commission has urged (though not mandated) all member states to heed the advice of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and impose nine-month limits on the validity of vaccine certificates and require WHO or ECDC–approved booster shots be made available to persons whose vaccination certificates approach the nine-month limit.  

The vaccines provided to Canadians and Americans fit within that requirement.

Here’s the takeaway for Canadians looking forward to European travel for the holiday season or beyond

The European Union, which encompasses 27 nations, is not a monolith. Member countries have ultimate control of their own borders, although they try to maintain some unanimity amongst themselves. They are, however, political entities, so differences of opinion and action are common.

Similarly, the 26 Schengen Area countries (which include non-EU members Iceland, Switzerland, Norway, and Lichtenstein) are also free to suspend common rules temporarily to deal with individual issues on the ground.

What that means for Canadian travellers is that you must know and comply with the entry-exit rules of the individual countries you’ll be visiting or through which you may be transiting, as well as the rules about current vaccine verifications required by those countries. And don’t forget to consult the travel advisories posted by Travel Canada.

Most important, you must know the benefits and the limitations of your travel insurance coverage in case of a medical emergency, whether or not you’re covered for COVID-related illness, whether your benefits meet the medical coverage requirements of the countries you’ll be visiting (many countries now require verification of adequate travel-medical insurance…your provincial coverage won’t do).

And, given the frequency of public unrest about changing government entry/exit rules, make sure you’re protected in case you have to cancel or rearrange your itinerary at the last moment. You want to get as much of your prepaid fees back as you can. Reliable advice from your travel insurance advisor is more important than ever.  

Don’t try to go it alone. This is not the time for heroics.

© Copyright 2021/2022 Milan Korcok.  All rights reserved.

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What Canadians Need for Safe Travel to Europe and US

With borders re-opening now that COVID transmissions are generally abating, you need to know the requirements of all individual nations on your planned itineraries. And most important, consult with your travel insurance broker or agent to make sure you know the coverage benefits and exclusions of your insurance policy before heading to the airport. The pandemic has changed they way we travel. Don’t try to do it alone.

Europe Bound?

Canadian travellers heading for Europe will generally find their vaccine passports widely accepted as the European Union recently recommended COVID restrictions be lifted for fully-vaccinated residents of Canada and 18 other 3rd countries (non EU): including those with proof of restored immunity after having recovered from COVID infection. Fortunately, for Canadians, the EU accepts all vaccines that were used in Canada, including those used in combination with Astra Zeneca as meeting its criterion.

However, though the UA has lifted its embargo on Canadians and others, individual EU nations remain free to lift or retain their border restrictions against other EU or “3rd countries”(outside the Union) which they consider high risk as surges continue. Just recently it raised temporary warnings against to travel

Germany, Finland, Ireland, Estoia Slovenia, Slovakia as “unsafe for trave” Such warnings are listed almost daily, as the Eu has a threshold for assessing safety levels in its block– the criterion being that mutual re-openings are best achieved between nations that report no more than 75 new COVID cases per 100,000 inhabitants per day on average over a two-week period.

But overall, EU countries have achieved vaccination rates over 75 percent among all adults, with some states moving well beyond that (France 85 percent, Spain 83 percent, and Germany 78 percent). Still, in the interest of safety, it’s important for Canadian travellers and their trained travel advisors to pay attention not only to the broader EU guidance, but to the documentation requirements of individual nations to which they’re heading or transiting

US Bound?

Now that US authorities have announced that proof of mixed-vaccine regimens will be acceptable for

entry, several million Canadians who have been vaccinated with combinations including the Astra Zeneca brand have one less barrier to overcome on their trip South. This is certainly good news for snowbirds.

Overall, the acceptance of a covid passport is not as universal in the US as it is Europe. As we have noted in earlier articles, Americans are split on the issue of mandatory vaccination and more than 20 state governments have legislated that private business, restaurants, sports venues, recreational areas, shopping malls, etc. are prohibited from demanding patrons show proof of vaccination on grounds that such demands intrude on individual health privacy issues. Florida, Arizona, Texas, and some border states are among those maintaining such prohibitions. Other major States, New York and California require their businesses to verify proofs. But given the lack of a national consensus any Canadian proof of vaccination will likely be taken at face value and not be challenged.

© Copyright 2021/2022 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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The US Land Border Will Finally Open to Canadians. Now What?

Now that the Biden administration has announced the reopening of the US land border to fully vaccinated Canadians in November (we hope sooner rather than later), the question remains: what documentation (paper or digital) will you need to get into shopping malls, restaurants, sports arenas, hotels—all of those venues that make for a satisfying vacation or visit with family?

The short answer is: that depends where you end up. The equally short one is: you should do just fine with the proof most vaccinated Canadians currently have.

One of the most frequent questions we have heard from concerned Canadians planning southbound travel has been: “What about the AstraZeneca shot that was mixed in with my Moderna or Pfizer jab? Does that qualify as the approved second shot needed for full vaccination status?” That’s not a trivial question as the US CDC has not yet approved AstraZeneca. But the issue has been raised to the higher levels in the CDC, which is still fine-tuning the details of vaccine documentation rules for the border reopening. So just wait and see.

We’ve also heard that some Canadians planning southbound trips “come hell or high water” have added booster shots of Moderna or Pfizer to their vaccine records just to make sure they’ve covered all bases. Good thinking.

So who’s really checking?

Given that the server in a Cheesecake Factory restaurant (who is also charged with examining your documents) is not likely to know (or care) about the mixing of vaccines, the worst that can happen is that you might have to have your dinner carried out to you in your car.

Earlier in one of our articles, we noted that 20 states have banned businesses from demanding or asking for proof-of-vaccination requirements. These are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. As of October 13, 2021, this lineup remains intact.

Four states (California, Hawaii, New York, and Oregon) have facilitated the creation of digital vaccination status applications or proof-of-vaccination programs that allow fully vaccinated people to bypass some coronavirus restrictions. Among these, California has implemented the strictest vaccine monitoring programs, and also maintains the most stringent masking, distancing, and social gathering regimens—although these are not applied on a statewide basis. Local county/municipal authorities have a good deal of latitude in determining what requirements they want to impose on their business patrons and guests.

Florida, by contrast—and to a similar extent Arizona—allow residents and visitors to use their best judgement about masking, distancing, and gatherings such as sports events. In these states, vaccine mandates are off the table—although in some instances they’re being challenged by the courts. But in the US that’s a never-ending process.

Given the very positive response to the reopening decision (which many state legislators have been aggressively promoting for several months), Canadians can expect a resounding welcome once they cross the world’s “longest undefended border.”

© Copyright 2021. Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Once the US Border Opens, You’ll Need a Vaccine Passport Checklist

With most of Canada’s provinces adopting some form of vaccine passport rules for entry to venues such as sports events, restaurants, public buildings, and other indoor functions, large portions of the US—particularly sunbelt states familiar to Canadian seasonal visitors—remain far less demanding of guests from up North, or anywhere else.

Once the US land border opens to Canadians you may want to take note of where you might be asked to show proof that you’ve had your two shots…and where that won’t be necessary. Your vaccination card or mobile app confirmation should be acceptable.

As of September 22, 2021, governments in 20* states have ordered or signed bills prohibiting government agencies from issuing COVID-19 vaccine identification cards or requiring proof of vaccination (cards or mobile apps) as a condition of entry for any premises. These states* include such Canadian target locations as Florida, Arizona, Alabama, Texas, South Carolina, and Georgia, as well as border states Idaho and Montana. In many of these states, masks are optional, left to personal choice. In Florida supermarkets, for example, there appear to be more unmasked than masked patrons. In these states masking is left to personal choice for the most part except for entry into health care facilities. (*Source: Ballot Pedia)

New York State, on the other hand, requires vaccine verification to enter most public venues like restaurants, theatres, and sports events, and masking is also widely required. Oregon allows vaccinated patrons to gather without masks in indoor venues.

In California, most decisions about vaccine requirements are left to individual cities and counties, so it’s best to have proof of complete vaccination at hand if travelling in that state. And in California, as well as most other states that require full vaccination, the term “vaccination” means two jabs with the same vaccine brand—or one jab of Johnson & Johnson. Mixed brands don’t meet the definition of “fully vaccinated,” but then a lot also depends on how perspicacious your document inspector (often your server) is.

In Hawaii, proof of vaccination is a widespread requirement, so be prepared. It’s a long way to go to be marooned outside of the airport bar.  

And if you’re travelling to Florida to board a cruise ship at one of its five ports, be prepared to show proof of vaccination—and that also means two jabs of the same brand. Mixed-brand vaccinations are not accepted for boarding on most of the major cruise lines. If you don’t show such proof, you may still be allowed to board (except on Norwegian Cruise Line vessels) but you will not be allowed the full run of the ship (like premier restaurants, saunas, pools, and other gatherings) and you’ll have to be masked. In effect you will be travelling second class—noticeably so. We note, however, that the cruise lines are imposing the vaccine-proof rules in defiance of a Florida law banning such practice while their challenge works its way through the courts. So stay tuned.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Determined to Start Travelling Again? Learn the Landscape

When Canadians were surveyed in mid-summer about their future out-of-country travel intentions, it appeared that visits to the UK/Europe and Asia/Pacific were well down the list, with the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean being the preferred choices, at least for the time being (according to data from the Conference Board of Canada).

A major reason for that imbalance is the confusion and inconsistency about COVID testing requirements, vaccine passports, and the almost daily rule changes about what documentation or immune status is required to enter any given country. Most confusing is the narrative out of Europe which used to be easy to navigate thanks to the borderless entry requirements of countries in the Schengen Area. Show your passport to enter one member country and travel throughout the others without further border checks. No longer.

The Schengen Area is a consortium of 26 mostly European countries dedicated to providing easier, border-free travel among its members. It is distinct from the EU.

With the advent of huge migration waves from the Middle East and North Africa in the decade before the pandemic, many European countries individually suspended the Schengen easements and reinstated border checks demanding passport/visa clearances. Then came COVID, and the border “windows” were being raised and lowered almost on a daily basis as member countries adopted colour-coded map references for countries that were relatively safe (green) to definitely unsafe (red).

Here is a sampling of advisories in Schengen’s daily report for September 6: “Malta recognizes vaccine passports of Egypt and Lebanon” … “Spain bans non-vaccinated travellers from US” … “Estonia adds Norway, Bulgaria, San Marino and Slovenia to her Red List” … “Denmark moves unvaccinated and unrecovered travellers from Croatia, regions of Austria, Italy, Norway, Sweden to its Orange List.” And that’s only one day’s advisories.

To explain: there are five colour-coded categories into which countries fall on the basis of daily testing and infection rate data as monitored by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): Green (the best), orange (less so), red, and then dark red (the worst). There is also grey for areas where the ECDC doesn’t have substantial enough data for a rating. The UK is grey. And each of these colour codes represents specific metrics denoting the number of new cases reported, percentage of positives, and infection rates.

Planning European travel over the next few months?

Do your homework and stay on top of changes—they occur daily.

Here is a link you can use to keep up to date on European visa and COVID-related entry requirements to most countries in the EU.

In addition, keep up with the Travel Canada site which lists entry/exit rules and requirements for any nation you wish to visit or through which you must transit. And the Reopen EU site will give you a neatly packaged view of all European and neighbouring countries on their colour-coded status.

But regardless where you plan travel, assume there may be COVID-related, travel insurance, or medical coverage requirements for entry as more and more nations are making such coverage mandatory. 

You may also need proof of coverage (your provincial health coverage is not accepted—it’s too limited), and you may have to prove amounts of coverage as well as terms. Carry your policies with you. Wallet-sized cards indicating only your provider or broker are not enough for you to depend on in these dynamically changing times. Some countries, especially in the Caribbean and Asia/Pacific, are now requiring not only proof of your own coverage, but are levying mandatory travel insurance fees at the entry site to cover medical emergency costs (including those related to COVID) for the duration of your stay. Thailand, for example, will levy an insurance fee whether you have your own insurance or not, as will Jamaica which levies a $40 USD medical insurance coverage fee (to cover you up to $50,000 USD) while on the island. Cuba too has been requiring proof of private medical insurance for about 10 years—either that or buy Cuban insurance on arrival from a local company.

The US does not require travel insurance coverage, but if you’re familiar with the fees charged by US hospitals and doctors for even casual treatments you should need little convincing to get the kind of coverage offered in Canada: limits going to CAD $5 million or $10 million per trip.

What used to be relatively easy isn’t anymore. But then, living without the option to travel is no fun either.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Have a Pre-existing Condition? Don’t Give Up on Travelling

As travel insurance has evolved over the years, more and more people in less-than-perfect health have become eligible for coverage. That’s a good thing. But you still need to be mindful that travel insurance is supplemental to your government (provincial) health plan, not a substitute for it, and there are exclusions and limitations in all travel health plans you need to be aware of when selecting insurance.

The most basic plans are those offered within credit card benefits, but they are generally short term (10, 15, or 30 days), usually designed for persons younger than 65, and generally do not cover medical emergencies caused by pre-existing conditions—although there are exceptions in higher-end credit cards for which you pay a premium. But even then, coverage for pre-existing medical conditions is very limited.

Fortunately, having a pre-existing condition does not mean you can’t get excellent coverage in a dedicated travel insurance plan. But do your diligence well, and don’t wait until the last minute to buy your insurance. Treat it as a serious purchase.

Don’t skip over the limitations

Generally, if your pre-existing condition (say, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gastric reflux, or other chronic condition) has been “stable” for a specified time (e.g., 30, 60, 180 days)—which means it hasn’t revealed new symptoms, hasn’t required a change in medication dosage or type, lab tests or procedures, and hasn’t been treated by a physician or referred to a specialist—it may be considered stable and you’ll be covered. But read and understand how “stable” is defined in the policy. It’s how the policy defines “stable,” not how you may define it, that counts in the end.

If you have a pre-existing condition that might not meet this stability standard and you still feel confident enough to travel, you might ask about a pre-existing condition “waiver” that allows you to be covered for all other medical emergencies unrelated to your pre-existing condition. That’s a good option, but make sure your policy specifies that you have such a waiver. Get it in writing.

Medical underwriting—a growing trend

As snowbirds and elderly travellers have become such a substantial force in the travel market, medically underwritten plans have grown exponentially. Their value lies in the insurer’s ability to fashion a plan of benefits for your specific health profile based the answers you provide to a detailed questionnaire or medical declaration. These generally require only “Yes” or “No” answers, but because some medical terminologies are used, make sure you look up the definitions provided. Don’t guess. And if you still are unsure about how to answer any questions, it’s always a good policy to ask your doctor for help. Accuracy is important. Once you complete your application, your responses will be graded for risk level and your premium set accordingly.

Also understand that failure to disclose any medical conditions, treatments, or diagnoses on your questionnaire can void your total application and lead to denial of your claim if you later have one.

For example, if while travelling you have a medical emergency—let’s say a gallbladder removal—and you subsequently file a claim and it’s discovered that you failed to confirm having been treated for atrial fibrillation at some earlier time, your gallbladder claim may be denied—even though your AF had nothing to do with your gall bladder emergency.

How can that be? It’s not a nasty trick. The premium and conditions of coverage in your medically underwritten plan are based solely on the information you provide. If the underwriters had known you’d had AF treatments in the past, you would have been given a different plan option, at a different premium level, with perhaps other conditions. In effect, you didn’t qualify for what you got. Your family physician’s advice may have helped.

Medically underwritten policies have opened up the world of travel to many people who otherwise would have been totally sidelined and forced to stay home. And as the world of travel opens up again, look to the new opportunities that exist. You may be pleasantly surprised.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

To find out more about how MSH Americas can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

HelpLine@americas.msh-intl.com

 +1 416 730 8488 (or toll-free at +1 800 360 3234)

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How Travel Insurance Has Evolved—For Your Benefit

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, travel insurance providers have made policy changes to better protect you from unforeseen events and situations beyond your control. This is important, as sooner or later, you can be sure we’ll be revisited by regional epidemics, pandemics, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, civil demonstrations, or terrorist attacks—perhaps even wars. History has taught us that much.

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to explore what’s new in travel insurance, what’s essential for you to know in fashioning the best coverage for you and your family as we return to normalcy, how to get the most value for your money, and how to earn peace of mind.

When to cancel a trip—and how

Let’s start with the issue that generated so much concern this past year: coverage for trips that were cancelled, interrupted, or delayed beyond endurance.

Traditionally, Canadian travel insurance has primarily focused on emergency medical benefits: high hospital costs and medical fees in foreign countries (especially the United States) that are only marginally covered (often less than 5 per cent) by government health insurance plans. It has been more than 30 years that private health insurers have been picking up the burden of foreign medical bills for Canadian travellers—bills often soaring to six figures. 

During this time, cancellation/interruption benefits have been incorporated into many travel insurance plans. But it took mass cancellations of cruise and airline itineraries as well as border closures during the pandemic to focus on the details and limitations of trip cancellation coverage.

Traditionally, the allowable reasons for claiming trip cancellation benefits have been individually listed in policy contracts. They were specific. They included an onset of sickness or injury in the traveller or the traveller’s companion; death in the traveller’s or companion’s family; a call to jury duty; sudden job loss; catastrophic damage to the traveller’s or companion’s home; unexpected weather event such as hurricane or flood at the trip destination; the failure of the traveller or companion to obtain required travel documents; cancellation or rescheduling of a destination business meeting; a default or suspension of a travel supplier such as a cruise, airline, or tour operator; and other similar scenarios—all spelled out in the contract.

But what the benefits didn’t cover were cancellations for other, unspecified reasons, such as changing one’s mind about travelling to a certain destination, or fear of catching disease, or bad weather at the chosen destination, or simply dealing with uncertainties during troubling times.

Prior to the pandemic’s readjustment of world travel, Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) plans were gradually beginning to catch on, even though they cost some 40 per cent more. But since then they have grown in popularity because of the flexibility they offer travellers to plan with more incentive and imagination. With a conventional trip interruption policy, if you cancelled to avoid a hurricane only to see the storm do a sharp turn and head back out to sea, that would void your cancellation claim. No damage, no reason to cancel. But with a CFAR option, the trip cost is protected.

But remember the caveat

What is protected is only what has been prepaid and is non-refundable. If the trip supplier—resort, hotel, cruise, airline, or tour operator—returns your cash, rebates to your credit card, or offers a voucher for a future time, the insurer is not liable to make good. No double dipping. And there is no reimbursement for the lost enjoyment of a long-planned dream trip.

Also understand that what you’re buying with trip cancellation is protection OVER TIME, and you’re expected to buy that protection when you buy your trip—or within a few days of your purchase. And then expect diminishing returns as time goes by. The closer you get to your scheduled departure, the smaller the payout you can expect. And if you get to a certain threshold—like 14 days before your cruise—the benefit will have expired. You can’t expect a cruise ship or hotel, operating in high season, to take a loss for your “no-show.”

Trip cancellation benefits can give you great peace of mind. But you need to understand the rules.  

In the next article, we’ll get into understanding how pre-existing medical conditions may be covered in your travel insurance policy.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

To find out more about how MSH Americas can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

HelpLine@americas.msh-intl.com

 +1 416 730 8488 (or toll-free at +1 800 360 3234)

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A COVID-19 Success Story. We Need One

Let’s look on the bright side—at a post-COVID success story—and realize that a new dawn is possible.

Israel, a country of 9.3 million people, has freed itself of most pandemic restrictions after its daily new case rate dropped to less than 20, and more than 80 per cent of its citizens have been fully vaccinated in perhaps the most efficiently run vaccination program of all nations.

At one point, as recently as this past January, Israel’s daily new COVID case numbers were peaking at 10,000 per day, proportionately the same as rates in the United States, which was among the hardest hit of all nations. And overall, this small nation, less than half the size of Nova Scotia in square kilometres, sustained close to 840,000 cases and over 6,400 COVID-related deaths (a rate of 71 deaths per 100,000 population—slightly more than Canada’s current death rate of 68 per 100,00).

But by June 1, Israel’s health ministry could declare a stunning victory against the pandemic, releasing most distancing and closure sanctions, requiring only limited indoor masking at close quarters, and—most dramatic of all—dispensing with its vaunted Green Pass program which it began only three months ago.

The Green Pass allowed fully vaccinated (primarily with Pfizer BioNTech) and fully recovered citizens virtual freedom to any activities that in most other nations remained either closed or tightly restricted—gyms, theatres, concerts, restaurants, shopping centres, even synagogues. In fact, the response to the Green Pass was so enthusiastic, these same venues quickly required it for entry. It became, in effect, a pass to normalcy—and created some antagonism from the shrinking non-vaccinated holdouts.

But you can’t argue with success. The Green Pass had done its job. It was time to be retired—happily.

In announcing cessation of the Green Pass, Israeli authorities have emphasized that vigilance against COVID will remain and that Israel’s borders will stay closed to countries where variants are troublesome. Returning citizens will be given priority, and there may be certain quarantine requirements, but quarantine hotels will not be among them. Such a suggestion was firmly nixed by several sources as impractical, unworkable, and punitive.

In getting to this better place, Israel placed its bets on its high-tech workforce and environment, highly organized medical triage, a digitized medical record-keeping that allowed vaccinations to be channelled to the most vulnerable populations first, a national network of vaccine clinics, clear and unified messaging from the top down, and efficient, proactive negotiating and procurement of vaccines from multiple sources even while they were being developed.

In fact, vaccine procurement was so effective that Israel’s health ministry and several non-governmental organizations are now sending vaccines to COVID-embattled India, along with medical equipment and supplies, respirators, technological logistical support, and medical personnel.

“We can’t just stand by,” an Israeli spokesman on his way to India told media.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Don’t Give up on Cruising in 2021… Canadians Can Still Hope

Given up hope of taking that late summer or fall cruise? Starved for some Caribbean sun?

Hang on. The battle to reopen cruising out of South Florida—the world’s largest cruise market—has moved into high gear.

Under intensifying pressure from American political, travel, and cruise industry heavyweights, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is being forced to explain and justify the continuation of its ban on cruises out of US ports now that vaccination efforts are far outpacing the spread of COVID transmission and the cruise industry has itself committed to stringent new protocols designed to mitigate future spread onboard its ships.

Leading the charge to reopen cruising, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has threatened to sue the CDC to lift its Conditional Sailing Order (issued almost five months ago) banning cruise vessels with capacities exceeding 250 passengers from sailing in US waters, and to do so this summer. “This has a kind of ripple effect throughout all businesses… it affects a lot of jobs. What we need is a way forward,” says DeSantis, adding rhetorically: “Is it OK for government to idle an industry for a year with no end in sight?”

Kelly Craighead, CEO of Cruise Lines International Association, which represents more than 90 per cent of the world’s cruise ship companies, has charged that “The outdated CSO, which was issued almost five months ago, does not reflect the industry’s proven advancements and success in operating in other parts of the world, nor the advent of vaccines, and unfairly treats cruises differently from other… travel, tourism, hospitality and entertainment sectors.”

The American Society of Travel Advisors has also called for the CDC to “immediately lift its restrictions…  and set July 1 as the date that cruising can resume from US ports.”

The barrage of demands for reopening cruising has rocked the CDC back on its heels. When Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski asked about the process for lifting the ban, CDC director Rochelle Walensky admitted that the decision to apply the CSO five months ago was not solely up to the CDC, but she was unsure which other federal agencies were involved. As it stands, the CSO remains in effect until Nov. 1, 2021. But given the broadsides from increasing sources, it may not hold up much longer.

Richard Fain, CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, summarized the cruise industry’s position simply: “The CSO was a very positive step at the time… But that time has passed.”

Repositioning ports is a short-term solution—at best

Within the past few weeks several cruise lines have repositioned vessels to ports outside of US waters, taking business away from ports in Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami—among the world’s largest cruise centres. But flying to offshore ports such as Bermuda, the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, Barbados, St. Lucia, or other ports to connect to your cruise of choice is an expensive supplement to the actual cruise cost. Not quite as easy as boarding in familiar “home” ports of South Florida, Texas, California, or British Columbia.

In addition, there still remains Canada’s own restrictions on out-of-country travel (or the ordeal for returning from international travel) that necessitates additional protection if you’re planning a cruise. You need to be especially diligent in selecting travel insurance that not only covers you for medical emergencies on board the ship or while in port stops along the way, but also protects you in case of itinerary changes, transfer delays, and especially cancellation or interruption occurrences.

Though most cruise lines now offer cash-back options (as well as future cruise credits) in their cancellation coverage, make sure you know the contract details. Many insurance packages offered by cruise lines are tailored for Americans and they don’t normally offer the extensive medical and emergency repatriation or cancellation benefits that are available in travel insurance products available in the Canadian market.  

If and when cruising returns to some degree of normalcy, there are bound to be special deals, hard-to- believe prices, and a plethora of choices. But cruising is an expensive proposition. And you’ll need to do your homework.

Dream about the cruise. But navigate your contract.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Where are the Canadians? America Misses You

Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, misses seeing Canadians…a lot.

Dow lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and he says every night he looks out at the condos in his neighbourhood and they’re dark. Because they’re owned by Canadians.

Speaking to his trade constituents via Zoom recently, he said, “A billion dollars a day goes across that border…We need to get the Canadian traveller back. It’s the largest country for travel to the US and over 20 million Canadians come here, and it goes back and forth.

“We have to get that going,” he said, adding that though the USTA is lobbying to get all markets open for travel to the US, ”the Canadian [market] should be one of the easiest to get open based on protocols both countries are doing and it would make…the most sense to start stepping out in Canada fairly quickly.”

Congress concurs

Susan Collins, US Senator from Maine, is of the same mind, calling for an immediate easing of the restrictions that keep Canadians and Americans apart.

Collins has advocated “implementing procedures such as requiring proof of a recent negative test or vaccination to begin safely loosening the restrictions, which would be beneficial to families, the economy, and small businesses that rely on Canadian customers.”

In addition to Senator Collins, a caucus of 26 US members of Congress, mostly from northern border states, has pressed President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to start a reopening process to restore cross-border travel, to help reunite families, and to develop a clear policy for cross-border property owners.

Their petition to the president warns that “the continued ritual of monthly extensions without substantive signs of collaboration or progress only increases uncertainty and amplifies hardship for the border communities we represent.”

Partly in response to that Congressional initiative, President Biden has issued an Executive Order directing Homeland Security and other related agencies to develop a plan for stabilizing and re-opening the border. He has also further projected that any American who wants a vaccine could have it by May 1. Prime Minister Trudeau, however, does not see Canada reaching that marker until at least September.

PM not hot on vaccine passports

And though much of the world is engaged in developing some form of “vaccine passport,” PM Trudeau remains adamant that going the way of certification is “fraught with challenges.” Specifically, he has cited concerns about individual health privacy issues encoded in any form of visa or certificate, and he is also worried that while high-priority groups for vaccination (such as seniors) might be in line for certificates allowing them to travel, others who can’t be vaccinated because of health issues, or young people who are lower priority for vaccination, might not have equal access. In essence, it’s an issue of fairness.

In the meantime, need for some type of vaccine passport is gaining traction world-wide.

The European Union is pressing ahead with development of a “digital green pass” that shows if the holder has been vaccinated, has tested negative, or has developed immunity as the result of previous COVID infection. The EU hopes to have a workable credential model ready for the summer holiday season (which for Europeans is a hallowed period). Portugal, for example, is now working on its own simplified version specifically for UK travellers, whether they are vaccinated or not. The certificate would be available to unvaccinated young travellers (a low-risk group) and older age groups who have recently tested negative for COVID. Portuguese tourism officials hope to have their certificates ready from May 17 onwards.

Meanwhile, PM Trudeau has continued to wave off any suggestions that he is prepared to open the border any time soon, asserting that if and when the US/Canada border opens depends on vaccinations in Canada, not the US. (According to Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker, as of March 17, 2021, the UK has administered 40.47 vaccine doses per 100 people; the US 34.05; and Canada 8.98.)

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Restoring Confidence in International Travel

While we wait patiently for international travel to reopen, there are important things we can do to restore confidence that we can travel safely and be well prepared to meet the challenges of a post-pandemic world. We’ll need to learn some new rules and brush up on some we may have forgotten.

For example: when was the last time you reviewed your passport to check out its expiration date?

Ten years can fly by more quickly than you realize and increasingly, border control agents are requiring at least six months of remaining passport eligibility before granting you visiting rights. And “granting” is the key word, because you have no inherent right to be allowed into any foreign country. You’re only granted that privilege by your hosts.

Some passports have more benefits than others

Fortunately, Canadian passports are among the most highly valued* in the world, allowing their holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 183 countries worldwide. (*According to Henley Passport Index 2021, a leading passport analysis service which bases its ratings on data from the International Air Transport Association, Japanese passport holders have the top ranking at 191 countries, with UK and US passport holders at 185 countries. This data does not factor in COVID-related border restrictions or other short-term temporary border closures.)

More countries—particularly in Europe—are also requiring visitors to have proof of medical coverage consistent with EU standards (a minimum of €40,000 euros) and for the foreseeable future to also have COVID-related coverage in their travel insurance. In addition, the EU is working to develop a “vaccine passport” regimen that would allow people who have been vaccinated or have recovered from COVID, and who are demonstrably “safe” from further infection or risk of transmission, to cross borders more freely. They’re hoping to have some workable mechanism—perhaps even digital proof of immunity—ready for Europe’s summer tourism season.

According to The Times newspaper (UK), authorities in the Mediterranean country of Cyprus announced that as of May 1, vacationers who have had two doses of vaccine will be allowed entry without the need to quarantine or be tested on arrival.

Keep your documents safe—they’re valuable

If you’re planning travel and have been vaccinated, keep your vaccination certificate available with your passport when you travel, but store photocopies of it and your passport photo page in a safe place in case your originals are lost or stolen. That’s one of the downsides of having such valuable property.

Don’t expect the expected

Given the precipitous drop in leisure travel throughout 2020, don’t expect to re-enter the world of international travel—be it to London, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Singapore, or Cancun—quite the way you left it the last time you were there.

With a year’s worth of travel vanquished, it will take time for hotels, tourism sites, open-air markets, restaurants, beach vendors, and other travel suppliers to re-stock, re-supply, re-hire, and re-emerge in top form. From a new survey of international travel produced by the Conference Board of Canada we can see how deeply those dependent on tourism worldwide have suffered.

Throughout 2020, Canadian arrivals in the UK and Europe dropped 86 per cent from 2019, and 65 per cent of those arrivals occurred in the first three months of the year, before the full impact of COVID hit. The story was repeated in Asia, Oceania, and the South Pacific—down 82 per cent. To the US: overnight auto trips were down 80 per cent (again, most of those in the first quarter). And to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America: the first two months of the current winter season (November and December 2020) saw just 103,000 trips, compared to 1.1 million arrivals in the comparable 2019 season.

The effect has been draining not only on travel suppliers (hotels, staff, ancillary services) but on Canadian consumers’ confidence in making future spending decisions—which, according to CBoC, still remains 25 per cent below its pre-pandemic level.

But confidence is built by performance. And given the light we see at the end of the tunnel now, perhaps it’s time to rebuild.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Post-COVID: Summer Travel Is Not Impossible

As economies begin to open up—some timorously, others robustly—summer vacation travel is no longer an impossible dream… so long as you stay flexible, able to moderate your plans even up to the last minute if need be, and are prepared to compromise.

Many travel insurers as well as suppliers such as air and cruise lines, hotels, and tour operators have modified their rules to allow for late-term cancellations, cash-back rebates in lieu of travel credits, and      other pandemic-related disruptions. This bodes well for travel-deprived Canadians who have learned the value of preparing for the unknown, balancing risks and rewards, and daring to make choices. As Forrest Gump wisely said: “You never know what you’re gonna get.”

Because of variations in COVID prevalence internationally, it’s unlikely that all borders will open synchronously. Even among European countries there is little harmony about inviting summer tourism. Nonetheless, we may well see more travel “corridors” between countries with similar confidence levels; more “favoured nations” travel allowances, and certainly more requirements for proof of health status and medical coverage—i.e., Spain’s health ministry has announced that it hopes to introduce vaccine or test result certificate allowances to citizens of certain countries for inbound travel this summer. So have some countries in the Caribbean.

There are also hopeful signs that the UK, which suffered especially heavy COVID losses throughout 2020, has rebounded as it has vaccinated 15 million adults in its highest-risk groups as of mid-February. It expects to have all over-50s fully vaccinated by May 2021.

In the US, Canada’s most favoured leisure travel destination, the signs of achieving immunity from COVID are also encouraging. As of February 17, 2021, Bloomberg Vaccine Tracking reports 57.4 million Americans (mostly in the higher-risk groups) have been vaccinated (in Florida at least 11.6 per cent of the population has received at least one dose and 5.5 per cent, both). With the expansion of administration sites to pharmacies, clinics, and even supermarkets, Bloomberg projects that the Moderna and Pfizer companies are on track to deliver enough doses to fully vaccinate 110 million Americans by the end of March 2021.

Given the concurrent decline in daily rates of COVID infections and deaths, there is increasing hope of soon achieving acceptable rates of immunity, and perhaps with it, a gradual freeing-up of travel restraints—at least between countries that achieve certain criteria. But that is a matter for individual nations to decide.

It’s a start—or, more precisely, a restart—of travel, a freedom Canadians dearly cherish. But that freedom does not abide negligence. Travel for the foreseeable future will require more diligence and greater attention to detail (such as that in your travel reservations’ conditions); knowledge of customs and border requirements of the countries you’re visiting or transiting through, as well as travel advisories (and restrictions) from your own government; and knowledge of the travel insurance policy you’re purchasing and how those conditions apply to your trip or destination of choice.

We also have to be realistic about our expectations. Achieving 100 per cent immunity from COVID or any other communicable disease or aiming for zero transmission is an unreasonable and unreachable goal. We have to settle for less, and we have to live in the meantime. And for many Canadians, travel is a part of living.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Can Vaccines Be the Game Changer in Opening up Travel?

As two of Canada’s closest neighbours (UK and US) lead the world in vaccinating their citizens against COVID, we’re seeing clear indications that getting those jabs might be the game changer in getting confinement-weary citizens back on the road again.

For the record, among the 92 countries being tracked by the Bloomberg (news service) Vaccine Tracker, the UK and the US are among the world’s top four vaccine jabbers: (1) Israel, with over 82 vaccinated per 100 population; (2) United Arab Emirates, 52 per 100; (3) UK, 27 per 100; (4) US, 19 per 100. These figures are mostly based on vaccine recipients having received at least one jab—although many have received both. (These figures were effective as of Feb. 22, 2021.)

According to the Guardian newspaper, since Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his plans for a May 17 easing of lockdown rules, three of Britain’s top charter carriers reported major increases in international air vacation bookings. Easy Jet bookings surged 630 per cent compared to the week before the announcement—with Spain, Portugal, and the Greek island of Crete among the top destinations.

A similar story with Thomas Cook reporting website traffic up 75 per cent the day after the PM’s announcement, with Turkey the top destination followed by Greece and Cyprus, followed also by significant bookings to the Dominican Republic and Mexico. A Cook spokesperson told media: it “felt like the cork had popped on all that pent-up demand for holidays.”

Meanwhile, in the US, one of the largest aggregators of travel insurance plans reported that in the two months since vaccination efforts truly geared up (the US is now administering 1.39 million doses per day on average), there has been a distinct bounce-back toward pre-pandemic sales levels among all age groups—but particularly among seniors 60 or older.

In addition, travellers are buying their travel policies (which in the US are predominantly geared to cancellation and interruption benefits) an average of 74 days before planned departures. Prior to the initiation of the vaccine rollout, they were buying their polices an average of 42 days ahead of time.

Though much of the cruise industry is still dependent on the US Centers for Disease Control to lift its “No Sail” order before they can resume operations in and out of US waters, most cruise lines are reporting increased interest in advance bookings, as well as customer confidence that cruise ships have gone a long way to ensuring health/safety protocols on board.

Richard Fain, CEO of Royal Caribbean Line, claims that the new coronavirus safety protocols will “make sailing safer than a walk down main street.”

Our own informal surveys of Canadian travel insurers reveal a growing confidence that there is a pent-up demand for international travel later in 2021, certainly by 2022—and that traveller vaccinations may play a key role in that reinstatement.

Emphasized one long-established broker: “Canadians really need to get vaccinated and the federal government must ease travel restrictions before Canadians feel confident to travel abroad.”

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All Rights Reserved.

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Pulling Back the Curtain on Lesser-Known Black Trailblazers

“When we’re talking about diversity, it’s not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us.”

—Ava DuVernay

At MSH, we take pride in doing our part to help you travel and live with confidence. For Black History Month, we honour some of the more unheralded Black trailblazers who did just that, and as a result, shaped history. Their contributions transcended limits and norms, representing the best of all of us.

Anton Wilhelm Amo (c. 1703–c. 1759)

As the first African to earn a doctorate degree at a European university and the first to practice philosophy in Europe since Roman times, Anton Wilhelm Amo was an academic pioneer. His pride in his African heritage formed the basis of his philosophical work, challenging the legal basis of European slavery and contesting social norms.

Mathieu da Costa (1589–1619)

While the exact details of his life continue to be debated, one thing is certain – Mathieu da Costa is considered by historians to be the first Black person to visit Canada. Working as a free man, he played the role of interpreter for Dutch and French explorers, including Samuel de Champlain, in the early 17th century.

Matthew Alexander Henson (1866–1955)

Despite being the first human to set foot on the North Pole in 1909, Matthew Alexander Henson received little to no recognition for his feat or his contributions to the expedition’s success. He received belated honours with admittance as the first African-American member of the Explorers Club (1937) and the Peary Polar Expedition Medal (1944).

Rosemary Brown (1930–2003)

At a time when racism and sexism were fashionable, Rosemary Brown became Canada’s first Black female member of a provincial legislature and the first woman to run for leadership of a federal political party. Her lifelong fight against gender, racial and social norms garnered her 15 honorary doctorates, the Order of Canada and the United Nations Human Rights Fellowship.

Wangari Maathai (1940–2011)

A fierce proponent of human rights and environmental conservation, Wangari Maathai became the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree, the first female professor in Kenya and the first Black woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize (2004). She developed the Green Belt Movement, responsible for the planting of over 51 million trees in Kenya since 1977.

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There May Be a Cruise in Your Future. Be Patient

If you feel the need to lift your spirits, plan ahead, “break free,” you could do worse than start scouring the Internet for deeply discounted cruise packages now being offered by the world’s leading cruise lines in anticipation of a post-COVID pent-up demand for leisure travel.

You may have to wait until late 2021 to board—that appears to be the most realistic projection anticipated by cruise professionals at this point—but there aren’t that many travel options in the meantime. And cruise companies have loaded up their packages with plenty of safeguards to protect your investment should it be delayed further or should your plans change, for whatever reason—and you may not even have to give a reason. Full cash refunds on-demand are now standard throughout the industry. If not, 125 or 150 per cent credits for changes, cruise delays, or cancellations remain an option. It’s a buyers’ market as it’s never been.

And Canadians are big cruise buyers. According to the Conference Board of Canada, they were projected to have taken more than one million cruises in 2019, and had accounted for 3.4 per cent of all global cruise activity every year since 2016 

Even dry-docked, cruise ships sell

While much of the world’s fleet of almost 300 ships has been moored in ports around the world, some cruise agents report that they have taken in more reservations for future cruises than they have processed cancellations. 

However, until the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) drops or seriously modifies its No Sail Order, there won’t be any cruises out of US ports of vessels carrying more than 250 passengers. The CDC has jurisdiction for all cruise ships sailing in US waters or docking at US ports. Though most ships sail under foreign flags, they are not exempted from that jurisdiction. Moreover, the world’s three biggest cruise lines, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Corporation (which also controls Princess, Holland America, Costa, Cunard, and several other major lines), are all headquartered in South Florida.

The CDC has imposed tough standards that ships will have to meet when they return to sea, but so have the cruise lines themselves. The cruise industry concurs with most of CDC’s standards, and a Health Standards Panel convened by Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line (including third-party scientists and other disease prevention and health specialists) has published a 64-page guide of specific actions and standards they recommend for all cruise carriers. What they presage is a far leaner style of cruising: fewer passengers per vessel to allow for appropriate distancing; shorter cruises (maximum 7 nights); tighter controls on port stop visits; on-board testing capabilities for passengers showing symptoms, including daily temperature checks for all passengers and crew; more medical staffing and resources; and on-board quarantining cabins or isolation units should an outbreak occur.

The standards also rule out self-serve buffets (reason enough for gourmands to book and rebook), and retain routine masking in situations where distancing is not feasible, while allowing maskless indoor or outdoor dining where distancing is sufficient. But no more poolside dance parties—not in the immediate future anyway.

One special caution we must highlight

At present, Travel Canada still advises against all cruise travel and warns that anyone returning to Canada from a cruise is subject to quarantine. If that advisory is still in force by your embarkation date and you choose to follow it, make sure you understand your cruise line cancellation options. Many now offer cancellation benefits up to 48 hours prior to travel, but you need to read the fine print.

Also, before you make any final arrangements for your cruise, consult with your travel insurance advisor to make sure your plan covers COVID-related disruptions (which many in Canada do), and that it provides coverage for trip cancellations or interruptions (which may be necessary if your cruise vessel is forced to change or shorten its itinerary). Insurance sold by cruise lines does not have the extensive medical/repatriation benefits that Canadian travel insurance provides.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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The Snowbird Conundrum: Paying to Go Home?

Feeling stranded? Confused? Uncertain if and when you can return to Canada and what you’ll have to do to get back to the northern side of the border?

It hasn’t been made any easier by Ottawa’s new plan to require Canadians flying home to quarantine in selected hotels for up to three days (at an estimated cost of $2000) while their PCR COVID tests are assessed, then complete the remainder of the 14-day quarantine period at home. At this point the hotel quarantine option is still being developed so it may be some weeks before it is operational, but it does not presage an easing of border rules any time soon.

How long can you stay?

You can stay out of Canada indefinitely and still retain your citizenship. But US law allows Canadian passport holders to remain in the country only up to 182 days per every rolling 12-month period—so long as the visit is for leisure purposes: no work, no doing business. That 182 days can be an accumulation of short trips or one long, uninterrupted one. So if you went down to your condo in September and haven’t returned home since, you’re getting close to the mark. To make sure of your status, count back 12 months (365 days) and tally up all the days you have been on US soil. Count even part-days when you crossed the border for just a few hours.

And bear in mind that Canadian and US border agencies share entry/exit crossing data, so they know more about your travels than you think they do.

If you’re close to the mark, and you’re sure you want to delay your return to Canada, you can file a 1-539 for an extension with the USCIS. Certain contingencies have been added to allow people who can’t get back home because of COVID restrictions to have an extension, but that will be judged on a case-by-case basis so be prepared for some paperwork. You’re also expected to apply at least 45 days before the extension is to begin, so this is no sure thing. There will likely be quite a lineup.

Out-of-province restrictions

There may also be a provincial issue to consider. All provinces require you to be physically present for at least a given period (most specify five months in a year, some six) to remain eligible for your provincial health insurance. And physical presence means just that. This may be a little harder for provincial agencies to track, unless you have a particularly prying neighbour, or you have filed too many out-of-province medical bills over the past few months.

Remember too that “out-of-province” does not refer only to visits to the US—it also means visits to other provinces or other countries. So that too is a calculation to keep in mind. Loss of provincial residency status carries a heavy penalty as it takes three months (without coverage) to regain eligibility for your government health insurance. Fortunately, there are private insurance plans designed specifically to fill those gaps.

Can you extend your travel insurance while you are out of the country?

In most cases you can extend your insurance to cover your additional days of travel so long as you have made no claims, or your medical condition hasn’t changed since you applied. But you must call your insurer and have that done as soon as you know how much of an extension you’ll need. There may be consequent adjustments to your policy so make sure you understand what your extension entails. You should also be aware that since you left for your trip the conditions of coverage may have changed as coverage for COVID-related issues has been added to many policies. Have a thorough discussion with your insurer on these points.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Getting Worse Before It Gets Better: Why This May Be the Toughest Time of the Pandemic

Here we are at the end of January 2021, and it will soon be a year that we have been living through the pandemic. It’s been a difficult year with ups and downs, but I would consider right now to be the toughest time in the pandemic.

When it all started in March 2020, we were in a state of shock. Suddenly, it became apparent how widespread the infection had penetrated in North America and around the world. We saw a serious situation unfold in Italy and New York City. We quickly shut everything down, hoping to gain some understanding of what exactly was going on and what we needed to do to contain the outbreaks. Then we slowly relaxed the stay-at-home measures and instituted newer ones, like wearing masks and physically distancing. In short, we learned how to be able to move around the world more safely: what to do and what not to do.

Our new “freedom” helped our collective moods. In the summer, camps for children were cancelled and indoor dining in restaurants remained a risk, but at least we could be outside and gather socially with friends in small, physically distanced groups. We could visit an outdoor patio at a restaurant, or swim at a pool or beach. We could play sports like tennis, golf, or baseball. It wasn’t in any way completely normal but at least it was something.

With the arrival of fall, we have seen a gradual restriction of our activities. The virus has surged again. This is understandable given the change in climate which restricts outdoor activities. People are congregating more inside, and viruses really like that, because that makes it easier to spread. Viruses also tend to spread more easily in colder climates as warmer weather makes it harder for them to survive. We knew it was likely for things to unravel again in the fall and winter, and we were right. We have lived through and are now in the midst of the second wave and it isn’t proving to be easy.

But we have a big reason to have hope now. The COVID-19 vaccine is here. It’s the durable solution that we had all hoped for and it came much more quickly than we expected, thanks to the wealth of resources devoted to its development. It has a strong safety profile and most importantly has been shown to be very effective. As a front-line emergency physician, I have had both of my doses. Being vaccinated has allowed me to go to work with some peace of mind, with the ability to better focus on helping the many people in need of assistance at this most difficult time.

Unfortunately, this good news is tempered by the reality of some recent developments. There are new variants of the virus circulating. These new variants are more infectious, meaning that the virus is passed more easily from person to person. It remains unclear, but there are also some concerns that these variants can make you more sick and more likely to have complications.

This development is a bit of a setback. It means that we need to be even more careful now. The public health restrictions need to be intensified. The fact that we are in the thick of winter when this situation has changed doesn’t make it very easy. Most of us are stuck inside our homes all day, working from home, some of us with children doing virtual school, with all the inevitable technological glitches and challenges that complicate our days. Many people are even more isolated than before, as even sitting outside or going for small walks can be hampered by the weather. The impromptu small social interactions are fewer and fewer. At least in the summer we could go and sit on a park bench or on a beach and feel somewhat normal. Most of us are feeling far from normal right now, and that is hard.

But then there is the reality of the vaccine which is the light in the distance. It will be there eventually for all of us, just like the spring and warmer weather… if we can just get there. The vaccine is still effective against the new variants, thankfully. The next few months will be tough, but we must hunker down and get through them and do our part to keep the virus at bay. Especially now with the variants in our midst, we must double down on our efforts to avoid close contact with others outside of our household. No social gatherings. No travel. Keep shopping trips to a minimum, as we know indoor spaces are the riskiest places. We should wear good quality, 3-ply masks whenever we are in those locations and limit our time there.

Most importantly, we all need a specific strategy to address our mental health. If we are able, trying to get outside daily and go for a walk for at least half an hour is a great simple rule to institute for ourselves. Even seeing other neighbours at a distance and saying “hi” can do wonders. Other safe activities include hiking, skating, or tobogganing. We must be mindful, however, that getting too close to others, even while outside, can be a risk. With the new variants, transmission occurs more easily. We must distance ourselves when outside and even wear masks when needed. This is not the time to take chances. We are so close to the end of this pandemic and I can just feel it. Better days are within our grasp.

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StudyInsured™ kicks off 2021 with newly streamlined, student-focused phone line, StudyInsured™ Assistance

PRESS RELEASE, TORONTO, February 1, 2021 – StudyInsured™ announced today the launch of StudyInsured™ Assistance, a single phone line providing all-encompassing medical assistance and mental health support for its students. The in-house line features centralized resources for students, via a single phone number, for all their assistance needs, including:

• A crisis line for mental health support via the Stay Healthy at School program

• Medical assistance and health care guidance

• Insurance coverage queries and claim support.

“It’s all about making sure the resources we provide to students are easily identifiable – the simpler, the better,” said Susanne Hendrickson, Director, Sales. With in-house assistance previously named Intrepid 24/7, the new branding of StudyInsured™ Assistance reflects the company’s commitment to simplifying and streamlining student products and support. Intrepid 24/7 will remain the company’s assistance line for white label services and various non-student clientele.

StudyInsured™ has provided student insurance services for over 70 years. The organization continues to raise the bar to provide products and services that evolve with the needs of the thousands of international students it serves across Canada and beyond.

About MSH

MSH International (Americas) comprises MSH International, StudyInsured™ and Intrepid 24/7. These are all subsidiaries of SIACI SAINT HONORE, a world leader in the design & management of international health care and life and disability insurance solutions for globally mobile individuals. Its services are designed for employees of multinationals, micro-businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises, workers in international organizations, individual expatriates and local high net worth individuals in need of international insurance coverage. Thanks to its decentralized structure, 4 regional head offices in Toronto, Paris, Dubai and Shanghai and 18 service offices worldwide, MSH International (Americas) provides round-the-clock assistance to 2,000 corporate clients and over 400,000 insured members in nearly 200 countries.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Pamela Kwiatkowski, Senior VP Distribution and Client Experience

Direct +1.416.640.7868 email: Pamela.kwiatkowski@americas.msh-intl.com

Susanne Hendrickson Director of Sales

Direct: +1.604-561-0381 email: Shendrickson@americas.msh-intl.com.

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New US Rules Require COVID Test Results—Even if You Have Been Vaccinated

Effective January 26, 2021, all international travellers (including Canadians) flying to the US are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of departure, or validation from their physician that they have sufficiently recovered from infection by the coronavirus.

The rule, issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in effect reciprocates a similar one effective January 7, issued by the Canadian government for international travellers flying into Canada. But an important adjunct to the CDC rule that is causing some confusion among seniors already vaccinated against the coronavirus insists that their vaccination doesn’t exempt them from the negative test requirement.

It’s a head-scratcher, but it’s true. Even though you may have recently received your two jabs—either of the Pfizer/ BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine—you will still have to show proof of a negative test taken within three days of boarding your flight.

Says the CDC: “Before departure to the United States, a required test, combined with the CDC recommendations to get tested again 3–5 days after arrival and stay home for 7 days post-travel, will help slow the spread of COVID-19 within US communities from travel-related infections. Pre-departure testing with results known and acted upon before travel begins will help identify infected travellers before they board airplanes.

“Air passengers are required to get a viral test (a test for current infection) within the 3 days before their flight to the U.S. departs, and provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (paper or electronic copy) to the airline or provide documentation of having recovered from COVID-19. Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before they board. If a passenger does not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery, or chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger.”

Why no exemption for proof of vaccination?

The CDC explains that though the vaccines are expected to offer 90 to 95 per cent protection against getting symptoms of COVID or becoming ill, it is not yet totally clear that vaccinated persons are incapable of transmitting the virus to others. Trials to establish such proof are underway or planned, but their outcome still needs to be determined.

Dr. Tal Zaks, Moderna’s chief medical officer, stated in a recent TV interview, “I think we need to be careful, as we get vaccinated, not to over-interpret the results… Do I believe that it reduces transmission? Absolutely yes, and I say this because of the science… But absent proof, I think it’s important that we don’t change behaviors solely on the basis of vaccination.”

In the meantime, those are the rules. And don’t expect masking and social distancing protocols to become redundant any time soon, although there are enough variations in the rules from place to place that no matter where you intend to travel, you need to do your homework. The rules as they apply to a trip to Arizona or the UK may vary considerably from those for Jamaica, Mexico, or Costa Rica. Each location has its own variation of such rules. That’s where you need to focus your attention.

And above all, don’t forget the rules for coming back home.

© Copyright 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Vaccine Arrival Sparks Traveller Hopes, But Canadians Remain Cautious

Though arrivals of COVID-19 vaccines may give us hope that travel restrictions might soon be relaxed, Canadians remain cautious about planning international—or even, to some extent, domestic—trips any time soon.

According to a new survey by the Conference Board of Canada, while 87 per cent of Canadians say they miss travelling, three quarters insist they won’t travel out of the country until a vaccine is available, and 53 per cent say the same about domestic travel. Meanwhile, one quarter of respondents to the survey do not plan to get vaccinated.

Furthermore, if and when airline travellers decide to pack up and go, 66 per cent want mandatory face masks used by all ground and in-air staff and 57 per cent want distancing space retained—to some degree. Survey respondents also revealed that their fears about exposure to COVID were most pronounced about the modes of transportation—more than half were “extremely or very concerned” about exposure to COVID while on the aircraft, in taxis, or in car shares; 47 per cent “extremely or very concerned” about potential exposure at a theme park; 29 per cent at their accommodation property; but only 19 per cent were very worried about exposure while on the beach or outdoors.

Resistance to US travel still high, but lessening

CBoC reports that a few months ago, 83 per cent of Canadians responding to an earlier survey said they were “extremely or very concerned” about being exposed to COVID while travelling in the US. In the current survey, this share had dropped to 69 per cent, even though 80 per cent still felt the border with the US should remain closed. 

As for making their travel plans, 91 per cent of respondents to the CBoC survey insisted they would check infection rates at their destination of choice before firming up their reservations.

Though vaccine distribution has already begun, it appears that widespread vaccination of the general population is still a relatively distant prospect. Thus, making travel plans remains a hit-and-miss affair, for the time being.

Canadians encouraged by COVID insurance coverage

Generally, potential travellers have been encouraged by the development of access to COVID vaccinations and the availability of COVID-specific travel insurance coverage. More than half of travellers (52 per cent) reported that the inclusion of COVID coverage in travel insurance plans increases their willingness to travel as soon as possible and they also feel that if rapid testing could replace quarantine protocols, their willingness to travel would be strengthened.

Despite guarded optimism about the arrival of a vaccine against COVID, CBoC still anticipates little trans-border traffic until vaccinations are widely available. And it emphasizes that travel to the US (Canada’s most favoured travel destination) is projected to fall by 91 per cent this winter season (that’s a reduction of 6.5 million trips). In addition, travel to other destinations is expected to fall by 88 per cent (5.1 million trips).

The CBoC report also revealed that 47 per cent of Canadians who prepaid (in whole or part) for their travel services (such as cruises or tours) outside of Canada before the onset of the pandemic settled for “credits” for future travel (e.g., cruise or airline ticket vouchers); 12 per cent settled for rebooking at later dates; and only 35 per cent for cash refunds. How all of these accounts will be resolved when the dust settles remains to be seen, as regulators and governments continue to press for cash refunds being mandatory.

Overall, CBoC forecasts that with just 36 per cent of Canadians intending to take an overnight leisure trip this winter, and with only one in 10 planning to leave the country overall, outbound leisure travel will fall to just 1.2 million trips between November and April—less than 10 per cent of the activity recorded last winter.

That’s perhaps a dreary forecast for travellers accustomed to basking under sunny skies during Canada’s coldest months, but with a New Year about to dawn, let’s hope the worst is past and 2021 brings relief and a return to normalcy.

© Copyright 2020, 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Update on European Travel Authorizations: Deferred to 2022

Early in 2019 we alerted you to the European Union’s forthcoming travel authorization scheme requiring Canadians and Americans (as well as citizens of 60 other nations who do not normally require visas for European travel) to file for pre-authorization to visit any of its member countries as of January 2021. 

The scheme, the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), has been deferred to late 2022 to allow all member countries to better coordinate and come into compliance with each other. Nothing comes easily or without glitches in the EU’s multinational operations. That start date is also tentative as there is likely to be an official launch toward the end of 2022 but it will not be mandatory until 2023. Additionally, a 6-month grace period is planned to allow eligible travellers to become familiarized with the new regulations. So all we can say today is “for now you can relax,” but “stay tuned and be prepared,” because the ease of international travel to which you have become accustomed is a thing of the past. This is especially so as individual countries impose varying border rules to protect themselves from COVID-19, and growing numbers require incoming visitors to have supplemental travel insurance to cover any emergency medical costs during their visits.

The quality of European health care is high. So are its costs. And though European citizens have some reciprocal agreements to cover medical emergencies while visiting neighbouring countries, they extend only to EU citizens—not to Canadians or Americans. As well, until the COVID-19 threat is over, individual countries in Europe have the power to unilaterally impose their own border controls to guard against spread of the pandemic. So before you anticipate travel to Europe, make sure you know the rules for your final destination as well as any countries through which you’ll be transiting. And make sure your travel insurance conforms to those rules.

Let’s review ETIAS

In effect, Europe’s ETIAS is similar to Canada’s eTA (electronic Travel Authorization) or the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) in the US. Its purpose is to tighten the management of EU- country borders, decrease crime and terrorism, and control undocumented migration—all the while reducing procedures and application times for travellers.

The applications, designed to take about 10 minutes, must be done online and will cost €7, payable by debit or credit card. They will ask the applicant’s name, date and place of birth, education and work experience, prior travel, medical status, and other background questions such as records of deportations, rejected visa applications, or criminal records. Applicants under 18 will not be charged fees.

Applications that are completed correctly and don’t ring any alarms on ETIAS’s watch list (which is connected to other international databases and Interpol) will likely be approved in a few minutes. An “Alert” may require a more complete manual application and take from four days to two weeks to pass muster. Successfully completed authorizations will be valid for three years and will allow an unlimited number of entries to Schengen Area countries. Once in the area, travel to other Schengen countries will be “borderless.”

What is the Schengen Area?

In 1985, five member states of the European Union signed an agreement in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, to abolish internal border checks between their countries. Since then, the Schengen Area has expanded to include most EU countries except Ireland and a few others soon expected to be part of the Area—Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Cyprus. Although Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein are not EU members, they are part of the Schengen zone. The UK, which withdrew from the EU in January 2020, has never been a member of Schengen and so far is exempt from the ETIAS requirement.

The key thing to remember is that Schengen and the EU are two separate entities even though their interests are often intertwined. And the EU is simply appropriating the Schengen structure to craft ETIAS for its own protection.

If you really need more on this moving target you can keep up with Schengen rules on this website.

© Copyright 2020, 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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It’s Your Policy. Take Responsibility. Take Your Time

More than ever, travel insurance products are giving customers in less-than-perfect health opportunities to leave home, visit friends and relatives in distant countries, and even indulge themselves in leisure activities that would have been unthinkable a decade or two ago.

Even for the elderly, given their normal range of chronic conditions (e.g., high blood pressure, heart flutters, diabetes, artery or vein disorders), coverage may be available so long as their health has remained stable for specified periods (three months, perhaps six) and they have completed their medical questionnaires accurately and haven’t “shaded” the truth to gain a slight reduction in premiums.

Such attempts at “savings” can turn into financial catastrophes if the insurer is forced to deny a claim for emergency medical services because you failed to fully or accurately disclose that you had been “checked out” for a respiratory condition within the past three months, or that your medication for diabetes was recently changed, or that you were referred for a heart murmur that your cardiologist said was OK for now but should be rechecked when you returned from Florida.

Such “minor imperfections” may seem routine and unworthy of mention on a questionnaire, but they can be vital signs to medical underwriters that further information about your health is needed. Underwriters have no information available to them when gauging a patient’s health but what they see on the questionnaire. And they have no other way to determine the risk of offering coverage, or if you are ineligible for the plan level you are seeking but might be better placed in a different level.

Claim denials are rare, but take your application seriously

Though claim denials for Canadian travellers are extremely rare, when they do occur they can be devastating to a family’s finances. And non-disclosure of pertinent information on one’s medical questionnaire is one of the most frequent reasons for claim denials.

It’s one thing to say you answered the questions as best you knew how and “in good faith.” It’s quite another to say your answers were accurate. And though questionnaires tend to be loaded up with medical terminology, you should take the time to look up the definitions of terms used. If they’re not included with the questionnaire or in your policy—demand them. Example: the definition of “Internal condition” may include gallbladder disease, kidney disorders (including stones), liver or pancreatic disorders, prostate or urinary disease, and so on. If you’re being asked if you have been diagnosed or treated for an internal condition in the past 24 months, you need to know what the insurer considers an internal condition.

And if you’re completing an application with the assistance of an agent, perhaps over the phone, have the agent read the questions one by one as they are printed on the questionnaire, and have any pertinent definitions explained to you. Take your time… it’s your policy and it’s your money. And when you receive your Confirmation of Coverage (which explains the details of coverage, the price paid, the dates and conditions of coverage)—read it all, especially the completed questionnaire, to make sure your Yes or No answers are correctly recorded and consistent with your medical record.

If there’s any doubt in your mind about your medical record, or why you underwent certain tests a few months ago, or why you’re taking certain drugs, ask you physician for help—perhaps even to look over your application.

Remember: The agent is there only to assist. If there are any losses resulting from faulty information, they will be yours. Not the agent’s—“good faith” notwithstanding.

Insurers want your business. They don’t want to deny a claim any more than you want to see it denied. They are constantly looking for ways to design products for their varying markets in all age groups and with all health profiles. But it requires some effort from you.

Do not consider travel insurance a casual, routine purchase. And though you have seen many entreaties to “sign up… it just takes 30 seconds,” unless you are in perfect health and can leap tall buildings in a single bound, take your time. Don’t wait for the day before your departure. And if your application is medically underwritten, allow for any additional time it may take for your physician to review it.

It’s your application. It’s your time. And it’s your money.

© Copyright 2020, 2021 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Simple Tools for Avoiding US Taxes for Canadian Snowbirds

Canadians spending long periods in the US on B2 visitor’s visas (see our previous article) often ask at what point their presence becomes taxable to Uncle Sam. It’s a good question because paying taxes at home is irritating enough. You don’t want to get tangled up with tax demands from two governments.

And the good news is that the great majority of snowbirds won’t have to pay US taxes. But they need to follow some not-too-complicated rules.

Let’s take it from the top

The demands of the IRS, which governs tax collection, and the requirements of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection agency, which controls who enters the country and for how long, are separate. CBP agents are not tax collectors.

The IRS, however, is. And it wants to know if you spend enough time in the US to be considered a resident for tax purposes. Don’t read that as being a shortcut to residency. It is not. You can’t become a legal US resident just by agreeing to pay taxes. The IRS simply wants to identify your tax status and for that it uses what it calls the Substantial Presence Test.

Here’s how it works, and let’s use the tax year 2020 as an example. According to the IRS, if you were in the US at least 31 days during calendar year 2020, count the total number of days you were there, then count 1/3rd of the days you were present in 2019, and 1/6th the number in 2018. If that adds up to 183 days, you meet the Substantial Presence threshold and you are a resident for tax purposes. If you were present for fewer than 183 for the three years in question, you’re not. But caution: The IRS counts in calendar years—not 12 rolling months, as does Homeland Security. Two different systems for different purposes. Don’t confuse them. Many do. So, we emphasize: The IRS has nothing to do with the rules about how long you can stay in the US.

Now the good part: IRS form 8840 is the Closer Connection Exception Statement for Aliens. Completing this is how youexempt yourself from paying taxes to the US. The form is free and easily available from the IRS website. This form also explains the Substantial Presence rules we have just alluded to.

In completing the form, you will verify that Canada is your primary home, it’s where you live most of the year, where you do your primary banking, where you pay your taxes, where you are registered to vote, have your cars licensed, have your primary social and family connections, etc. It also asks when you entered the country on your most recent trip, your passport number, and some questions about out-of-country income sources. But don’t let those questions about income sources intimidate you as they would be relevant only if you were a questionable candidate for exemption. And make sure you file with the IRS by June 15 for the tax year in which you did your last trip. If your last trip was in 2020, file by June 15, 2021.

The main purpose of the form is simply to verify you are who you say you are. And once you file, you’ll likely never hear from the IRS—even to confirm that they got your form. It’s not their highest priority.

But if you normally spend about four months a year in the US, we advise strongly that you file, keep a copy, and carry it with you when you cross over into the US as it’s evidence of your status and it shows you know the rules and are adhering to them—even if you’re slightly under the Substantial Presence threshold.

© Copyright 2020 Milan Korcok. All Rights Reserved.

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Winter is Coming: How to Best Protect Ourselves from COVID-19

We are still learning about transmission of the virus, SARS-CoV-2, that causes COVID-19. We have come to learn that the way this virus spreads is a bit more complicated than what we initially understood. Thankfully, the main mode of transmission is still felt to be through direct exposure to respiratory droplets that carry the infectious virus. These types of respiratory droplets are larger and heavier in size and rarely travel farther than six feet. They fall quickly to the ground or land on surfaces.  If you are around someone who is infectious, your highest likelihood of catching the virus is if you inhale respiratory droplets that they have exhaled while you are in close contact with them. Hence the importance of masks, particularly in situations when you cannot adequately physically distance. 

The comfort in knowing that this is the main mode of transmission is that it offers us a mode of control. If we keep at least six feet away from others or wear a mask if we cannot always do this, then we can substantially lower our risk. 

We can also be exposed by touching surfaces that are contaminated with the virus and then touching our eyes, nose, or mouth. However, what is interesting is that we have come to understand through careful study that this mode of transmission is a less common route. We should still be careful about it, though. Regular hand-washing and avoiding touching our face help to minimize the risk of exposure through this route.

However, it is unfortunately not so simple. There have been some rare case reports of people getting infected when they have kept to these rules. There have been outbreaks of cases when people were far away from infectious individuals, in indoor settings. How could this happen?

The CDC has recently amended its guidelines on transmission to reflect our new understanding. This link explains the new understanding in detail. Basically, the new guidelines state that there are rare circumstances where you can become infected when you are far apart from others, beyond the six-foot distance. This can occur especially if you are in an enclosed space, with inadequate ventilation. Infectious people in such a location who are breathing heavily, such as when singing, shouting, or exercising, can produce significant amounts of smaller respiratory droplets that are light and can stay suspended in the air for longer periods, sometimes for hours.  These suspended droplets have the capability of travelling longer distances and, if there are enough of them, can lead to infections in those who are far away. When we are outdoors or in an indoor area with good air circulation, such small droplets are blown away and don’t have the ability to stay suspended in air and become concentrated. But given the right circumstances, they can. It’s vitally important that we are aware of this in order to fully protect ourselves.

The new and improved guidance is simply to avoid crowded indoor settings, especially enclosed spaces with inadequate ventilation. Stay away from people shouting, singing, or breathing heavily. There is a small chance of becoming infected in these situations, even when physically distanced.  Of course, the wearing of masks helps to reduce these risks, and in that regard, there is now an update on that subject as well.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has now revised its mask guidelines in anticipation of most of us spending more time indoors over the winter. The use of 3-layer masks has now been recommended as additional protection.  This link provides more details on the ideal mask. An optimal mask contains two layers of a tightly woven material fabric, such as cotton or linen. The third (middle) layer should be ideally a filter-type fabric, such as a non-woven polypropylene fabric. You can use a craft fabric, or even a folded paper towel or coffee filter.  But be sure to not use plastic as this will make it difficult to breathe. A more robust mask such as this is felt to be much better protection now that we will be spending more time indoors. 

The changing of guidelines and recommendations can be quite confusing for many of us.  It can sometimes make us question the validity of what we are being told. Ultimately, it should serve to increase our trust in the experts issuing the guidance. The science is changing, and our understanding is always growing. Public health recommendations must also change to reflect this situation. We don’t want to keep to rigid rules and regulations when it comes to keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe. As we move into winter, we need to adapt to the new knowledge about the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and tweak our approach. Stay safe, everyone!

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Will Canadians Return to Cuba after COVID-19?

Now that vacation flights have resumed to Cuba, albeit on a limited scale, can we expect Canadians to maintain their position as that Caribbean country’s most favoured source of tourism?

It seems so: with Canadians accounting for one-fourth of all tourists to Cuba (1.1 million of 4.4 million in 2019), that lead is likely untouchable, for now at least. The runner-up USA, which provided 650,000 tourists (mostly on special group and family-connection programs) in 2019, will continue to lessen its numbers as the long-standing trade embargo is strengthened. But there is no shortage of tourists from Europe and Asia applying for Cuban tourist visas, and high among them are Russian tourists, who have already started chartered flights into Cuba this month (along with German tourists). In 2019, approximately 178,000 Russians visited Cuba—up 30 per cent from the previous year.

According to Cuban authorities, Russians have submitted the fourth-highest number of tourist applications of all countries so far and Cuban authorities estimate Russia will be sending over some 200,000 tourists annually very, very soon. (It’s noteworthy that as of this writing, Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Moscow to strengthen diplomatic and trade and relations between the two countries).

What can Canadians expect in Cuba now?

To date, the few Canadian flights to Cuba, mostly from Montreal and Toronto, have gone without a hitch—all passengers testing negative for the COVID-19 virus on arrival. At present, all foreign visitors, including Canadians, must have private medical insurance that specifically covers COVID-19. If not, they’ll have to buy it from Cuban companies on arrival. It’s a stipulation that is being required by increasing numbers of Caribbean nations.

Cuba is also testing all arriving passengers (it’s free) and requiring them to shelter at their designated hotels for 24 hours until their tests are cleared. After that, they are required to confine their movements to specified areas within their designated “tourist corridors.” Each of the designated areas—e.g., Varadero, the Cayo areas, as well as other areas throughout this, the largest nation by area in the Caribbean—have plenty of quality hotels and restaurants, shopping plazas, golf sources, and marinas available for visitors, so the services are not spartan.

Havana, however, is still off-limits to any tourism, although a reopening is in the planning stages for early 2021—maybe sooner. But don’t put Havana on your bucket list just yet. Check first if that’s your primary goal.

In addition, to avoid cash handling, visitors can now pay for most services by credit or debit cards from Canadian banks outside of their hotels—that includes approved taxis, car rentals, and tours. Lessner Gomez, director of the Cuba Tourist Board, says: “this measure has been applauded by Canadians since it’s not only more convenient and safe, it also gives them a chance to avoid currency exchange into Convertible pesos (CUC), now tourists can pay directly with credit cards and with their own currency.”

So, when making your arrangements, be very clear you understand the restraints within the tourist corridors and your own responsibilities once you arrive. The Cuban government’s emphasis is on limiting your exposure to health risk. And understand that while at your resorts or on side-trips, you will still have to adhere to the local health and safety rules: wearing masks, keeping safe distances, all of the measures you have been holding to at home.

© Copyright 2020 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Still Hope for the 240-Day Visa? Patience is a Virtue

For more than a decade, Canadian snowbirds hoping for permission to spend more time in warm-weather states south of the border have pegged their hopes on passage of US federal legislation amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize their admission for up to 240 days—eight months per year. 

That’s two months more than is currently available through the standard B2 tourist visa, which is what Canadians use when hopping the border for a one-day sports event—or for a 183-day winter vacation in Florida or Arizona.

Known generically as the “Snowbird Visa,” the amended visa would allow Canadian citizens aged 50 or older to reside in the US for up to eight months per year contingent on their retaining homes in Canada, owning or leasing long-term residences in the US, waiving all rights to welfare or public assistance funding, and refraining from any employment or other work for hire. In effect: tourism only, no business.

To date, there have been several variations of such bills floated in Congress by legislators warm to the idea of having affluent Canadians spending money in their states for three quarters of the year.

And there has been little opposition to these legislative initiatives in either political circles or local economies. Yet, the chance of seeing such visas enacted remains as slim as ever thanks to the tortuosity of America’s legislative gauntlet.

Death and resurrection

Most recently, high-profile senators Marco Rubio (R), acting chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and former Florida Governor Rick Scott (R), serving his first term as US senator, sponsored the Canadian Snowbird Act S 2507 in 2019. These are so far the highest-ranking political figures to have endorsed the 240-day visa model. They are also among the few political powers who are not up for re-election this November, so though the current Snowbird Act (bill) dies with the extinction of the 116th Congress, we can expect it to be resurrected (with a different S number) when the new 117th Congress convenes on January 3, 2021. Ditto three other related House bills that were introduced in 2019 (some of them dating back several years). Some of them sponsored by both Democrats and Republicans.

Despite the misleading nomenclature, an act is not an act until it has been approved by the House, the Senate, and has finally been signed into law by the president. Until then it is just a bill, and so far none have ever worked their way out of the committees to which they were originally assigned. And the committee stage, where they are worked over by opposing parties and their picky staff, are only Step One of the forbidding legislative process.

It’s going to be a tough slog

Skopos Labs, a tracker of legislative bills, gave S 2507 a 3 per cent chance of enactment in 2019. That’s par for the course. Over 13,000 bills were introduced in the 116th Congress.

Given other immediate measures that the next highly divided Congress is likely to face, a bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize admission of Canadian retirees as long-term visitors for pleasure is not a headline-grabber in the DC bubble.

So, if you’re one of those fortunate Canadians who might fit the profile of a 240-day sun-state visitor—stay tuned and we’ll update you as these various measures work through the jungle of DC politics. But don’t hold your breath. And for now, be content with the 183-day limit—which isn’t all that bad… so long as you are allowed to leave home to enjoy it.

© Copyright 2020 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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COMPLAINT EXAMINATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION POLICY

This policy is in compliance with the provisions set out in the Act Respecting the Distribution of Financial Products and Services (Quebec) pertaining to complaint examination and dispute resolution.

1.           Purpose of the policy

1.1         The purpose of this policy is to set up a free and fair procedure for examining all complaints received by us (the “firm”). It is intended, in particular, to govern the receipt of complaints, the delivery of the acknowledgement of receipt to the complainant, the creation of the complaint file, the transfer of the file to the Autorité des marchés financiers (the “AMF”) and the compilation of complaints for the purpose of preparing and filing a semi-annual report with the AMF.

2.           Person in charge

2.1         The person in charge of the application of the policy for the Province of Quebec is Ghada Darwish.

2.2         As the person in charge of the application of the policy for Quebec, this person shall also act as the representative with respect to the AMF. She shall train the personnel and, in particular, provide the personnel with the necessary information for compliance with this policy.

2.3         As well, the person in charge shall have the following duties:

(a)         send an acknowledgement of receipt;

(b)         send the file to the AMF, at the complainant’s request;

(c)          keep a complaint register up to date;

(d)         file a semi-annual report with the AMF.

3.           Complaint

3.1         For the purposes of the policy, a complaint is the expression of at least one of the following three elements:

(a)         a reproach against the firm, one of its brokers or one of its employees;

(b)         the identification of real or potential harm to a consumer;

(c)          a request for remedial action.

3.2         Any first consumer communication or informal step aimed at correcting a particular problem is not a complaint, insofar as the problem is dealt with by one of the firm’s operational divisions.

4.           Receipt of the complaint

4.1         A consumer who wishes to file a complaint must do so in writing to the following email address resolution_canada@msh-intl-com.

4.2         A broker or an employee who receives a complaint shall immediately forward it to his immediate supervisor or to the person in charge of the application of this policy.

4.3         The person in charge shall acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 5 business days. The acknowledgement of receipt shall contain the following information:

(a)         a copy of this policy;

(b)         a description of the complaint;

(c)          the name and contact information of the person in charge of examining the complaint;

(d)         in the case of an incomplete complaint, a notice requesting additional information to which the complainant must respond within five business days, failing which the complaint will be considered to have been abandoned;

(e)         a notice informing the complainant of his right to request, upon the expiry of the period of 15 business days set for obtaining all necessary information, but no later than one year following the answer to the complaint, the transfer of his file to the AMF if he is dissatisfied with the outcome of the examination of his complaint or the examination itself. The notice shall also indicate that the AMF may offer mediation if the parties agree;

(f)          a notice reminding the complainant that mediation is an amicable settlement process in which a third party intercedes with the parties to assist them in reaching a satisfactory agreement.

5.           Creation of the complaint file

5.1         A separate file shall be created for each complaint.

5.2         The file shall contain the following:

(a)         the complainant’s written complaint, including one of three elements of a complaint (reproach against the firm, its broker or employee; real or potential harm; and remedial action request);

(b)         the outcome of the complaint examination process (analysis and supporting documents);

(c)          a copy of the firm’s final written answer, containing reasons for the answer, as sent to the complainant.

6.           Complaint examination

6.1         Upon receipt of a complaint, the person identified under paragraph 4.2, his superior and the person in charge of complaints shall conduct an investigation.

6.2         The complaint shall be examined within 15 business days following receipt of all required information.

6.3         After the investigation, the person in charge shall send the complainant a final answer in writing, containing reasons for the decision.

7.           Transfer of the file to the AMF

7.1         If the complainant is not satisfied with the result of the examination of his complaint or with the examination itself, he may ask the firm to transfer his file to the AMF.

7.2         The complainant may exercise this right only upon the expiry of the maximum time limit of 15 business days allowed for obtaining a final answer, but without exceeding a period of one year following this answer.

7.3         The file transferred to the AMF shall include all the documents regarding the complaint.

8.           Creating and updating a register

8.1         A complaint register shall be established by the firm for purposes of the application of the policy. The person in charge shall be responsible for keeping the register up to date.

8.2         Any complaint that falls within the definition found in section 3 shall be recorded in the register.

9.           Semi-annual report

No later than one month after December 31 and June 30 of each year, the person in charge shall file a report with the AMF indicating the number and nature of complaints received in the last six months, according to categories set forth in the register.

10.         Notice to brokers and other employees of the firm

The person in charge shall ensure that brokers and other employees of the firm are made aware and have a copy of this policy.

11.         Effective date

This policy is effective as of September 22, 2020.

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Can’t Wait to Get Back to Cruising? Expect Changes

In 2019, Canadians took almost one million cruises, sailing oceans, lakes, and rivers around the world.

And a large majority of them say they would do it again. Cruisers are a committed lot—all surveys confirm it.

Then came COVID, and though it took some time, cruisers returned home, wondering when or if they would get another chance to sail. Now, almost nine months later, the question remains. When will cruising resume? And how will the experience be changed?

Since the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) first issued its “no sail” order for ships in US waters (March 14, 2020), there have been a few isolated attempts at cruise resumptions—primarily in the Mediterranean and other parts of Europe. But outbreaks of COVID on some of these voyages have cut them short as well. Since then, extensions of the “no sail” order have been continued through to the end of October. Actually, the CDC proposed extending the order through to February 2021, but the Trump White House nixed that order and compromised on ending the ban November 1—with the proviso that it could be extended if conditions warranted. (Cruising is a worldwide industry extending far beyond US ports, but the world’s three biggest lines* are headquartered in Florida, and their vessels at some time or other sail in US-controlled waters patrolled by the US Coast Guard. Thus, CDC jurisdiction is quite clear. *Carnival Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Holdings account for 60 per cent of all cruise traffic).

Where does that leave potential cruisers who would like to nail down reservations for winter Caribbean sailings—the most popular cruise destination among Canadians?

Make an exit plan

At this point, we can only urge caution. Keep your options open. Don’t lock yourself into a distant commitment without an exit plan. If you’re about to make a substantial investment in a cruise booking, how long are you prepared to keep your deposits or payments locked in? What if the cruise line changes the itinerary you booked? What if it substitutes a vessel you particularly wanted to one less attractive to you? What if your health or economic situation changes and you need to back out?

And if you do want to change or cancel, will you be offered future cruise credits or the cash you have put in minus any “non-refundable” charges? 

At present, there are still many thousands of cruise hopefuls waiting for cash rebates from cruise lines that are burning through millions of dollars per day as their ships sail in circles, empty except for skeleton crews—like modern-day Flying Dutchmen.

Cruise lines have very aggressively marketed fare upgrades of up to 150 per cent as well as on-board cash credits just to keep passengers booked. And the majority of them originally accepted those “bargains” in lieu of cash. But as time wears on and the uncertainty of cruise resumption continues, the future cruise credits are losing their lure. Cash is still king.

Private travel insurance can help

Can travel insurance from the brokers you normally buy your out-of-country coverage from protect you from the future-cruise-credit dilemma? Yes, to a degree, but you need to understand what trip cancellation offers and what its limitations are. There are limits on coverage. We’ve written about this widely in past articles and will again. Know the terms.

Also, check with your insurer if your coverage will be restricted if Canada still maintains its blanket warning to “avoid all travel on cruise ships.” That restriction is a reminder only that insurers may limit your benefits related to cruise travel. That decision remains up to the insurer.

Expect a different cruise lifestyle

You should be prepared for a very difference cruise experience once the “no sail” orders are lifted.

According to new CDC rules (accepted by the Cruise Lines International Association—the organization representing the interests of 90 per cent of the world’s cruise lines), for the foreseeable future you will have to be tested for COVID before embarking and have your temperature checked frequently while on board, perhaps daily. You’ll also have to wear your mask while in public areas, keep to distancing requirements, and there will be limitations on port stops. It’s going to be a stripped-down regimen. 

Still, cruise lines are betting that their alumni passengers will understand and be prepared to put up with the restraints. Many will, as virtually all customer satisfaction surveys show that those who have taken cruises have enjoyed their experience enough to want to do it again, and again. As we said, this is a committed lot.

If that’s your “cuppa,” great. But before you put any money down, ask a lot of questions and make sure to have an exit plan if you change your mind anywhere along the process. You’ll want to keep your investment safe—in one form or another.

© Copyright 2020 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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You’ve Covered “Medical” Insurance—Now What About “Cancellation”?

If there is anything positive to be said about how travellers have been impacted by COVID, it’s that trip cancellation insurance has become a “top of the mind” issue.

For Canadians that’s critical, because though more than 70 per cent of travellers normally buy emergency out-of-country medical coverage, fewer than a third have, up to now, considered trip cancellation/interruption insurance a necessity.

No longer. With millions of the world’s travellers now lining up for refunds or rebates for cancelled air travel, cruises, or tour packages due to COVID, the focus has shifted to gaining some assurance that family finances are also protected in case of unexpected disruption.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of trip cancellation/interruption products in the travel insurance marketplace, but understanding the conditions of coverage, the limitations and exclusions, and how and when one goes about getting a “refund” when travel plans go awry is part of the purchase process. It means reading the policy.

For example, virtually all cancellation plans offered in Canada (and there are many comprehensive plans that blend medical and cancellation coverage together) list the conditions or situations that are covered by the cancellation benefit (e.g., sudden illness of the traveller or traveller’s companion, death in the family, loss of job, call to jury duty, etc.). These are usually clearly stated in the policy. Not all cancellations qualify for a benefit. But if the cancellation is the result of some unspecified cause—such as a pandemic—then the travel supplier (airline, cruise ship, tour operator) who has already been paid a deposit or full fare is responsible for the rebate. The insurer still remains responsible for covering other listed benefits such as the costs of returning home if the passenger has already started their trip, trip delays, missed connections, or other associated incidentals like stay-over hotels or meals, but not fees already sitting in the providers’ accounts that are recoverable by either refunds or travel vouchers. The point is to avoid double dipping.

As one insurer explains in its trip cancellation policy: “The benefits payable, as described in this Certificate, are in excess of all other potential sources of recovery, including alternative or replacement travel options offered by airlines, tour operators, cruise lines and other travel suppliers and other insurance coverage (even where such other coverage is described as excess) and will only become available after all other sources are exhausted.”

So when is a refund not a refund?

COVID has put this issue into focus. Both airlines and cruise operators affected by COVID cancellations initially offered vouchers for future travel, which are generally considered payment in kind. Cruise lines upped the ante by offering hefty bonuses—some up to 150 per cent of the original ticket value—to keep their passengers locked in for cruise itineraries well into 2021 even 2022. But under pressure by the US and EU governments, most lines have relented and are now offering passengers their choice of cash rebates or enhanced travel voucher packages. Interestingly, many cruisers are opting for the voucher packages. Cruisers are a very committed lot.

US and EU governments have also ordered airlines to issue cash rebates to cancelled-out travellers, though there are widespread reports that some airlines—under intense cash flow pressures—are dragging their feet in processing the refunds. The Canadian government has not yet taken that step but Air Canada is offering refunds for trips cancelled because of COVID, but only for itineraries originating in the European Union, not for flights originating in Canada.

Trip cancellation/interruption insurance is becoming increasingly important as the costs of travel become more expensive and as travel itself becomes more integral to our lives. And as with any policy, it should be carefully read, understood, and preferably discussed with the agent selling the product—not filed away to be thought about another day.

© Copyright 2020 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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Things to Know Before Your Pandemic Road Trip

The year 2020 is one for the books – though not in a positive light. After months of imposed staycation, Canadians are looking for relief from the COVID-19 dystopia in which we now live. Here’s where the reality check comes in.

The Canada-US border is still closed to non-essential travel (and likely will be until the end of the year). Air travel is mostly grounded and even then, a bit iffy. Luckily, Canada offers a vast backyard with ten provinces and three territories to discover. So, if you’re thinking about hitting the road before winter – or the next lockdown – sets in, here are some things to consider:

  • Play it safe. Choose someone from within your bubble as your travel partner(s). If that’s not possible, you and your roadie(s) should self-quarantine for two weeks before you leave to ensure you’re not carriers.
  • Plan ahead. Consider a destination that isn’t a COVID-19 hotspot. This means avoiding densely populated areas and tourist traps. Regardless of your destination, follow social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand-washing guidelines.
  • Get your wheels ready. If you’re driving your own car, make sure it’s up for the drive. If you’re renting a car, be sure to know the specifics of your contract.
  • Pack essential and pandemic-specific items. Portable chargers and cellphone signal boosters are a must but don’t forget disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, face masks, and tissues. Consider packing extra supplies such as water, snacks, cutlery, cups, and plates. 
  • Synchronize playlists. Ensure that you and your roadie have compatible musical taste for a more enjoyable trip. If you can’t find a musical middle ground, there’s always the sound of silence.  
  • Practice ‘hygiene vigilance.’ While at gas stations, rest areas, restaurants, and places of accommodation, wipe down high-touch surfaces such as tables, buttons, keypads, door knobs, and handles.
  • Consider a supplemental travel insurance policy. If you’re leaving your home province, this is a must. As Canadians, we’re blessed with universal health care but even provincial health insurance has its limits.
  • Self-quarantine upon returning. This will eliminate the risk of community spread in the event you were exposed to the virus during your travels.

While it’s important to be mindful of the COVID-19 realities during your road trip, don’t let them consume you. You can practice social distancing without being emotionally distant. Exercise common sense and be safe out there!

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Travel Demands Determination—Don’t Give Up

Though the Canadian government continues to warn against all international travel because of ongoing COVID-19 prevalence, the US State Department has begun easing its warnings for most countries down to Level 3 (Reconsider travel) from the highest Level 4 (Do not travel). Canada is now listed in the Level 3 range even though the border with the US remains shut to non-essential travel. Still on the US “Do Not Travel” list are such major destinations as Mexico, Russia, China, Brazil, India, Egypt, and several countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

However, despite the warning level easing for outbound travel, there are still some European countries that do not allow Americans entry for leisure purposes, or that at least demand certain health checks or other clearance conditions. Canadians, however, are welcome in more countries—even though your government would prefer you to stay home.

How do you plan ahead?

So how do you plan your winter break? In effect, it’s a crapshoot. You can fly from Calgary to Las Vegas without incident, but getting into your car and driving down to Nevada may be a little more intimidating. If you’re looking for a simple, easy-to-follow formula as to who can travel, where and when, you won’t find it. So if you really are determined to get to your niece’s wedding in Italy or California this fall or winter—don’t give up. Do your research first by checking the host country’s official travel website and see how the details apply to you as a Canadian citizen traveller. In most cases, Canadians will be welcome, but you may have to jump through a few hoops first.

See what documentation you need—evidence of a recent COVID test? Proof of travel insurance? More and more countries are demanding such evidence. Make sure your other travel documents are also in order  (e.g., passport, visa if necessary, planned itinerary, and evidence of ability to pay your travel expenses). 

The Canadian government can’t keep you from travelling out of the country. But it doesn’t have to help you get back if you run into problems it warned you against. So be prepared and make sure your credit card has plenty of “room” on it in case you run into delays or detours. Canadian consulates are not ATMs.

Lower your expectations

And once you’re at your destination, don’t expect the same environment you experienced last time you were there. For Canadians and Americans, the Caribbean is a very welcoming place. But expect some unpleasant restrictions. For example, the Jamaican government has just re-imposed a “stay in place” rule that requires hotel guests to remain on their specified property while in the country. No moving from place to place, no sightseeing, no dining out. It lifted such a rule just a few weeks ago but clamped back down as its COVID numbers started to surge here and there—much to the dismay of the hotel industry.

You can expect similar day-to-day exigencies throughout the fall, maybe longer, anywhere in the Caribbean.

Whatever your travel plans this winter, remain agile. Keep your reservations as restriction-free as possible. Keep your deposits as low as you can. Insist on full refunds with no—or very few—restrictions: from your airline, your host resort, your cruise ship, any entity you have paid with cash or credit card. And if you’re counting on your travel insurance to protect you in case you change your mind at the last minute and decide to cancel, read the fine print and talk to your travel advisor so you know the coverage exclusions as well as the benefits. Even though you might buy a “Cancel for any Reason” plan, don’t expect to get 100 per cent of your deposits back if you do cancel. And the closer your cancellation is to your date of departure, the lower your rebate. Know what you’re buying.

Don’t stifle your dreams of travel. Just put more effort into preparations.

© Copyright 2020 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.

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MSH Americas and StudyInsured™ are proud to announce the launch of the International Student Wellness Hub

Our mission at MSH Americas will always be the same: to respond to the needs of today’s globally-mobile individuals and organizations with innovated products and industry leading duty of care solutions.

We have been protecting international students and supporting schools to improve the study aboard experience in Canada and around the world. Being able to anticipate the changing landscape of the international education industry and responding to the needs of students and schools is what sets StudyInsured™ apart from the competition.

To continue this legacy, we are proud to bring the International Student Wellness Hub to our students, schools, and partners here at home and around the world.

The Hub is the ultimate resources for international students and schools, to find useful and practical information during this uncertain time due to COVID-19. The Hub includes information on:

1. Mental Health Tip Sheets for students: Information and tips for your mental health, and learning From the Front Lines with our Medical Director, Dr. Michael Szabo

2. COVID-19 Useful Links for students: To guide our students regarding Government updates

3. Provincial Resources for students: International Student programs and COVID-19 information by province

4. Finance & Job Opportunities for students: How students can manage their finances, plus job searching tips

5. Information & Resources for Schools: Tips for educators and administrators to assist students with well-being

Visit The International Student Wellness Hub

We hope the Hub helps international students, schools and administrators through this difficult time! We would love to hear from you, feel free to share your feedback and suggestions to marketing@americas.msh-intl.com

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Canadian Travel Insurers Prepared to Offer COVID Coverage

Media announcements that major insurers are prepared to start covering COVID-related medical emergencies for Canadian out-of-country travelers will clearly put pressure on the federal government to ease its restrictions on international travel.

At present, Travel Canada maintains its “Avoid all non-essential “ warning for all foreign travel, even though European nations have opened up their borders to several countries—among them Canada—which they consider has adequately controlled the spread of COVID. The advisory warns that if travelers choose to defy the advisory “your insurance may not cover your travel or medical expenses.”

That of course, is a decision to be made by individual insurers not by government, and Manulife, Allianz and TUGO, Canada’s largest travel insurers have confirmed that as soon as the feds drop their advisory, they are prepared to offer COVID cover in most of their policies, under the existing limitations in their policies.

And Medipac International, the designated insurer for the Canadian Snowbird Association has gone one step further offering to provide COVID cover effective immediately, whether the government maintains its advisory or not. A spokesman for Medipac was quoted in the media as saying that snowbirds who own residences in the US are able to physically-distance just as effectively abroad as they can in Canada, and they are very “aware of the virus and the preventative measures that should be taken while travelling.”

The move by Canada’s insurers come several months after they announced that as COVID had become a widely-known event, they would not cover it in their medical policies and they gave Canadians out of the country at the time, several days to return to Canada before expiration of their benefits.

Since that time, insurance premium sales (estimated by the Conference Board of Canada as surpassing $990 million in 2018) have been stalled as the federal government maintained its blanket embargo on all out-of-country travel. It has also proven a serious impediment to Canadians making winter warm-weather travel plans as they are very committed to travel insurance. According to the CBoC, 76.6 percent of Canadians surveyed in 2018 had some form of travel insurance on their last trip out of the country.

The move by Canadian insurers follows similar steps by several of the larger American travel insurers to offer COVID cover for both medical and trip cancellation interruption cover for residents of the US.

© Copyright 2020 Milan Korcok. All rights reserved.