Per UBC's Travel Policy FM8, travel insurance is the responsibility of the traveller to ensure they have adequate coverage.
Please note: This page is for guidance purposes only on the different types of travel insurance, including UBC Extended Health, cancellation, trip interruption; new-COVID trip interruption, UBC Visa Card. It is the responsibility of the Employee to review their UBC extended health & BC MSP coverage, as well as any purchased travel insurance policy for up to date eligibility and exclusions.
If you are a student requiring travel insurance coverage, visit the UBC Student Safety Abroad website.
UBC Employee Extended Health Benefit: Trip Medical Coverage
Whether you are travelling for work or a holiday, it’s important to know about your medical benefits coverage while you are out of the province.
If you experience a medical emergency while travelling outside of Canada and you are enrolled in the UBC Extended Health Plan, contact Global Excel Management immediately. Please refer to the HR website for more information about Emergency Medical Coverage
Note: Depending on your destination, age, pre-existing health conditions you may want to look at purchasing extra travel health insurance. Please note travel health insurance, for UBC-related travel, per policy FM8, is not a reimbursable expense.
COVID-19 Medical Coverage with Sun Life (UBC Extended Health for enrolled employees)
Sun Life will treat a medical emergency resulting from COVID-19 in the same way as any other medical emergency while outside of Canada for enrolled employees. Please note that quarantine lodging, meals, airfare costs etc. are excluded from the UBC extended medical coverage.
For more details, visit UBC's Employee Extended Benefit Plan HR website.
Review your UBC employee group to see the benefits available to you.
Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption
Coverage: The following coverage has max. limits when the trip is interrupted, while at your destination, for COVID-related reasons.
- Transportation change fee OR one-way fare home
- Quarantine Lodging & Meals
- Emergency Medical Treatment for COVID
- Some policies may provide coverage for Non-COVID medical emergencies (i.e. Manulife)
Exclusions: COVID Trip interruption insurance is not applicable when the Canadian Gov. has a level 4 advisory "Avoid All Travel" to the planned destination, at the time of booking and insurance purchase.
- The insurance industry is currently not covering the cost of trip cancelation due to COVID
- Review the policy for Eligibility and Exclusions
Purchase: Below is two larger companies selling COVID Trip Interruption Insurance for Canadians travelling outside of Canada. To get a quote and access the policies for Eligibility and Exclusions, visit the following links:
Reminder: Policy coverage is subject to change and therefore it is important to verify (i.e eligibility; exclusions; coverage $) before purchase. If you are older than 60 years of age you may have to fill out a medical questionnaire.
Coverage: Coverage is for a trip that has to be cancelled before travel or is interrupted during travel due to unexpected eligible reasons.
- Trip Cancellation coverage is for the prepaid/unused portion of the trip, caused by i.e:
- Unexpected medical emergency or illness
- Business meeting is cancelled
- Death
- See policy for a complete list of all covered events
- Trip Interruption (after departure), includes misconnection of flights, (restrictions and max.$ apply)
Exclusions: There is no coverage for COVID-related reasons, as well as pre-existing medical conditions.
- The above coverage is typically not available for destinations where there is a Canadian Gov. Advisory at time of booking and insurance purchase
- Avoid Non-Essential Travel
- Avoid All Travel
- Review the policy for Eligibility and Exclusions:
Purchase: Below is two larger companies selling COVID Trip Interruption Insurance for Canadians travelling outside of Canada. To get a quote and access the policies for Eligibility and Exclusions, visit the following links:
Reminder: Policy coverage is subject to change and therefore it is important to verify (i.e eligibility; exclusions; coverage $) before purchase. If you are older than 60 years of age you may have to fill out a medical questionnaire.
Credit Card Insurance
Only cardholders have the below coverage automatically when travel has been purchased utilizing their UBC Visa card. Departmental cards do not carry coverage for travellers. Learn more about the UBC VISA card.
| Vehicle Rental-Collision Loss of Use Damage (CDW/LDW) | Covers loss or damage to vehicle rental (Max. coverage $65,000) |
| Travel Accident | Max. coverage $500,000 |
| Lost Luggage | Max. coverage $2,000/trip |
| Flight/Trip Delay (delay over 4 hours) | Max. coverage $500/occurence |
| Hotel/Motel Burglary | Max. coverage $2,500/occurence |
| Emergency Purchases (delay of checked-in baggage) | Max. coverage $500/occurence |
Travel Insurance, Accident Insurance and Life Insurance costs are not eligible expenses as per UBC Travel and Related Expenses Policy (FM8)
Vehicle Rental Insurance
UBC VISA cardholders have automatic Collision Damage Waiver (CDW/LDW) insurance coverage when the card is used to pay for the rental period (per the above max. coverage). The employee must present the UBC Visa card upon vehicle rental pick-up and the card name must match the rental policy name for CDW/LDW insurance coverage.
For all other UBC related vehicle rental insurance coverage, contact coverage from Safety & Risk Services
Learn more about booking vehicle rentals, specialty vehicle exclusions, rate codes, and more.