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Manitoba Blue Cross has offered travel insurance to Manitoba residents for 30 years in partnership with the Blue Cross Life Insurance Company of Canada.

Advantages

  • Online questionnaire helps you find the best plan
  • You can view your policy online, and extend, renew, print or even cancel your policy online before you leave on your trip
  • Plans for Manitoba residents attending school outside Manitoba are available

Disadvantages

  • Manitoba Blue Cross Travel Insurance does not offer plans for visitors to Canada
  • Plans only cover residents of the province of Manitoba
  • The requirements to qualify for plans can be very specific and restrictive
  • Pre-existing condition stability periods of 12 and six months (depending on the plan and your age) are among the longest we’ve seen among Canadian travel insurance plans
  • You cannot get Manitoba Blue Cross travel insurance as a top up to another plan. Coverage must be for the entire duration of your trip.
  • If you’re pregnant, and any part of your period of travel is after the 36th week of gestation, you are not covered for either yourself or your infant during childbirth or delivery.
  • Slightly awkward online quote system

Overview

Manitoba Blue Cross Travel Insurance has several travel coverage plans including the Deluxe Travel Plan, Annual Travel Plan, Tour Package Plan, Holiday Cancellation Plan, Air Fare Cancellation Plan and the Student Travel Plan.

Deluxe Travel Health Single Trip Plan

This plan is aimed at people who intend to travel once a year. The plan includes numerous emergency travel health benefits, automatic extension benefit, and accidental death and dismemberment benefit. The Deluxe Travel Health Plan does not include trip cancellation, trip interruption, or baggage insurance.

There’s a 12 month pre-existing condition stability period for all travelers over age 74, and travellers over the age of 55 who either bypass or answer yes to any medical questions on the questionnaire.

You cannot purchase your policy more than 30 days in advance if your trip is longer than 32 days in length.

Annual (Multi-Trip) Travel Health Plan

This plan is designed for Manitobans who make several trips throughout the year. Each trip must start and end in Manitoba. Coverage is for multiple trips of 32 days or less and benefits include emergency travel health benefits, accidental death & dismemberment benefit and international travel assistance. This plan does not include trip cancellation, trip interruption or baggage insurance.

This insurance is only available to Manitoba residents up to and including age 74. If you’re a student attending classes outside of Manitoba, you won’t be covered under this plan, but you can be covered under a specialty Student Travel Health Plan from Manitoba Blue Cross.

There’s a 12 month pre-existing condition stability period for all travelers age 55 to 74. You can get an extension on your 32 day coverage if you’re under age 55.

Tour Package Travel Insurance Plan

You can only get this plan if you have purchased a tour package that includes all of your travel arrangements, including transportation, car rental, excursions, etc.

This is a single trip plan for Manitoba residents that includes airfare cancellation, holiday cancellation, emergency travel health benefits, accidental death & dismemberment, air flight and common carrier accident benefits and baggage protection ($500 per subscriber). This plan includes trip cancellation (after departure) insurance, more commonly known as trip interruption insurance.

There’s a 12 month pre-existing condition stability period for all travelers age 55 and over. You can only get this plan within 72 hours of making your deposit, or before any cancellation or penalty package. You cannot get an extension on this plan.

Holiday Cancellation Plan

This plan offers trip cancellation and repatriation benefits only, and does not include emergency medical insurance. This plan includes trip cancellation (after departure) insurance, more commonly known as trip interruption insurance. This plan includes trip cancellation (after departure) insurance, more commonly known as trip interruption insurance.

There’s a six month pre-existing condition stability period for all travelers.

You can only get this plan within 72 hours of making your deposit, or before any cancellation or penalty package. There’s a maximum coverage period of 183 days, with no extension available.

Airfare Cancellation Plan

This plan offers insurance if you must cancel your airfare before departure or you’re forced to return before your scheduled date. Benefits include extra economy of air transportation, non-refundable portion of the prepaid airfare and loss of life cover for up to $7,500 to transport the deceased. The plan does not include emergency medical insurance. This plan includes trip cancellation (after departure) insurance, more commonly known as trip interruption insurance.

There’s a six month pre-existing condition stability period for all travelers.

You can only get this plan within 72 hours of making your deposit, or before any cancellation or penalty package. There’s a maximum coverage period of 183 days, with no extension available.

Student Travel Health Plan

This plan is suitable for students aged below 30 who attend school outside Manitoba. Benefits include emergency travel health benefits and international travel assistance. Extensions are available. You’ll need to get an out of country medical card from Manitoba Health before you leave.

Comparison Chart for Manitoba Blue Cross Travel Insurance Plans

PlanMedical Insurance CoverageDeductibleTrip Cancellation and InterruptionBaggage Maximum Age and Maximum Length of Coverage
Deluxe Single Trip PlanUnlimited0No age limit. 183 days if under age 55 or you answer no to all medical questions. If you’re 75 or over, or over age 55 and answer yes to a medical question, the maximum is 62 days.
Annual (Multi-trip) Travel Health PlanUnlimited075 years and under. Multiple trips of 32 or less. Extensions are only available if you’re age 55 or under.
Tour Package Travel Insurance Plan

Unlimited0Trip cancellation $7,500 maximum, per person. Trip interruption $7,500 maximum, per person.Up to $500 per subscriberNo age limit. 32 day maximum.
Holiday Cancellation Plan0Trip cancellation: The non-refundable portion of the Subscriber’s prepaid air, land,
and surface arrangements up to the amount of coverage selected on the application.

Trip interruption: The extra cost of one-way economy airfare by the most direct route home by a regularly scheduled flight up to the amount of coverage selected on the application.

Manitoba Blue Cross refers to trip interruption insurance as trip cancellation (after departure).
No age limit 183 days.
Airfare Cancellation Plan0Trip cancellation: The non-refundable portion of the
Subscriber’s prepaid airfare up to the amount of coverage s
selected on the application.

Trip interruption: The extra cost of one-way economy airfare by the most direct route home by a regularly scheduled flight, up up to the amount of coverage selected on the application.

Manitoba Blue Cross refers to trip interruption insurance as trip cancellation (after departure).
No age limit 183 days.
Student Travel Health PlanUnlimited0Age 30 and below. 9 months, but extensions are available.

Tips for Saving with Manitoba Blue Cross Insurance

  • Family plans can be a cheaper alternative than individual plans.
  • If you travel more than once a year, an annual plan may save you money.

Refunds

For the single trip plan, you can get a full refund if you notify an authorized agent or Manitoba Blue Cross Insurance before you leave on your trip. You can get a partial refund determined from the date you notify an authorized agent or Manitoba Blue Cross. You won’t get a refund if a claim was incurred, or if you’ve extended your policy. Refunds aren’t available for the holiday cancellation or the air fare cancellation plan.

You Need to Know

  • The company’s products are underwritten by the Blue Cross Life Insurance Company of Canada.
  • You must have a Manitoba Government health insurance plan and be a resident of Manitoba.
  • You must purchase these plans before you leave on your trip.
  • Policies and coverage can change at any time, without warning. This article is only intended as general advice. Please check your own policy carefully.

How to Learn More

You can learn more about Manitoba Blue Cross travel insurance online, by telephone at 1 800 873 2583 or in person at their office at 599 Empress Street in Winnipeg.

Want to Compare Manitoba Blue Cross’ Rates and Plans?

If you’d like to compare Manitoba Blue Cross plans and policies with other travel insurance companies, the quickest way is to get a few comparison quotes.

Comparison websites let you compare quotes for travel insurance from several different companies at once. You type in a few details about your trip, and compare policy coverage and prices to help narrow down your choice.

RATESDOTCA lets you compare Canadian travel insurance online in just minutes.

Check out our review of RATESDOTCA.

Type in a few details about your trip, and compare policy coverage and prices to help narrow down your choice.

Click here to learn more on the RATESDOTCA website.

*As always, the information on this page is from one Canadian traveller to another. We have spent years abroad and have gotten to know the ins and outs of the industry however we are not travel insurance agents. If you have any travel insurance questions, please talk to a qualified travel insurance agent or broker. Finally, policies and plans can and do change all the time, without warning, so always consult your insurance policy since that is the legal document to which you are agreeing to.
*This article is only intended as general advice. Please check your own policy carefully.

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