Co-operators Travel Insurance Review 2024

The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian multi-line insurance and financial services co-operative offering property and casualty (P&C) insurance, life insurance, wealth management products, institutional asset management and brokerage operations with $56.4 billion in assets under administration.

Co-operators travel insurance is underwritten by CUMIS General Insurance Company, a member of The Co-operators group of companies, and administered by Allianz Global Assistance.

Here are the key types of travel insurance coverage offered in Co-operators travel insurance plans:

• Emergency medical insurance: If you get ill or are injured on your trip, travel medical insurance can pay for emergency medical expenses, up to the coverage limits in your plan. These expenses can include doctor and hospital bills, medication and lab work, as well as medical evacuations, repatriation and arranging for a bedside companion if you are hospitalized.
• Trip cancellation insurance: If you cancel a trip for a reason listed in your travel policy, such as you or your travelling companion becoming ill, weather conditions cause a massive delay or you lose your job, trip cancellation insurance can reimburse you for prepaid, non-refundable costs.
• Travel interruption or delay insurance: Trip interruption insurance can pay for a last-minute flight home in an emergency and reimburse money that you lose by cutting a trip short due to a covered reason, including non-refundable activities and hotel stays. If your flight is delayed, your insurance can cover the cost of incidentals, such as meals or accommodations, after a specified period of time, such as six, 10 or 12 hours.
• Baggage insurance: Baggage travel insurance can compensate you up to your policy limits if your luggage is lost or stolen. It will reimburse the depreciated value of your suitcases and what you packed. If your bags are delayed, it can reimburse you for the cost of the necessities you’ll have to buy to tide you over.
• Travel accident insurance: This coverage offers compensation in the event of accidental death or catastrophic injury from an accident during your trip. Flight Accident Insurance covers injury while you’re on a commercial plane, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance covers death or dismemberment, including the loss of limbs or eyesight, while on your trip.

Co-operators Travel Insurance offers the following single-trip plans for travelling outside of Canada:

All-Inclusive Package: This plan includes $10 million coverage for unforeseen medical emergencies, and trip cancellation/interruption, baggage, flight accident and accidental death & dismemberment.

You can select either a USA Plan or Non-USA Plan, which allows you five days of coverage while in transit.

Eligible emergency medical expenses include:

• Services of a physician, surgeon, anaesthetist or registered graduate nurse
• Hospital accommodation up to a private or semi-private room
• Paramedical services performed by a chiropractor, chiropodist, physiotherapist, osteopath or podiatrist, up to $500 per practitioner
• Diagnostics such as lab tests and/or X-rays
• Use of a local licensed air, land or sea ambulance
• Rental of crutches or hospital-type bed and the cost of splints, trusses, braces or other medical appliances
• Emergency out-patient services provided by a hospital
• Prescription drugs or medication, 30-day supply, up to $1,000
• Emergency dental due to a blow to the face, up to $4,000
• Emergency dental due to pain, up to $500

Medical benefits also include meals, hotel accommodations and associated expenses if you or your travelling companion is hospitalized and/or if a medical delay prevents you from returning home, repatriation expenses and return of your remains if you die.

Emergency Hospital & Medical: If you’re only worried about medical emergencies while travelling, this benefit offers all of the medical coverage listed above.

Trip Cancellation/Interruption: This coverage option reimburses you for insured non-refundable travel expenses (such as hotels or prepaid excursions) if you have to cancel, interrupt, or delay your trip due to a covered reason. This coverage is included in the all-inclusive plan, or can be purchased on its own or in addition to the single-trip medical plan.

We’ve highlighted the key benefits of Co-operators Travel Insurance and the maximum benefit payable for the two single trip plans, plus the trip cancellation/interruption option for the medical plan, to help you identify which coverage is the best fit for you.

The price of a Co-operators Travel Insurance plan depends on factors such as the cost of your trip, your age, your answers to a medical questionnaire, if required, and the amount of coverage you choose.

Here are some examples of the cost for Co-operators Travel Insurance single trip plans for healthy travellers based in Ontario assuming a $0 deductible:

Co-operators offers three coverage types:

• Single: One person travelling alone, either an adult or child
• Family: One or both of the applicant and their spouse, plus any number of their dependents up to age 21
• Accompanying persons: Two or more people travelling together to the same destination and with prepaid shared accommodation or transportation

You can also choose to pay a $250 deductible, or the amount you pay out of pocket before your coverage kicks in, with the All-Inclusive Package or Single Trip Medical Plan. Here’s how the prices compare:

A family rate is available for the Emergency Hospital & Medical Single-trip and multi-trip plans. This includes the applicant (age 59 and under), one additional adult family member (age 59 and under) and dependent children, who are unmarried and between 15 days old and 21 years old. The premium for the family coverage is 2.5 times the cost of the oldest adult.

Travel Guard Travel Insurance Review

Emergency medical: $10 million/Unlimited
Cancel For Any Reason: Yes, 75%
Baggage insurance (maximum): $1,000

Related: Travel Guard Travel Insurance Review

Allianz Global Assistance Travel Insurance

Emergency medical: $10 million
Cancel For Any Reason: No
Baggage insurance (maximum): $1,000

Related: Allianz Global Assistance Travel Insurance

TuGo Travel Insurance

Emergency medical: $10 million
Cancel For Any Reason: Yes, 50%
Baggage insurance (maximum): $500

Related: TuGo Travel Insurance Review

Co-operators does not offer any additional add-ons, endorsements or riders for its insurance plans.

No.

Yes. You can buy multi-trip annual insurance if you travel more than once a year for multiple individual trips. Co-operators offers emergency hospital & medical insurance multi-trip plans for four, eight, 15, 35, 60 or 125 days.

Here’s how the costs compare between single trip medical and a multi-trip plan with both a $0 deductible and a $250 deductible:

Worldwide emergency travel assistance is available 24/7 by calling Allianz Global Assistance (AGA) at the number listed in your policy.

According to the policy wording, AGA provides support and recommendations for non-medical emergencies, and provides policyholders with “access to resources to help resolve any unexpected difficulties you encounter during your trip.”

You must notify Allianz Global Assistance Emergency Assistance within 24 hours of admission to a hospital and before any surgery is performed. If you do not, your claim may be delayed and the amount you are reimbursed will be reduced to 80% of the claim payable.

No.

No.

In general, a pre-existing condition is defined as any sickness, injury or medical condition that existed before the start of your coverage, whether or not diagnosed by a physician, that you showed signs or symptoms of or received medical attention for.

For its emergency hospital/medical insurance, Co-operators has the following stability requirements for pre-existing medical conditions:

For travellers age 59 or under: Benefits are not payable for any medical condition that was not stable in the 90 days before your policy’s effective date.

For travellers 60 and over: Depending on your answers to a medical questionnaire, benefits are not payable for any medical condition:

• That was not stable in the 90, 180 or 365 days before your policy’s effective date, or
• That you required treatment for in the 365 days before the effective date, or
• For you received treatment at any time before the effective date.

For travellers purchasing trip cancellation insurance:

• If the sum insured is $15,000 or less: Benefits are not payable for any pre-existing medical condition in the 90 days before the application date.
• If the sum insured is greater than $15,000: Benefits are not payable for any pre-existing medical condition in the 180 days before the application date.

A medical condition is considered stable when all of the following are true:

• There has been no new treatment.
• There has been no change in treatment or change in treatment frequency or type.
• There have been no signs or symptoms, or new diagnosis.
• There have been no test results showing deterioration.
• There has been no hospitalization.
• There has been no referral to a specialist (made or recommended) and you are not awaiting the results of further investigations performed by any medical professional.

Routine adjustments of insulin, Coumadin or Warfarin, or changing from a brand name medication to a generic one does not affect a traveller’s stability requirement.

In addition to pre-existing condition exclusions, there are a number of scenarios not covered by travel insurance and it’s critical to know what not to do before you make a claim. The following are exclusions to coverages provided by Co-operators travel insurance:

• Costs due to any treatment, investigation or hospitalization after emergency treatment of a sickness or injury
• Your emotional or mental disorders resulting from any cause
• Your suicide, attempted suicide or self-inflicted injury
• Routine prenatal or postnatal care
• Pregnancy, childbirth or any related complications after 31 weeks
• High-risk pregnancy
• A child born on your trip
• Abuse of alcohol or any prohibited drugs or other intoxicants, or your misuse of medication
• Your non-compliance with any prescribed treatment or medical therapy
• Training for, competing or participating in motorized speed contests, stunt activities, professional sport activities or high-risk activities
• Injuries due to a motor vehicle accident when you have car insurance elsewhere, unless those benefits are exhausted
• Any trip for the purpose of seeking medical treatment
• Travelling against your physician’s advice
• Travelling after being diagnosed with a terminal condition
• Treatment that can be delayed until you return home
• Any recurrence or complication of an illness or injury if you chose to return to your trip after being sent home for treatment
• Any non-emergency or elective procedures
• Rehabilitation or convalescent care
• Dental or cosmetic surgery
• Naturopathic or holistic treatment
• Costs associated with treatment that is prohibited by your provincial or territorial health plan
• Any lung/respiratory condition if you’ve been prescribed or used home oxygen or prednisone in the last 12 months
• Any heart condition if your last heart surgery was more than 12 years ago or less than six months ago
• Any heart condition if you’ve ever been diagnosed with congestive heart failure
• Any heart condition if you’ve been prescribed or used nitroglycerine in the last 12 months
• Costs related to any autoimmune disorder
• Costs related to a kidney disease requiring dialysis
• Costs due to a diagnosed unrepaired aneurysm of 4 cm or greater
• Any sickness related to a bone marrow or major organ transplant, or the need for one
• Any cancer, except for basal or squamous cell, or breast cancer treated only with hormone therapy, for which you received treatment in the three months before the effective date
• Any expenses related to a Government of Canada travel advisory issued to avoid all travel or avoid all unnecessary travel and the claim is related to the reason for the warning
• Any dishonest, fraudulent or criminal act
• Any acts of war, kidnapping, acts of terrorism caused by nuclear, chemical or biological means, any riot, strike or civil commotion, or any unlawful visit in any country
• Any nuclear occurrence
• Participating in a protest, armed forces activities, a commercial sexual transaction, the commission or attempted commision of any criminal offence, the contravention of any statutory law or regulation
• Any air travel other than a commercial flight

To be eligible for Co-operators emergency medical travel insurance, you must meet the following conditions:

• Be at least 15 days old and no more than 89 years old
• Be insured for benefits under a Canadian health insurance plan
• Not have been diagnosed with a terminal illness
• Not have been diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 cancer, or have received treatment for any cancer (except for basal or squamous cell cancer or breast cancer treated only with hormone therapy) in the last three months
• Not require assistance with activities of daily living as the result of a medical condition or your health

In addition, if you are 60 or over, you are not eligible for coverage if, as of the effective date of your policy:

• You have been prescribed or used home oxygen for a lung or respiratory condition during the previous 12 months.
• You had your most recent heart surgery more than 12 years ago or less than six months ago.
• You have an diagnosed unrepaired aneurysm of 4 cm or greater.
• You have received or are awaiting a bone marrow or major organ transplant.
• You have been diagnosed with or received treatment for a kidney disease requiring dialysis.
• You have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, such as AIDS or HIV, Grave’s disease, ALS, MS, myasthenia gravis, sarcoidosis, scleroderma or systematic lupus erythematosus.
• You have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure at any time.

You can file a claim by calling the Allianz Global Assistance (AGA) Claims Department or visiting the Online Claims Portal at allianzassistanceclaims.ca where you can create an account, start a claim, upload all necessary documentation and track its status.

Claims must be reported within 30 days of the occurrence, and written proof of the claim must be submitted within 90 days of the occurrence.

If you are making an emergency medical claim, documentation may include (but is not limited to):

• A fully completed and signed claim form with all original bills and receipts
• Medical records, including an emergency room report and diagnosis
• Completed appropriate provincial health forms
• Proof of departure and return for multi-trip plans

If you are making a trip cancellation/interruption claim, documentation may include (but is not limited to):

• A medical certificate completed by the treating physician
• A copy of the death certificate, if cancellation is due to death
• Itemized copies of invoices confirming the amount paid for your trip, including the costs for airfare, hotel, taxes, services fees, etc.
• Proof of payment, such as a credit card statement, copy of a cancelled cheque or a copy of the official receipt issued by the travel agency
• Statement of refund from the travel supplier or agent
• Original unused airline tickets or other travel documents, including change-fee receipts, unused tour costs, travel itineraries, etc.
• Original receipts for out-of-pocket expenses

If you are making a baggage claim, documentation may include (but is not limited to):

• Itemized list detailing the value of all lost or stolen items, together with proof of ownership, such as receipts, credit card statements, owners manuals, etc.
• Copy of any correspondence confirming or denying liability
• Copy of airline tickets and itineraries confirming departure and return dates

If you are making an accidental death & dismemberment claim, documentation may include (but is not limited to):

• Police report, including witness statements
• Coroner’s report
• Death certificate or medical certificate

If you are making a flight accident claim, documentation may include (but is not limited to):

• Copy of the flight itinerary
• Copy of the incident report from the airline or airport
• Medical or death certificate