Not ready for that long-awaited, well-deserved vacation to end? Or want to stay to visit family just a bit longer? Or, do you need to stay away longer for work? Or, has your flight been delayed due to circumstances beyond your control, preventing you from returning home? Or, are you stuck at your destination under quarantine? These are all important travel needs; and your travel insurance should have the flexibility to meet these needs. In this post, we’ll explain how to extend your travel insurance policy and when you can do it. We’ll also identify 4 specific situations where an automatic extension would apply. It’s essential to have coverage for the duration of your trip, so read on!
How you can extend your Emergency Medical coverage
With TuGo, you can extend your travel insurance policy by contacting your local insurance professional or TuGo’s Customer Service team.
- When you have a Single Trip Plan: You can purchase an extension for up to 182 days, for a maximum of 730/731 days (2 years) total on a policy.
- When you have a Multi Trip Annual Plan: You can add on an extension to your chosen trip length, for each trip, or upgrade the trip length of your travel insurance policy. For example, if you’ve chosen to be covered for 20 days at a time, but you have a 35-day trip planned, you can ask to extend your coverage for 15 days; or you may find it to be more cost effective to upgrade your trip length rather than extend your policy. You’ll be advised of your best course of action when you contact your insurance professional or TuGo.
Keep in mind that an admin fee may apply, in addition to the cost for the additional days added.
When can you extend your travel insurance policy?
Knowing when you can extend your travel insurance policy is important. Here’s a breakdown of when TuGo® Emergency Medical Travel Insurance can and can’t be extended:
Situation
Multi Trip Annual
Single Trip
Before departure
After departure
If your coverage has lapsed/expired
If you’ve submitted, or intend to submit, a claim
If you’ve seen a doctor or other registered medical practitioner since your departure date or the policy effective date*
If you’re currently experiencing any symptoms and/or need to seek medical attention*
✓
✓
✕
✕
✕
.
✕
✓
✓
✕
✕
✕
.
✕
* Specifically applicable to Emergency Medical Insurance. If these conditions haven’t been met, we may authorize an extension at our discretion. If an extension has been authorized, there would be no coverage for subsequent claims related directly or indirectly to the medical conditions or symptoms for which a claim has been or will be submitted or for which treatment by a physician or other registered medical practitioner was received or required before the effective date of the extension.
When a 2-day Multi Trip Annual policy can be extended/upgraded
One of the benefits of TuGo’s coverage is its flexibility, like our unique 2-day annual emergency medical insurance plan—ideal for cross-border shopping or weekend getaways. But what if you need to stay longer—can your coverage be extended/upgraded?
- If you’re 59 years and younger: yes, an extension/upgrade is possible, as per the information noted in the table above.
- If you’re 60 years and older: You’ll need to answer TuGo’s Traveller Medical Questionnaire based on the day you’re applying for the extension/upgrade.
Note that additional premiums and surcharges may apply for the extension/upgrade.
When will your Emergency Medical travel insurance coverage automatically be extended?
There are 4 scenarios when your travel insurance coverage will automatically be extended at no additional cost to you:
- Hospitalization: If you, your family travelling with you or your travelling companion are hospitalized, the automatic extension will be provided for the remaining period of the hospitalization, plus up to 7 days after hospital release to recover and/or travel home.
- Medically Unfit to Travel:
- If you, your family travelling with you or your travelling companion are unable to travel on the scheduled return date, due to a medical condition that doesn’t require hospitalization, the automatic extension will be provided for up to 7 days to recover and/or travel home.
- In the event of a claim, written documentation is required from the attending physician to substantiate the inability to travel home as originally scheduled.
- Quarantine:
- If you, your family travelling with you or your travelling companion are unable to travel on your scheduled return date due to being placed under quarantine after a positive COVID-19 test, the automatic extension will be provided for up to 14 days.
- In the event of a claim, written documentation is required to substantiate the quarantine.
- Delay of Common Carrier:
- If your common carrier (defined as in our Traveller policy as “a boat, cruise ship, airplane, bus, taxi, train or other similar vehicle that is licensed, intended and used primarily to transport passengers for hire”) is delayed due to circumstances beyond your control, preventing you from returning to your home province, the automatic extension will be provided for up to 7 days.
- In the event of a claim, written documentation is required to substantiate the common carrier delay.
In the current travel climate, it’s more important than ever to ensure you’ve got comprehensive travel insurance for your entire trip. And if you need to stay longer, your policy coverage can extend longer too. If you have any questions or concerns that weren’t covered, add them in the comments section below. We aim to provide helpful, practical travel insurance information, so you can travel protected.
Safe travels,
Melissa
