1. Call the first payers, i.e., your travel services providers (e.g., your travel agency, airline, etc.).
2. Contact your travel insurance assistance service. It is provided on the back of your insurance card and in the Customer Centre.
   • For those covered by CanAssistance, fill out the form on the CanAssistance site
   • For those covered by AXA Assistance, contact AXA
   • For those covered by Assistel, contact Assistel

For Quebec residents who purchased a trip from a travel agency in Quebec

Exceptionally during the COVID-19 pandemic, you do not have to submit a reimbursement request to the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents (CFCTA).

You must submit a claim to your travel insurance assistance centre. 

• For those covered by CanAssistance, fill out the form on the CanAssistance site
• For those covered by AXA Assistance, contact AXA
• For those covered by Assistel, contact Assistel

Your trip must have been purchased prior to March 13, 2020.
 
If you were offered a travel credit as compensation, we consider this a reimbursement. We will therefore deduct the travel credit (whether you accepted it or not) from your insurance amount. If the travel credit is equal to your insurance amount, you will not receive any further reimbursement from SSQ Insurance.
 
Please note that reimbursements from SSQ Insurance will take 3 months to process.

Yes, it is recommended to do so. You are covered if you took the necessary measures to return home before March 27, 2020, inclusively. If you haven’t taken these measures, you are not covered.

If you were unable to return before March 27, 2020, inclusively (due to border closures or unavailability of flights for example), you will continue to be covered until you are able to return. You are covered for COVID-19, other accidents and illnesses and medical expenses related to your being under quarantine.

Keep all supporting documents proving that you were unable to return in time.

If you are covered by your contract despite the COVID-19 pandemic

For all departures since April 6, 2020, SSQ Insurance no longer considers COVID-19 to be a sudden and unexpected illness predictable and expected disease with respect to eligible travel insurance expenses.

Your travel insurance coverage will therefore not cover any COVID-19 out of Canada related expenses as it is no longer considered a sudden and unexpected illness.

If you travel to another province in Canada

You are now covered for all medical and emergency medical expenses, whether you are ill as a result of COVID-19, other causes or an accident. Refer to your contract as some exceptions may apply.

To be covered, two conditions must be met:

• Your group insurance must include trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
• You must have left before the Canadian government issued a non-essential or all-travel travel advisory.

Your trip interruption coverage covers the portion of the trip not covered by your:

• Travel services provider: (for example, your travel agency, airline, lodging provider).

Your claim must therefore be submitted to them first.

Yes. Your group insurance must include trip cancellation or interruption insurance.

Depending on the maximum amount provided for under your contract, you are covered for the extra cost of a single ticket with the following features:

• One-way ticket, in economy class
• Flight aboard a commercial airline, on a fixed schedule
• The most direct return itinerary to the destination that was initially planned
• The additional cost of a one-way economy class ticket on a scheduled flight of a public carrier, by the most direct route to the initially-planned trip destination

You are also covered for a change in your plane ticket date.

To be covered under your insurance contract, you must be back in Canada before March 27, 2020, inclusively. This way you will be covered for medical and emergency medical expenses, whether you are sick as a result of COVID-19, other causes or an accident.

If you were unable to return before March 27, 2020, inclusively (due to border closures or unavailability of flights for example), you will continue to be covered until you are able to return. Keep all supporting documents proving that you were unable to return in time.

If you are covered by your contract despite the COVID-19 pandemic

You are not obliged to return to your province of residence.

However, you are not covered if your trip departure was after April 6, 2020. SSQ Insurance no longer considers COVID-19 to be a sudden and unexpected illness with respect to eligible travel insurance expenses.

As recommended by the Canadian government, Canadians who are abroad must use the commercial options still available to them to return to Canada as soon as possible.

If your return is not possible because the borders have closed, your living expenses will be at your expense. These expenses are not covered by your policy.

However, if you must be hospitalized as a result COVID-19 or for another reason your living expenses will be covered by your policy.

If you are covered by your contract despite the COVID-19 pandemic

For all trip departures after April 6, 2020, SSQ Insurance no longer considers COVID-19 to be a sudden and unexpected illness with respect to eligible travel insurance expenses.

Call your travel insurance’s assistance service. You will be referred to a healthcare professional.

The assistance service for your travel insurance is provided on the back of your insurance card and in the Customer Centre.

• For those covered by CanAssistance, fill out the form on the CanAssistance site
• For those covered by AXA Assistance, contact AXA
• For those covered by Assistel, contact Assistel

Yes.

If the Canadian government hadn’t yet issued an advisory at the time of your departure, medical expenses are covered by your travel insurance.

If a Level 3 advisory had already been issued by the Canadian government at the time of departure, medical expenses won’t be covered by your travel insurance.

If you are covered by your contract despite the COVID-19 pandemic

For all trip departures after April 6, 2020, SSQ Insurance no longer considers COVID-19 to be a sudden and unexpected illness with respect to eligible travel insurance expenses.

The additional cost of a single economy-class ticket, to travel by the most direct route to the departure point by the means of transportation initially planned, is covered.

If the means of transportation that was initially planned cannot be used (regardless of whether it has been paid for or not), we will reimburse the cost required by a public carrier. Your plane ticket must have the following features:

• Economy class
• Fixed schedule
• The most direct return itinerary to the destination that was initially planned