Travellers nervous about globe-trotting during the novel coronavirus outbreak may be eligible to receive a refund for cancelling their travels, say insurance experts, but it depends on the destination, their insurance policy and other factors.
"I think in any case of sort of an epidemic like this, it's really an evolving situation and every day is different, something new happens," said Joan Weir, director of health and disability policy for the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. CLHIA represents 99 per cent of the country's life and health insurance companies, according to its website.
The bulk of these are in China, where there have also been 637 deaths. Across 24 other countries, there are 270 confirmed cases and one death. There are five confirmed cases in Canada.The Canadian government issued a Level 3 advisory for China, asking Canadians to avoid non-essential travel. There is only one higher level, which advises travellers to avoid all travel.
"You'd have to submit receipts," she said, but travellers should receive refunds for flights, hotels and other costs. Allianz Global Assistance Canada, which declined to comment due to "how quickly the current coronavirus is evolving and the changing advisories" from Canada's government and others, posted a notice on its website to customers about the outbreak indicating booking timing mattered for coverage eligibility.
However, the destination matters. While 24 countries have confirmed coronavirus cases, Canada's travel advisory applies only to China. That means a person who feels uncomfortable travelling to any of the other countries won't be able to get a refund for cancelling their trip, she said.
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