Preparing for Travel: Before, During, and After Your Trip

Be a well-prepared traveller, whether you are planning a leisure vacation or a business trip. Prepare for your trip by reviewing the following tips and guidelines prepared by UBC’s HR Benefits staff so that you know what to do should situations arise when you’re abroad.

Print off our Preparing for Travel checklist for easy reference – pack a hard copy printout in your suitcase or save the PDF electronically on to your laptop or Blackberry should you need to access it quickly.

Before Your Trip
During Your Trip
After Your Trip
Preparing for Travel checklist [.pdf]

Before Your Trip

Whether you are travelling for work or leisure, be sure to do the following before you leave:

Bring your health insurance information. Essential to include in your wallet: your Sun Life coverage card and your BC medical card. Also pack your Medi-Passport information, emergency help numbers and your family doctor’s contact information.

Review your benefits coverage. If you have any questions about your benefits coverage, refer to the appropriate benefits booklet based on your employment group.

• Note that the lifetime maximum under the extended health care plan is $1,000,000 per person. At any point in time, the maximum is $1,000,000 less any amount Sun Life has reimbursed you since you enrolled in the plan. To determine the extended health plan balance for you and/or each of your covered dependents, contact Sun Life at 1-800-361-6212 or 1-800-661-7334.

Fill your prescription if you take any medication on an ongoing basis. For a single purchase, you will be reimbursed for a 34 days’ supply; for maintenance drugs, you will be reimbursed for a 100 days’ supply. If you will be out-of-Province/out-of-Country for a longer period of time and require more than a 34 days’ supply (or 100 days’ supply for maintenance drugs), you will have to pay the entire cost of the prescription at the pharmacy, and then make an extended health claim to Sun Life at the end of each 34- or 100-day period. You must submit the same receipt at the end of each period in order to be reimbursed for your 34-day or 100-day supply (be sure to make a copy of the original receipt before you send your first claim).

• Note: if you purchase prescription drugs while outside the country, you may submit these expenses for reimbursement through a “paper” claim (i.e., submit a paper form) upon return from your travels; however, the receipt must be in English and converted to Canadian dollars. While prescription drugs can be reimbursed, any doctor’s fees to write the prescription will not. Doctor’s fees are covered in the event of an unexpected medical emergency only. Going to the doctor to obtain a prescription for any medication you are taking on an ongoing basis is not considered a medical emergency.

Talk to your doctor if you have a medical condition but wish to travel. Follow-up with Sun Life directly at 1-800-361-6212 or 1-800-661-7334 or send a secure e-mail via the Sun Life plan member’s website if you need clarification of out-of-Province/out-of-Country coverage under your plan.

• If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor to get approval for travel. As long as your doctor has approved your travel, emergency medical expenses will be covered, If your expected due date is during the period of your travel, you will not be covered for birth related expenses.

Provide your family members and travelling companions with details of your health insurance. Visit the Sun Life plan member’s website to print extra Travel Cards, which contain vital contact information for Europ Assistance, the 24-hour emergency travel assistance service provider you or the person you will travelling with will need to call if there is a medical emergency.

Check the travel report and health notices for your destination and all the points you will be visiting in-between. Following are some web resources to assist:

• Travel Advisories from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
• Travel Health Notices from the Public Health Agency of Canada

Determine if you need immunizations and/or are required to carry vaccination certificates when travelling to specific countries or areas.

Review the UBC Travel Policy. If you are embarking on work-related travel, review UBC’s Travel Policy #83 and note the exclusions that apply to the Accidental Death and Dismemberment business travel insurance plan.

Review WorkSafe BC Coverage. UBC faculty and staff who will be working outside of BC should also review the WorkSafe BC out-of-province coverage information.

Travel-related information is available on the following web sites:

• Travel Benefit & Medi-Passport Brochure
• Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
• Useful Traveller Checklist from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
• Well On Your Way – Canadian Guide to Healthy Travel Abroad from the Public Health Agency of Canada

During Your Trip

Whatever the nature of your trip, it is important to make the most of your experience. At the same time, you should always consider your personal safety and be aware of your surroundings.

• Keep any out-of-pocket records of expenses for medical services or supplies. You will need these receipts for claim reimbursement after you return from your trip.
• Carry your Sun Life coverage card and BC medical card, along with the Europ Assistance phone number, in your wallet at all times.
• If you’re heading out to do field research or travelling to a venue for work, remember to review the WorkSafe BC guidelines and determine what safety precautions you may need to take.
• Should your travel destination become unsafe during your visit, check the national travel advisories for information on whether to stay or leave. In some cases, if you choose to stay, you may not be covered by UBC benefits due to the circumstances.
• Bookmark our What To Do in Emergency Medical Situations webpage – you never know when you’ll need it.

If you, or one of your dependents who are also covered under your health plan, experience a medical emergency during your travels, know that Europ Assistance is a phone call away and available 24 hours a day.

After Your Trip

Welcome home! If you encountered a medical emergency during your travels and paid out-of-pocket for services or supplies, you may be reimbursed for these expenses, provided Europ Assistance can confirm the circumstances of your emergency.

Submitting Claims: Non-emergency Medical Expenses

If your claim is for medical expenses resulting from an emergency, please refer to the next section.

To ensure you are properly reimbursed, you should keep all related receipts and always obtain a fully itemized bill for any hospital treatment.

To submit a claim:

• Complete an extended health claim form to Sun Life within 30 days of your return home.
• In section 3, be sure to indicate the date you left your home province and ensure the receipts clearly indicate currency and amount.
• Attach original receipts and make a copy of the entire claim for your records.
• Mail in your claim form to the appropriate address indicated on the form.

Submitting Claims: Medical Emergency Expenses

If you are submitting claims for services and supplies while in hospital, semi-private hospital room and outpatient and physician’s services incurred outside of BC or Canada AND as a result of a medical emergency, Sun Life will coordinate payment of your claim with MSP (who is the first payor), the UBC plan (second payor) and any other benefit plans you are covered by with Sun Life.

You do not need to send claims for physicians’ or hospital fees to your provincial health care plan first. Sun Life and Europ Assistance will usually be able to coordinate the entire process, and send you a cheque for the eligible expenses. This way, you will receive your reimbursement faster. Europ Assistance will ask you to sign a form authorizing them to act on your behalf.

Once you submit your extended health claim to Sun Life, Europ Assistance, Sun Life’s travel benefits provider, will send you additional forms that you will need to complete in order for them to coordinate your payment of your claim with MSP.

• Europ Assistance Authorization and Release form (2 pages) (View sample form)
• BC MSP Out-of-Country Claim form (4 pages) (View sample form)
• Schedule “A” (1 page) (View sample form)
• Schedule “B” (1 page) (View sample form)

Note that there are some situations where it will be necessary for you to reimburse Sun Life, for any amounts that:

• Are paid for services or supplies that are not covered by your plan;
• Exceed the maximum amount of your coverage under your plan; and
• You are responsible for, such as deductibles and the percentage of expenses you must pay under your plan.

Submitting Claims: Dental Expenses

If you are have incurred out-of-pocket emergency and non-emergency dental expenses while travelling out-of-Province/out-of-Country, submit a dental care claim to Sun Life when you return home. If your claim was a result of a dental accident, use an extended health claim form.

Attach original receipts ensuring that the currency and amount are clearly indicated. Make a copy of the entire claim for your records. If you have any questions about submitting a benefit claim, email UBC Benefits or call 604-822-6823.