Letter dated May 11 2020

Johnson Insurance, the National Association of Federal Retirees’ MEDOC travel insurance provider, provides important updates and information for members in this letter.

May 11, 2020

Dear Simon,

Communication is key at a time like this, and with that in mind, we want to share some updates on our Travel business.  We’ll also share much of this information directly with customers.

MEDOC customers purchase an annual travel insurance policy for a variety of reasons. Some take a long trip in the winter and others travel one or more times throughout the year. We understand how this pandemic has impacted travel plans. Rest assured that Trip Cancellation coverage continues for trips booked prior to the travel advisory. Travel within Canada is also still covered, and policies are still in force.

We are pleased that the majority of our customers have already travelled during the busy winter season. Most of our claims occur in the winter months and this year we were happy to support the unprecedented numbers who submitted a claim. We have already supported thousands of MEDOC customers on their journey back to Canada and we continue to provide medical coverage for many Canadians who have been unable to return. As noted below, the number of travel insurance claims has significantly increased and our teams are working around the clock to ensure that we serve all members to the standards that they deserve.

Claims Metrics vs 2019 (from Global Excel for RSA/Johnson overall)

  • 213% increase in incurred claims
  • 78% increase in claims calls, including a 1600% increase during peak periods.
  • 108% increase in emails
  • Non-medical claims increased 515%, primarily due to Trip Cancellation.

Johnson MEDOC Service vs 2019:

  • March call volume increased 97%, however, April was slightly higher than 2019 levels.
  • Inbound Email has increased over 200% in March and continues high in April
  • April has improved significantly with a 91% service level and 2% abandon rate due to staff redeployments to provide customer support

Here are some other important updates:

Supplemental Coverage Refunds

Annual travel insurance covers multiple trips and can be paid over 12 months. Partial refunds may be available only for extensions or supplemental coverage purchased if travel was cut short and additional coverage was not required.
 

Existing Claims

The number of claims in 2020 is much higher than previous years and processing claims will take approximately 8-12 weeks. Customers can visit this claims portal to check on their claim but rest assured that all claims will be addressed and customers will be contacted. Thanks for your patience during this challenging time.
 

New Claims

To make a claim, customers can visit this claims portal operated by our claims partner Global Excel®.  Please note that only non-refundable and non-transferrable amounts are covered.
 

Reissue Update

To ensure we focus our efforts on serving our travel insurance customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have delayed our reissue process and customers will not get a MEDOC reissue email in May. We’ll provide an update in the very near future.

We truly understand the concerns of those who are unable to travel and we are reviewing how MEDOC can continue to provide exceptional value to all our customers now and for years to come.

Thank you for your patience as we work extremely hard to support all our customers.

 

Robert G. Dowden
Vice President, Affinity Client Relations

 

Johnson Insurance is a tradename of Johnson Inc. (“JI”), a licensed insurance intermediary, and operates as Johnson Insurance Services in British Columbia and Johnson Inc. in Manitoba.