Initially, it may seem a bit daunting to choose the most appropriate insurance for your particular situation and needs. Fortunately, assistance is available. The Benefits Committee of the UBC Emeritus College has prepared an extensive, user-friendly guide to your insurance options, “Choosing Extended Health and Travel Insurance to Meet Your Specific Needs”. (Clicking on this link will take you to the page with a link to open the PDF.)
You should be sure to read the UBC Emeritus College insurance guide before making any firm decisions. However, the material on our website provides a brief overview and introducation to some of the considerations that you will want to keep in mind as you are thinking about which plan or plans are best for you.
Although the UBC/Sun Life plan that is offered to UBC faculty and staff upon retirement (or while still employed, if they continue to work past age 71) is not as comprehensive as the insurance provided to them as employees, it still provides very valuable coverage. Its main strength is that it provides broad coverage of prescription drugs with no annual limit. (The plan has a total lifetime limit on reimbursements of $200,000 per insured person.)
The UBC/Sun Life insurance provides coverage for within province medical expenses, as well as for emergency medical expenses when traveling out of province or out of the country. However, since the total lifetime maximum of this insurance is only $200,000, many individuals consider it prudent to buy additional travel insurance to provide protection against depleting their Extended Health insurance and for possible catastrophic claims while traveling that might exceed $200,000. (In addition, it should be noted that the UBC/Sun Life plan does not provide trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage.)
Click on the link to go to the next chapter "Travel and/or Extended Health Insurance?".