How to make a claim on Manulife CoverMe super visa insurance

Call the Manulife Assistance Centre at 1-877-878-0142 (+1-519-251-5166 collect) immediately, before treatment and within 24 hours of hospitalization, or you pay 20 percent of eligible expenses. Active Care Management confirms cover and bills the hospital directly where possible. Send the claim within 90 days with original receipts, proof of payment and the physician's diagnosis to Active Care Management, P.O. Box 1237, Stn. A, Windsor, ON N9A 6P8. The underwriter is The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company.

Rules and prices checked October 18, 2026. Written by a licensed advisor at SuperVisaDirect, FSRA licence [FSRA-LICENCE].

A Manulife CoverMe claim starts with a call to the Assistance Centre at 1-877-878-0142, or +1-519-251-5166 collect, immediately, before treatment and within 24 hours of hospitalization. Without that call you pay 20 percent of eligible expenses unless calling was medically impossible. Active Care Management runs the line, confirms cover and bills the hospital directly where possible. The claim goes by mail to Active Care Management in Windsor within 90 days with original receipts and the physician’s diagnosis. The underwriter is The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company.

The general rules for every insurer are on the claims hub. The plan is reviewed at Manulife CoverMe.

What do you need before you start?

The policy number, the assistance number, the passport and ticket, and later the originals of every receipt plus the attending physician’s complete diagnosis. On a Basic or Standard plan, also have the parent’s full medical history ready, because the stability and eligibility check happens at claim time.

Item Why Manulife needs it
Policy number and certificate Identifies the Manufacturers Life-underwritten plan and tier
Assistance numbers: 1-877-878-0142 / +1-519-251-5166 collect; TravelAid app Required call before treatment
Copy of ticket and passport showing travel dates and entry to Canada Listed claim document
Hospital name, ward, attending physician, admission time For direct billing and the 24-hour test
Original receipts for all bills and invoices Listed claim document; copies are not enough
Proof of payment by you or any other benefit plan Listed claim document
Medical records including complete diagnosis by the attending physician Listed claim document
Proof of side-trip dates, if the event happened outside Canada Listed claim document
Medication list with dates; home doctor’s contact Enhanced requires 180 days’ stability; Basic has eligibility exclusions checked at claim time

Source: Manulife visitor policy. The $96,311 Hamilton case was a Manulife Basic plan denied at claim time for undiagnosed congestive heart failure and reversed after press coverage; have the records ready before you are asked.

How do you make a Manulife CoverMe claim, step by step?

Seven steps. The call and the originals are the two things that decide whether the claim pays in full.

  1. Call the Assistance Centre immediately at 1-877-878-0142 (Canada and US) or +1-519-251-5166 collect, before treatment and within 24 hours of hospitalization. If the parent cannot call, anyone can call for them. Give the policy number, hospital, diagnosis and a callback number; note the file number.
  2. Ask the Assistance Centre to confirm cover to the hospital and set up direct billing. The policy says it will “arrange to have your covered expenses billed directly to us where possible.” If the hospital insists on a card, pay against an itemized receipt; see direct billing.
  3. Keep follow-up inside the rules. Follow-up visits are covered “until the attending physician” or Manulife’s medical advisors declare the emergency over; treatment after that point is excluded, and follow-up outside Canada is excluded when the emergency happened in Canada. See follow-up care and prescriptions.
  4. Collect originals: every receipt and invoice, proof of payment, and the medical records with the attending physician’s complete diagnosis. Ask the hospital for an itemized statement.
  5. Complete and sign the claim form, including the records authorization. The Gems claims portal and TravelAid app can start the process; the policy’s filing address is postal.
  6. Mail the claim within 90 days of the loss to Manulife CoverMe Travel Insurance c/o Active Care Management, P.O. Box 1237, Stn. A, Windsor, ON N9A 6P8. Send by tracked post and keep copies of everything.
  7. Chase in writing every two weeks with the file number until the decision letter arrives.

Sources: Manulife visitor policy and PolicyAdvisor. The first-hour checklist is on emergency: what to do first.

How long does it take?

Manulife publishes no service standard for visitor claims. Its corporate Trustpilot score is 1.2 from 594 reviews, dominated by banking and group-benefits complaints about phone waits, with one travel reviewer reporting a hospital claim unpaid after nearly two years. Treat that as a warning about volume, not a forecast, and document every contact.

Stage Deadline or typical time
Call the Assistance Centre Immediately; before treatment; within 24 hours of hospitalization
Cover confirmed to hospital Same day to a few days
Claim sent Within 90 days of the loss
Decision Weeks after the complete file
Premium refund after early return Request within 60 days of returning home; $25 minimum; $300 fee if a claim was withdrawn or denied

Sources: Manulife visitor policy and Trustpilot. The THIA Bill of Rights commitment to “timely and transparent communication” is the standard to cite.

What if it goes wrong?

The Manulife-specific risks are the 20 percent co-insurance, a claim-time eligibility check on Basic, the $300 handling fee, and slow correspondence.

Problem What to do
Did not call before treatment Call now; state in writing why it was medically impossible; ask for the co-insurance to be waived
Hospital demands payment up front Ask billing to call the Active Care Management file number; pay against itemized receipts; claim back
Denied for an undisclosed condition on a Basic plan Get the written decision and the exact exclusion; obtain the home-country records showing no such diagnosis; appeal to Manulife’s complaints officer; see misrepresentation and voided policies
Denied for a 180-day stability breach on Enhanced Obtain the dated prescription history; appeal; see denied claim, what next
Parent going home early with a small claim pending Compare the pro-rata refund less $300 with the claim value before deciding
No decision after 60 days Written complaint citing THIA; request Manulife’s final position letter; then OLHI

The insurer is The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company, so the complaints officer and final position letter come from Manulife, not from Active Care Management. SuperVisaDirect helps with the appeal file: [email protected] or a callback, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm Eastern Time.

How does the process differ from 21st Century?

Only in the phone number and portal: both plans run through Active Care Management under Manulife wording, with the same 20 percent rule and 90-day deadline. The 21st Century steps are on how to claim with 21st Century. For how Manulife’s claims rules compare with iA’s, read TuGo vs Manulife.

Questions people ask

What number do I call for a Manulife CoverMe medical emergency?

The Assistance Centre at 1-877-878-0142 toll-free from Canada and the US, or +1-519-251-5166 collect from elsewhere, 24 hours a day. The TravelAid app gives the same access. The policy says to call the Assistance Centre immediately in an emergency, prior to treatment, and within 24 hours of hospitalization.

What happens if I do not call before treatment?

The claims section states: 'If you do not contact the Assistance Centre before receiving medical treatment, you will have to pay 20%' of the expenses Manulife would normally pay. If calling is medically impossible the 20 percent co-insurance does not apply, and someone may call on the parent's behalf. Record why the call was late.

Where do I send a Manulife CoverMe claim?

To Manulife CoverMe Travel Insurance c/o Active Care Management, P.O. Box 1237, Stn. A, Windsor, ON N9A 6P8, within 90 days of the loss. Include original receipts for all bills and invoices, proof of any payment by you or another plan, medical records with the attending physician's complete diagnosis, and a copy of the ticket and passport showing travel dates and entry to Canada.

Does Manulife pay the hospital directly?

The Assistance Centre will 'arrange to have your covered expenses billed directly to us where possible.' Most Ontario hospitals deal with Active Care Management routinely, but some require a credit card from non-residents at registration. If you pay anything, keep the itemized receipt and claim it back.

Is there a fee if a claim is withdrawn or denied?

Yes, for super visa partial refunds: a handling fee of $300 per claim is deducted from any premium refund where a claim was withdrawn or denied. That matters if the parent returns home early after a small claim; calculate whether the pro-rata refund less $300 is worth claiming. No refund is paid at all once a claim has been paid.

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Sources