etfs was founded in Sherbrooke, Quebec in 1984 as a privately owned company specializing in group and international student insurance. In 1992, sweeping changes to the Canadian healthcare system drastically altered government insurance coverage for out-of-country travellers. Today, etfs is one of Canada's leading providers of insurance products and services, providing a full range of travel and health insurance products and services to students, groups and individuals. These products are sold and marketed to the end-consumer through insurance brokers, travel agents, consultants and third party administrators. etfs administers over $300 million in premium covering more than 3 million policyholders travelling worldwide.
Among the many products offered are branded products designed for major corporations and associations according to their needs. etfs is one of the largest suppliers of travel insurance products for the Canadian Snowbird market, and also offers insurance plans covering the needs of visitors to Canada, travelling Canadians, expatriates/inpatriates and international students.
Meeting the needs of more than 700 Canadian employers, etfs offers a range of insurance products designed specifically for corporate clients to provide coverage to their employees and/or members. The products include: emergency medical travel insurance, expatriate/inpatriate health insurance, catastrophic reinsurance (for self-insured healthcare) and private healthcare insurance.
In 1996, etfs established Global Excel Management Inc. to provide assistance, cost containment, case management and claims adjudication services. We offer our clients telephone assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. By not outsourcing this important aspect of our insurance offering - the service - we are able to maintain an exceptional level of customer service. Global Excel is highly specialized in services related to the American, Canadian, Caribbean and Mexican healthcare systems. With over 190 corporate clients located 28 countries around the world, Global Excel manages approximately 75,000 inpatient, outpatient and non-medical travel related emergencies per year.
From its roots in 1984, etfs has grown rapidly and continually over the years. There are currently approximately 500 employees working at etfs offices in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco, Houston, Orlando and Sherbrooke.