Why is insurance through Regent not a good idea?

[lesliebe]

8 hours ago, Carol From California said:

The coverage is $10K per person maximum (thanks to lesliebe who made the call to confirm), if you have to cancel because your trip is interrupted or your trip is cancelled. As someone else pointed out pre-existing conditions are not covered. You have to put "some portion" of the trip on the card. There is only ONE Chase Sapphire Reserve card.  There is also a Chase Sapphire Preferred card. They are different. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card does have a $450 annual fee, but they give you a $300 annual credit for anything travel so that means the effective cost of the card is $150 per year. Some of the perks:

• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year

• 3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3X points on dining at restaurants & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. $0 foreign transaction fees.

• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $750 toward travel

• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs

• Access to 1,000+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select

• Up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®

 

How did you know I live in Encino? Do I have that somewhere. Where do you live now?  Small world!

On the left side of your profile it says Encino CA.  I am in Northridge/Porter Ranch area.  What else do yo do besides cruise?  I golf............

Decided to just to Chase Sapphire and Med Jet........better be enough

[Carol From California]

13 minutes ago, lesliebe said:

On the left side of your profile it says Encino CA.  I am in Northridge/Porter Ranch area.  What else do yo do besides cruise?  I golf............

Decided to just to Chase Sapphire and Med Jet........better be enough

Northridge/Porter Ranch area is very close indeed! Small world! I don't golf. My husband does. I work at Rodeo Realty and we do a lot of traveling.  

Edited July 10, 2019 by Carol From California

[Travelcat2]

21 minutes ago, Carol From California said:

Northridge/Porter Ranch area is very close indeed! Small world! I don't golf. My husband does. I work at Rodeo Realty and we do a lot of traveling.  

 

As you may (or may not) know, we are from Southern California and lived in the Valley.  My best friend in the world lives in Chatsworth (which, as you know, is close to Northridge/Porter Ranch).  Really lovely area (except for the homeless people that have moved into that area - so sad).

 

Back to the topic.  We had the Amex Platinum card for years but found Chase Sapphire Reserve to meet our needs better than Amex (and we were not about to spend almost $1K per year to have both).

 

I know that some retired people spend a big part of their lives figuring out how to save money with credit cards but we only are looking for specific benefits.  The best benefit we have with Chase Sapphire Reserve is the ability to book First Class flights domestically so that we an get to and/or from Miami.  It is easier to book these flights through Chase rather than Amex.

 

 

[gnomie1]

With regard to insurance, while many are concerned with the availability of trip cancellation and pre-existing conditions, another criteria that people should seriously consider is medical evacuation to a hospital of your choice, and not the closest medical center selected by the insurance company.

 

About two years ago a friend was walking with his family along a street in Vietnam when he was hit by a motorcycle - long story short, he had a severe injury to his leg and they wanted to amputate above the knee, claiming it could not be repaired. Being that he is an academic surgeon he was not willing to accept this. He had obtained medical evacuation insurance because one the kids has some special medical needs, never thinking he would need it for himself. He was medevaced back to NYC and after a number of successful surgeries, his leg was preserved. Will he ever run marathons again - no, but other than for that, he has no limitations. Ever since then, I always make sure I carry high value medevac insurance.

Edited July 11, 2019 by gnomie1

[jeb_bud]

13 hours ago, gnomie1 said:

With regard to insurance, while many are concerned with the availability of trip cancellation and pre-existing conditions, another criteria that people should seriously consider is medical evacuation to a hospital of your choice, and not the closest medical center selected by the insurance company.

 

About two years ago a friend was walking with his family along a street in Vietnam when he was hit by a motorcycle - long story short, he had a severe injury to his leg and they wanted to amputate above the knee, claiming it could not be repaired. Being that he is an academic surgeon he was not willing to accept this. He had obtained medical evacuation insurance because one the kids has some special medical needs, never thinking he would need it for himself. He was medevaced back to NYC and after a number of successful surgeries, his leg was preserved. Will he ever run marathons again - no, but other than for that, he has no limitations. Ever since then, I always make sure I carry high value medevac insurance.

 

Which medevac insurance did you choose?

[Carol From California]

Here is an interesting article I found about someone who was transported home (from Singapore) because they had an American Express Platinum card (which includes emergency air evacuation coverage). You don't have to pay for the trip with the card. The mere fact that you have the card gives you this automatic coverage, with no cost cap. You must call their Global Assist Hotline when you have an emergency to get a pre-approval. Terms are shown below. Medical coverage is not included. So I feel comfortable with the Chase Sapphire Reserve coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption and medical coverage, combined with the air evacuation coverage through Am Ex Platinum. 

https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2017/05/10/know-benefits-amex-platinum-medical-evacuation-claim-award-ticket-saves-275000/

 

In the event that you or another covered family member (your spouse or domestic partner, dependent up to age 23, or age 26 if full-time student traveling on the same itinerary as the Card Member) becomes injured or suffers an illness which is not pre-existing while traveling on a trip less than 90 days, the Premium Global Assist Hotline medical department will assess your medical needs and coordinate your transportation.
Medical transportation may be provided at no cost to the Card Member or covered family member to the nearest appropriate medical facility as determined by the Premium Global Assist  Hotline designated physician, from point of illness or injury, when the Card Member or covered family member is under the care of a local medical service provider or facility. In addition, the Premium Global Assist Hotline designated physician, in consultation with the local medical service provider or facility, must determine that such transport is medically necessary and advisable due to inadequacy of local facilities. The person needing transportation may need to complete a HIPAA Release, or provide authorization for next of kin to complete the release. Emergency transportation services in connection with the medical emergency may also be provided to a covered family member pursuant to the full Emergency Medical Transportation Assistance Terms and Conditions.

 

Here is some more info:

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/credit-card-travel-accident-evacuation-insurance/

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I wonder if there's an age limit on this.  In any case, the Canadian Amex Plat card doesn't include this, or at least I don't think so.

[Carol From California]

3 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

I wonder if there's an age limit on this.  In any case, the Canadian Amex Plat card doesn't include this, or at least I don't think so.

It does not say anything about an age limit. Unfortunately Canadian Amex Platinum does not seem to have the same Global Assist Program that includes emergency air evacuation. https://www.americanexpress.com/ca/en/support-cardmember/travel-emergency.html

[wcsdkqh]

Sure seems to be a lot of wiggle room with whether you will be approved to be evacuated, and to where.  A hospital near your home does not appear to be the default.