Credit Cards for Best Travel Insurance

[Unclefester6132]

Searched but couldn't find what I am looking for, 

 

Does anyone have a credit card they got just for the good travel insurance? 

Have you had to use it and are you happy with the choice?

 

Thank you

[ldubs]

We have not selected any credit card because of the travel interruption benefit.  It is an added benefit and nice to have.  It is worthwhile to read and understand the basic protection provided.  It may not be comprehensive.   We have had one claim for a cancelled flight with unreimbursed expenses.  

 

We carry an annual medical travel policy.  We elect to not carry a travel insurance policy covering the cost of our trips.  

[GeezerCouple]

We do NOT use charge cards for travel insurance because some of the restrictions apply to possible reasons we might make a claim.  And other types of claims just aren't covered.

 

Your insurance needs may be quite different.

So just MAKE SURE that you read ALL of the Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) to make sure you understand what is, and what is *not*, covered.

 

For example, pay attention to anything that might involve a medical claim (be it medical expenses or cancelled/interrupted trip) and whether pre-existing conditions are covered (or any claim due to pre-existing conditions).

Also note the *definition* of "pre-existing conditions" in travel insurance is usually very different from what we usually think of in everyday life.  This can make an exclusion more of a problem... or less of a problem... depending upon specific circumstances.

 

ETA:  You might also want to read the travel insurance section of CC:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

and perhaps post there as well.

GC 

Edited April 3 by GeezerCouple

[Charles4515]

3 hours ago, Unclefester6132 said:

Searched but couldn't find what I am looking for, 

 

Does anyone have a credit card they got just for the good travel insurance? 

Have you had to use it and are you happy with the choice?

 

Thank you

The best one I have found is the Chase Sapphire Reserve  but it is a meh policy overall. It works for some travel but I don't think the coverage is sufficient for most cruises. I had a cruise with one foreign port and did not buy a more comprehensive policy but I can't think of another itinerary I would count on it. 

Edited April 3 by Charles4515

[StollyBolly]

55 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

The best one I have found is the Chase Sapphire Reserve  but it is a meh policy overall. It works for some travel but I don't think the coverage is sufficient for most cruises. I had a cruise with one foreign port and did not buy a more comprehensive policy but I can't think of another itinerary I would count on it. 

We also use Chase Sapphire.  On top of that we purchase an annual travel policy.  Hopefully if the need arose the two would work together to cover our needs. 

[clo]

59 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

The best one I have found is the Chase Sapphire Reserve  but it is a meh policy overall. It works for some travel but I don't think the coverage is sufficient for most cruises. I had a cruise with one foreign port and did not buy a more comprehensive policy but I can't think of another itinerary I would count on it. 

IIRC CSR only covered $750 for medical. I could be wrong about that. It's still there of course but if I need coverage it will almost certainly be more.

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, clo said:

IIRC CSR only covered $750 for medical. I could be wrong about that. It's still there of course but if I need coverage it will almost certainly be more.

$2500 for medical expenses but really that is nothing these days. Evacuation looks like it would be enough. Some of the other coverages are enough. If you are delayed and the airline does not put you up on a domestic flight it is handy. I have been managing to have delays where the airline put me up so have not made that claim. The CSR insurance is better than nothing but as I said I think I need more coverage. I also have AMEX coverage but you have to book all legs of a round trip through AMEX while with CSR you don’t have too. Someone earlier this year made that mistake. They booked one leg on AMEX and another on a different card. CSR and AMEX would be sufficient for simple trips but the gotchas could cost on a cruise vacation. 

Edited April 3 by Charles4515

[clo]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

$2500 for medical expenses but really that is nothing these days. Evacuation looks like it would be enough. Some of the other coverages are enough. If you are delayed and the airline does not put you up on a domestic flight it is handy. I have been managing to have delays where the airline put me up so have not made that claim. The CSR insurance is better than nothing but as I said I think I need more coverage. I also have AMEX coverage but you have to book all legs of a round trip through AMEX while with CSR you don’t have too. Someone earlier this year made that mistake. They booked one leg on AMEX and another on a different card. CSR and AMEX would be sufficient for simple trips but the gotchas could cost on a cruise vacation. 

Thanks,buddy. I personally would say 'don't do it.' I had a procedure done recently that involved one night in the hospital. $11,000 and I'm betting more will come. Our Medicare and supplement have taken care of everything these last 'few' years.

[Mary229]

The Chase insurance is fine for basic travel coverage and is similar to any base level policy you can buy. I also buy an annual medical policy which is a fairly cheap insurance. 

[clo]

18 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

The Chase insurance is fine for basic travel coverage and is similar to any base level policy you can buy. I also buy an annual medical policy which is a fairly cheap insurance. 

Curious what you consider "basic." Does that include evacuating you off the ship, flying to the nearest hospital,emergency surgery, etc.

[Mary229]

4 minutes ago, clo said:

Curious what you consider "basic." Does that include evacuating you off the ship, flying to the nearest hospital,emergency surgery, etc.

No, I am talking a basic Allianz travel insurance.  It only covers a very bare amount of medical; is mainly trip delay, trip cancellation and such.
 

 That is why I use the annual medical policy which does have evacuation.  Chase does have some basic medical coverage which would cover small issues like getting an antibiotic or antihistamine from the ship doctor.  I think it has a very amount of evacuation but not enough to rely on. The annual medical policy can be bought with large evacuation limits. I use the one Steve Dasseos @iamtrustworthy recommended.  It is a geoblue annual health policy. 

[YourWorldWithBill]

9 hours ago, Unclefester6132 said:

Searched but couldn't find what I am looking for, 

 

Does anyone have a credit card they got just for the good travel insurance? 

Have you had to use it and are you happy with the choice?

 

Thank you

I have the American Express platinum card, which covers cancellation for certain reasons (not for any reason) and medical expenses on a trip that is paid for using the card. For $64 extra for each trip, I get about $100,000 of medical coverage. I haven't had to use it for that, but have heard good reports from others. I think, at least in the past, AmEx takes care of you.

[iamtrustworthy]

10 hours ago, Unclefester6132 said:

Searched but couldn't find what I am looking for, 

 

Does anyone have a credit card they got just for the good travel insurance? 

Have you had to use it and are you happy with the choice?

 

Thank you

Hi Unclefester6132,

 

None of the credit card plans cover anything related to pre-existing medical conditions of you, traveling companions or non-traveling family members that could worsen and, in turn, cause you to cancel or interrupt your trip or for medical treatment while you are on your trip. And, their Covid coverage may not be adequate.

 

If you don't need the pre-existing medical conditions coverage, then having a credit card plan's trip cancellation coverage is a good way to save money.

 

I hope this helps you.

 

Steve Dasseos

[iamtrustworthy]

3 hours ago, Mary229 said:

The annual medical policy can be bought with large evacuation limits. I use the one Steve Dasseos @iamtrustworthy recommended.  It is a geoblue annual health policy. 

Hi Mary229,

 

Here's my page with all the multi-trip annual Geo Blue Trekker plan details:
https://tripinsurancestore.com/geo-blue-trekker-travel-medical-plans/

 

Steve Dasseos

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, iamtrustworthy said:

None of the credit card plans cover anything related to pre-existing medical conditions of you, traveling companions or non-traveling family members that could worsen and, in turn, cause you to cancel or interrupt your trip or for medical treatment while you are on your trip.

^^^THIS^^^

My biggest worries currently are for "non-traveling family members". We have Chase Sapphire Reserve card, but I was unsure of coverage of family where the medical problem might or might not be considered pre-existing. I bought HAL's standard CFAR protection and did in fact use it. At 80% refund plus the cost of the policy, it cost us ~$5000 to cancel 24hrs before sailing. Which is far better than forfeiting the entire cruise (or being in the middle of the Pacific when needed at home), BUT always keep in mind that insurance is not without cost itself.

[crystalspin]

12 hours ago, Unclefester6132 said:

Does anyone have a credit card they got just for the good travel insurance? 

Have you had to use it and are you happy with the choice?

We did in fact move up from the Chase Sapphire Preferred to the CS Reserve for the travel BENEFITS, not necessarily travel insurance. Steve has commented on credit card coverage.

 

After four years of using the card for almost everything, and not travelling anywhere that the card's points could be used, I was able to book REFUNDABLE flights roundtrip Boston and one-way Athens (Greece) and back from FLL, plus two nights in Boston hotel and three nights in Athens, with some points left over. Did I mention refundable flights? Mind-boggling cost, but I have already been refunded for the Boston flights!

 

Have not used the "insurance", but still happy with the card. OK so I'm a cheerleader, but just want you to look at the big picture.

[Unclefester6132]

Thanks to all for the information. 

[iamtrustworthy]

10 hours ago, crystalspin said:

^^^THIS^^^

My biggest worries currently are for "non-traveling family members". We have Chase Sapphire Reserve card, but I was unsure of coverage of family where the medical problem might or might not be considered pre-existing. I bought HAL's standard CFAR protection and did in fact use it. At 80% refund plus the cost of the policy, it cost us ~$5000 to cancel 24hrs before sailing. Which is far better than forfeiting the entire cruise (or being in the middle of the Pacific when needed at home), BUT always keep in mind that insurance is not without cost itself.

Hi crystalspin,

 

For both of HAL's Standard and Platinum plans, I've found it's less expensive to get one of our Trip Cancellation plans that reimburses 100% for a covered reason than it is to pay for the HAL plan but only get back 80% or 90%.

 

That's because the 20% or 10% that is lost plus the cost of the HAL plan is more than the cost of the policy and its better benefits.

 

I hope this makes sense.

 

Steve Dasseos

[YourWorldWithBill]

13 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Have not used the "insurance", but still happy with the card. OK so I'm a cheerleader, but just want you to look at the big picture.

I feel the same about the AmEx platinum! 😃

[clo]

15 hours ago, crystalspin said:

After four years of using the card for almost everything, and not travelling anywhere

That's 100% our 'status' if you will. It was pretty shocking when we booked round trip Seattle/Amsterdam and Stockholm/Seattle, Polaris business class, refundable and we each have plenty left. When I read all the troubles that people have with air issues using real money, I'm so glad we had that.

[mnocket]

CSR is a great travel card, but you need to understand what it is, and isn't, good for.  If you're often looking for trip cancelation insurance for trips that fit within the $10K person/ $20K maximum limit, it's a great solution.  These limits fit the needs of much of my travel, and in those rare instances where it doesn't, I can either buy an additional policy or self-insure the excess.

 

Where if falls short is medical (and possibly evacuation) coverage.  As mentioned, $2,500 is really inadequate for covering all but the most basic medical incidents.   Therefore if you don't have a health insurance policy that covers out-of-country care (note: while Medicare does not, some Medicare Advantage policies do), it's wise to purchase medical coverage for international travel.  I've used GeoBlue.  These policies typically offer $500K - $1M evacuation coverage whereas CSR is only $100K.  

 

So I find CSR to be a great solution for my trip cancelation needs, and since I've gotten a Medicare Advantage policy that covers me during international travel - I'm pretty much set.  Plus the points I've earned are very nice too🙂

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, mnocket said:

CSR is a great travel card, but you need to understand what it is, and isn't, good for.  If you're often looking for trip cancelation insurance for trips that fit within the $10K person/ $20K maximum limit, it's a great solution.  These limits fit the needs of much of my travel, and in those rare instances where it doesn't, I can either buy an additional policy or self-insure the excess.

 

Where if falls short is medical (and possibly evacuation) coverage.  As mentioned, $2,500 is really inadequate for covering all but the most basic medical incidents.   Therefore if you don't have a health insurance policy that covers out-of-country care (note: while Medicare does not, some Medicare Advantage policies do), it's wise to purchase medical coverage for international travel.  I've used GeoBlue.  These policies typically offer $500K - $1M evacuation coverage whereas CSR is only $100K.  

 

So I find CSR to be a great solution for my trip cancelation needs, and since I've gotten a Medicare Advantage policy that covers me during international travel - I'm pretty much set.  Plus the points I've earned are very nice too🙂

 

CSR medical evacuation covers up to $100,000. I sure hope it wouldn't cost more than that!

 

When it comes to travel benefits generally, you cannot beat CSR. I receive about $3000/year in free travel with the points I earn by putting everything on my CSR and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards and then using their portal to book flights and hotels. You get 1.5x the value of your points when using them to book travel through their portal.

[Charles4515]

26 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

CSR medical evacuation covers up to $100,000. I sure hope it wouldn't cost more than that!

 

When it comes to travel benefits generally, you cannot beat CSR. I receive about $3000/year in free travel with the points I earn by putting everything on my CSR and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards and then using their portal to book flights and hotels. You get 1.5x the value of your points when using them to book travel through their portal.

My main reason for the card is free travel. I have not paid for a flight in a long time. Transferring points to Hyatt or booking Hyatt through Ultimate Rewards has been great. I have the Freedom card and Freedom Flex. This quarters category’s are restaurants and hotels. It stacks so I am getting 7% when I eat out. 

Edited April 5 by Charles4515

[JamieLogical]

22 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

My main reason for the card is free travel. I have not paid for a flight in a long time. Transferring points to Hyatt or booking Hyatt through Ultimate Rewards has been great. I have the Freedom card and Freedom Flex. This quarters category’s are restaurants and hotels. It stacks so I am getting 7% when I eat out. 

 

Just checked my account and it says I have redeemed 263,187 in the past 12 months. At 1.5x their value through the Chase portal, that means I have redeemed $3,947.81 in the past year. Hard to beat almost $4k in free travel/year!

[mnocket]

54 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

CSR medical evacuation covers up to $100,000. I sure hope it wouldn't cost more than that!

 

When it comes to travel benefits generally, you cannot beat CSR. I receive about $3000/year in free travel with the points I earn by putting everything on my CSR and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards and then using their portal to book flights and hotels. You get 1.5x the value of your points when using them to book travel through their portal.

I'm in complete agreement that CSR is a great travel card.  As for $100,000 evacuation insurance, I had no idea if that is adequate or not.  I noticed that GeoBlue offers $500,000 coverage.  Your comment prompted me to investigate the cost of medical evacuation a bit, and here's what was said in a Forbes article...

 

emergency medical transportation to the U.S. from the following countries can cost the following:

Caribbean and Mexico: $15,000 to $25,000
South America: $40,000 to $75,000
Parts of Europe: $65,000 to $90,000
Asia, Australia and the Middle East: $165,000 to $225,000

Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance In Travel Insurance Plans – Forbes Advisor

 

I would guess if one is on an African safari it might cost even more!

 

So once again, for most travel purposes CSR is more than adequate for trip cancelation and medical evacuation.

Edited April 5 by mnocket