Hi there, it’s Ernest from Trip Astute.
In this video, we’re going to explore the emergency medical and dental coverage benefit
that's included on most travel credit cards, and explain whether it’s sufficient for
most travelers.
(light chiming music)
Last year, I went on a tour with G Adventures to Southeast Asia, and one of the requirements
of the trip was to have proof of emergency medical insurance.
I initially thought my credit card’s benefits would be sufficient, but as I started to dig
deeper, I realized that it was pretty confusing, especially with all the restrictions.
To make a long story short, I ended up buying a cheap travel insurance policy that met my
tour’s requirements, but I wanted to share what I learned when digging deeper into the
topic.
First, I think it’s important to acknowledge that medical and dental emergencies do happen
when traveling, especially if you’re an active traveler.
So, it’s important to have the right coverage when visiting a new place.
Most premium travel cards list an emergency medical and dental benefit as one of their
travel perks.
For example, on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can be reimbursed for up to $2500 for
emergency dental and medical expenses if you become sick or injured during your trip.
The benefit also provides up to $75 per day at a hotel if you’re recovering and it’s
prescribed by a doctor.
The terms and conditions state that you have to be more than 100 miles away from home on
a trip that is between 5 to 60 days long, and you had to have used your card for the
travel purchase or redeemed points from the card.
This sounds great, and for some trips, it might be all you need.
However, here are some stipulations that you should keep in mind.
Number 1: Coverage is secondary. The credit cards will only pay the benefit above and
beyond any other insurance.
For example, if your medical insurance covers you while traveling, then the credit cards
will only pay after your medical insurance is exhausted.
If you don’t have medical insurance coverage while traveling, then your credit card's benefits
should kick-in and should become primary.
Number 2: Coverage is limited to traditional medical services. Anything that is outside
normal medical treatment is likely not covered by your credit card.
Things like homeopathic or herbal treatments are generally not covered, even if they might
be widely accepted as medical treatment at your travel destination.
A good rule of thumb is that the service must be provided by a doctor and in a hospital
for it to be covered.
Number 3: Coverage excludes specific high-risk activities and destinations. Certain activities
are explicitly excluded from the coverage, including skydiving, scuba diving, hang gliding,
and rock climbing.
Also, countries deemed unsafe by the US Government are excluded from the coverage.
To find out whether your country is on that list, you'll want to check the State Department’s travel site and enroll in the
STEP program.
For more information, see our video on the STEP program.
Number 4: Coverage only extends to spouses, domestic partners, and children. If you’re
traveling with other extended family members or friends, they won’t be covered even if
you paid for their travel on your card.
Also, children are only covered up to age 18.
The only exception for extending coverage is if they are authorized users on your account.
If so, the benefits will extend to them as well.
Number 5: Be aware of limited dental benefits. Keep in mind that certain dental situations
might not be a covered by the benefit.
For example, an emergency tooth extraction would be covered, but losing a filing or having
a crown fall out is not covered under the policy.
Number 6: Medical evacuation coverage is limited. In the event that you need to be moved because
of an injury or worse, then you’ll need to be “evacuated”.
Most credit card cover the evacuation to a major hospital, but not necessarily the transport
back to your country.
This is typically a requirement when booking a tour with a multi-day tour company, like
G Adventure or Intrepid.
Number 7: Call the issuer immediately. If you encounter a medical emergency situation,
you’ll need to contact the issuer as soon as possible.
It might be worth getting confirmation that the requested medical service is going to
be covered prior to getting the care, but only if the situation is not critical or life
threatening.
So, as you can see, there are a lot of rules and exclusions to this benefit.
To be honest, given what I know about the benefit, I think you might be better off buying
a cheap travel insurance policy before your trip.
That way, you’ll have better peace of mind knowing that you’re covered in case of an
emergency.
We’ll do a separate video on travel insurance policies.
In the meantime though, if you need to get one, I recommend World Nomads.
I’ve used them on many trips, and have been really happy with their service and prices.
I’ll include a link below in the video description.
Have you ever used your credit card’s emergency medical benefit?
If so, pleases share your experience in the comment section below.
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Until next time.
Travel safe and travel smart.