Rapid Travel Chai

In my post on the Chase Ritz-Carlton card relaunch, reader plane2port asked about the card’s medical evacuation insurance coverage and if there are any alternative cards in the US market. I wound my way through conflicting information online and waded through official card Terms & Conditions.

My research should not replace your research. If you intend to rely on any coverage, read your card’s coverage in detail. Multiple times. Know all the ins and outs.

Evacuation ≠ Repatriation. This is critical. Evacuation means transport to the hospital deemed appropriate by the benefit administrator. This may very well not involve transport to your home country for treatment. If you want guarantee of return to home country for treatment then you need Repatriation Insurance and I am not aware of any US credit card that provides such coverage.

Evacuation ≠ Medical Insurance. This is not a medical insurance policy for treatment at home or abroad. I am not aware of any US credit card that provides such coverage.

The coverage may not be enough. If there is a coverage cap and you need a private jet evacuation to your home country you may far exceed the limit and be on the hook for the rest.

Pre-existing conditions may be excluded. This gives broad leeway to deny your claim. If you have notable pre-existing conditions you may want to seek coverage that does not exclude them.

Adventure sports may be excluded. Get specific coverage.

Countries may be excluded. Check your map.

You may have to pay for the original trip with the credit card. Or not.

If you can’t follow instructions, you won’t be covered. Every policy is strict that only expenses pre-approved by and in accord with their policy will be covered.

The Cards with Medical Evacuation Insurance:

American Express Platinum card (personal version, excluding old Platinum Optima card):

• No coverage limit
• No requirement to pay for trip with card
• Trips of 90 days or less, and must be in excess of 100 miles from U.S. card billing address
• Covers cardmember or cardmember spouse or domestic partner, dependent up to age 23, or age 26 if full-time student traveling on the same trip itinerary
• Excludes pre-existing conditions defined as “any sickness, illness, or injury that has manifested itself, become acute, or was being treated in the 60 day period immediately prior to the start of a trip”
• No adventure sport exclusion
• No country exclusion
• Authorized users are covered
• See Premium Global Assist terms here for full coverage, terms and exclusions (disclaimer: from time to time Amex may issue new Premium Global Assist terms which may have different coverage or terms), and here is the general page for other cards with different forms of Premium Global Assist
  
• Business version has similar terms and does not require the trip to be for business, see terms here

Important: non-Platinum Amex cards have a medical evacuation coordination benefit where the card member pays all costs, beware! See more here.

Chase Sapphire Reserve:

• $100,000 coverage limit
• Must pay for all or portion of trip with the card for transport on a Common Carrier (award ticket fees thus will count)
• Trips of during 5-60 days, and must be in excess of 100 miles from your residence
• Covers cardmember and immediate family on trips paid all or trip with the card (does not require cardmember to be on trip)
• No pre-existing condition exclusion
• Excludes adventure sports, “skydiving, scuba, skin, or deep sea diving; hang gliding; parachuting; rock climbing; and contests of speed”
• Excludes “Care received in Afghanistan, Burma, El Salvador, Iran, Iraq, Kampuchea, Laos, Lebanon, Nicaragua, North Korea, Yemen, Vietnam, and any other countries which may be determined by the U.S. Government from time to time to be unsafe for travel.” The Kampuchea reference may mean Cambodia is excluded, and some of these are now mainstream destinations. This wording is hard to parse if that means Evacuation from these countries will also be excluded or just Care. I would get a written statement of coverage if expected to rely on this in these countries.
• Authorized users are covered
• See Guide to Benefits here for full coverage, terms and exclusions (disclaimer: from time to time Chase may issue new Guide to Benefits which may have different coverage or terms)

Chase United Club Card:

• No coverage limit
• Must pay for all or portion of trip with the card for transport on a Common Carrier (award ticket fees thus will count)
• Trips of during 5-60 days, and must be in excess of 100 miles from your residence
• Covers cardmember and immediate family on trips paid all or trip with the card (does not require cardmember to be on trip)
• No pre-existing condition exclusion
• Excludes adventure sports, “skydiving, scuba, skin, or deep sea diving; hang gliding; parachuting; rock climbing; and contests of speed”
• Excludes “Care received in Afghanistan, Burma, El Salvador, Iran, Iraq, Kampuchea, Laos, Lebanon, Nicaragua, North Korea, Yemen, Vietnam, and any other countries which may be determined by the U.S. Government from time to time to be unsafe for travel.” The Kampuchea reference may mean Cambodia is excluded, and some of these are now mainstream destinations. This wording is hard to parse if that means Evacuation from these countries will also be excluded or just Care. I would get a written statement of coverage if expected to rely on this in these countries.
• Authorized users are covered
• See Guide to Benefits here for full coverage, terms and exclusions (disclaimer: from time to time Chase may issue new Guide to Benefits which may have different coverage or terms)

Chase Ritz-Carlton Card:

• $100,000 coverage limit
• Must pay for all or portion of trip with the card for transport on a Common Carrier (award ticket fees thus will count)
• Trips of during 5-60 days, and must be in excess of 100 miles from your residence
• Covers cardmember and immediate family on trips paid all or trip with the card (does not require cardmember to be on trip)
• No pre-existing condition exclusion
• Excludes adventure sports, “skydiving, scuba, skin, or deep sea diving; hang gliding; parachuting; rock climbing; and contests of speed”
• Excludes “Care received in Afghanistan, Burma, El Salvador, Iran, Iraq, Kampuchea, Laos, Lebanon, Nicaragua, North Korea, Yemen, Vietnam, and any other countries which may be determined by the U.S. Government from time to time to be unsafe for travel.” The Kampuchea reference may mean Cambodia is excluded, and some of these are now mainstream destinations. This wording is hard to parse if that means Evacuation from these countries will also be excluded or just Care. I would get a written statement of coverage if expected to rely on this in these countries.
• Authorized users are covered
• See Guide to Benefits here for full coverage, terms and exclusions (disclaimer: from time to time Chase may issue new Guide to Benefits which may have different coverage or terms)

Citi Prestige:

• $100,000 coverage limit
• Must pay for all or portion of trip with the card or Citi ThankYou points, trip defined as ” any pre-paid travel, tour or vacation when all or at least a portion of the cost of such arrangements was paid using your Citi card and/or ThankYou® Points for all Covered Traveler(s).”
• Trips less than 60 days, and must be at least 75 miles from origination
• Covers cardmember and spouse or domestic partners and dependents traveling with cardmember
• No pre-existing condition exclusion
• No adventure sport exclusion
• No country exclusion
• Authorized users are covered
• See Guide to Benefits here for full coverage, terms and exclusions (disclaimer: from time to time Citi may issue new Guide to Benefits which may have different coverage or terms)

My take:

Amex Platinum coverage as written is the most comprehensive with fewest exclusions, including importantly, only to be a cardmember rather than pay for the specific trip with the card. The big limitation is the pre-existing conditions exlcusion.

Since I use Citi Prestige to book my airfare, and it does not exclude pre-existing conditions, that makes a good combo.

I maintain a comprehensive travel medical and evacuation policy called GeoBlue Trekker Choice for myself and wife (note: not available in Texas). I take Amex as a nice backup.