Last week I was eating a handful of nuts, and wow, were they crunchy! I thought that maybe I had gotten part of a shell mixed in, and didn't think much of it. That is until I felt my tooth. As it turns out I had broken part of a crown - hence the "crunch". Thankfully my dentist was able to fix it quickly.
Imagine though, if this had happened while out of town, on a trip. Finding a dentist in the US can be fairly easy, but what do you do if this were to happen overseas?
I recently shared information about travel protection insurance, which you can link to below. A number of people shared with me that their credit card provides the same insurance, so I thought I would dig into this a little more.
I always suggest contacting the insurance and credit card company for specific plan details and advice. TIP - never assume you fully understand the meaning of each category. Representatives will provide accurate information on what is and is not covered. As the saying goes "The devil is in the details."
This is especially true with credit card coverage.
Typical travel protection insurance covers the following:
While most credit cards have some level of coverage for rental cars and lost or damaged luggage and a few have trip cancellation coverage, reimbursement levels and reasons are limited.
For example, on car rentals, most cover collisions but not necessarily liability. Coverage may be OK in the US, but not necessarily when driving internationally. Call your credit card company for details! A low percentage of cards have trip cancellation coverage, but again, check the details as coverage tends to be quite limited. While a few cards cover up to $10,000, most are a lot lower, some as low as $1500 on an annual basis. Some only cover the flight portion of the trip, and weather related reasons are limited. Most international trips are quite a bit higher than this amount. Aside from coverage levels and inclusions, the biggest difference, and in my opinion the most important, is with emergency medical and evacuation coverage. Most cards provide no coverage. They do offer assistance in finding medical help, but you any medical expenses will not be covered or reimbursed.
Travel protection insurance and credit card travel insurance are not the same. Travel protection insurance coverage is more expansive and inclusive. However, based on your needs, credit card coverage may be all you need.
Bottom line, call for details on both types of coverage. This will help you make the best and most informed decision. Comments are closed.
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Laurie Marschall - Owner and Founder
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