Do I really need to buy travel insurance when my Platinum credit card offers medical cover?
Friday, July 3rd, 2009 at
1:20 am
I recently returned from a trip to the US and Canada. I didn’t buy travel insurance because I figured I was covered, having used my Platinum credit card to buy the ticket. Was I just plain lucky nothing happened to me during my trip? Did I take unnecessary risks? Is my Platinum card medical cover really equivalent to a travel insurance?
Filed under: Best Credit Cards Offers
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"Trip" Insurance and "Travel" Insurance are two different things, and neither necessarily cover medical expenses. Generally, trip insurance on credit cards covers things like if the flight is cancelled, if your luggage is lost; things that happen to the trip to screw it up, but not necessarily to you. Travel insurance usually means the same thing, but could have additional benefits for you, the traveler.
Actual travel medical insurance is available through a variety of sources, many of which you can find online. For places like Canada, you don’t necessarily need an extensive amount of insurance as Canadian hospitals are decent (and everyone will speak English). I have gotten full medevac travel insurance for trips to Africa and Asia that guarantee that they fly you to the States if you require hospitalization. The insurance cost $275 for a year.
This assumes you mean a Platinum American Express Card.
You were probably just lucky. Travel medical insurance is NOT automatic when you buy an airline ticket with the card.
However, AMEX does sell travel medical insurance and you can purchase it per trip or get an annual policy. Just call the toll free number on the back of the card.
Travel insurance covers you for refunds if trip is cancelled.