Do You Actually Need Travel Insurance?
6/17/20261 hr 11 min
#283: Learn exactly when you might need travel insurance and when your credit cards already have you covered. Chris breaks down what travel insurance covers, how those benefits compare to the coverage built into popular credit cards, and when it makes sense to buy additional protection. Plus, what US health insurance actually covers abroad, and specialty policies worth getting for medical evacuation, scuba diving, and trips off the beaten path. Link to Full Show Notes: https://www.chrishutchins.com/travel-insurance Partner Deals Zocdoc: Find and instantly book a doctor you love today DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal info from the web Gelt: Skip the waitlist on personalized tax guidance to maximize your wealth Wispr Flow: Try effortless voice dictation for free Fabric: Affordable term life insurance for you and your family For all the deals, discounts and promo codes from our partners, go to: chrishutchins.com/deals Resources Mentioned Credit Cards: Best Cards Page June's Best Welcome Offers Travel Insurance Providers Allianz Travel Insurance Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection Travel Guard World Nomads Travel Insured International Blue Cross Blue Shield Travel Insurance (BCBS Global Solutions) Squaremouth Medical Evacuation & Specialty Coverage Medjet Global Rescue AirMed Covac Global Redpoint Travel Protection American Alpine Club Divers Alert Network (DAN) Garmin SAR Insurance Health Insurance Resources Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core Kaiser Permanente International Coverage Christian Healthcare Ministries Medicare Plan G / Medigap (Medicare.gov) LifeX Research ATH Podcast Ep #277: The Japan ER Visit That Changed How We Travel (& Tokyo Disney) with Amy Fox Ep #113: Unlocking the Power of Plastic: Maximizing Your Hidden Credit Card Benefits Newsletter Leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Email for questions, hacks, deals, and feedback: podcast@chrishutchins.com Full Show Notes (00:00) Introduction (01:30) What Trip Cancellation Insurance Actually Covers (04:41) How Trip Change and Interruption Coverage Works (05:40) Reimbursement Limits for Trip Delays (06:39) Lost and Delayed Bag Coverage Explained (08:01) Emergency Medical Evacuation & Repatriation Coverage (09:24) Political Security and Disaster Evacuation Coverage (09:49) Medical and Dental Expense Limits While Abroad (10:11) How Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance Works (10:27) Travel Insurance Add-Ons Worth Considering and a High-Level Recap (13:38) Pricing Out Real Policies for a Two-Week Europe Trip (17:24) Coverage You Likely Already Have vs. Unique Policies Worth Buying (18:18) What Counts as a Premium Credit Card? (18:58) How Cards Stack Up on Trip Cancellation and Interruption (21:32) Coverage for Award Flights Booked with Points (28:10) Price Drop Protection (28:46) Where Credit Card Trip Delay Coverage Beats Travel Insurance (30:05) Delayed Luggage Coverage on Premium Cards (31:41) Lost Bag Protection & Reimbursement Limits (34:02) Emergency Evacuation Benefits Included with Credit Cards (37:07) What Travel Accident Insurance Really Pays Out (39:07) When Standalone Travel Insurance Makes More Sense (39:31) Emergency Medical Coverage While Traveling Abroad (40:11) Rental Car Coverage and Primary vs. Secondary Insurance (46:12) What Credit Cards Cover Well (47:27) What US Health Insurance Actually Covers Abroad (50:54) How Health Sharing Plans Handle International Travel (51:43) Understanding Medicare Coverage Abroad (53:13) Handling Non-Emergency Medical Issues Overseas (56:22) Getting Evacuated to the Hospital of Your Choice (59:21) Specialty Coverage for Search and Rescue (01:00:57) Why Scuba Divers Need a Dedicated Membership (01:02:07) Travel Insurance Takeaways & Final Recommendations Connect with Chris Newsletter | Membership | X | Instagram | LinkedIn Editor’s Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsChris Hutchins· Host0:00
I don't usually buy travel insurance. I always figured my credit cards had me covered. But I recently went back and read the fine print, not just on one card, but more than a dozen of them, and it turns out I was wrong in both directions. Some things I was sure my cards covered, they didn't, and some things I thought I was taking a risk on, I was actually protected from all along. Even the stuff I figured out the hard way after a hospital visit in Japan turned out to be more complicated than I originally thought. So this time I went really deep. What travel insurance actually is, what it costs, what your cards really do and don't, and I took a proper look at the medical side, which is where there were a lot more surprises. By the end of this, you'll know which policies are worth it, when you actually need one, and what to look for. I'm Chris Hutchins. If you enjoy this episode, leave a comment or share it with a friend, and if you wanna keep upgrading your money, points, and life, click follow or subscribe. Okay. Before we jump into this episode, I have to share that as of this episode coming out, there are currently four brand new best ever welcome offers of one hundred thousand points or more on a few personal and business cards. Between my wife and I, we've actually had all four of these cards, but we haven't both had all four, so we're for sure picking up at least two of them. If you wanna check them out, you can go to allthehacks.com/june, which I'm also gonna link to in the show notes, or as always, you can find links to all the best card offers anytime at allthehacks.com/cards, and thanks in advance for using our links to help support us. It really means a lot.