This post is a perfect example of what frustrates me about trying to buy travel insurance...most of it is cr*p. Most are not insuring against a significant loss. Many are near zero chance of happening along with very low value if one bothers to file a claim, which I probably wouldn't).
There are lots of "value perks" that are not insurance. And certainly those are worth netting against the annual fee.
I liked the "order to buy" for the various types of insurance, listed earlier. That got me thinking (danger, Will Robinson), that "there oughta be a law" that puts the significant comparison specs in a box, and all sellers of travel insurance would have to make that box available to prospective buyers. As it is, yes, I can read through the fine print and attempt to pull out the essential details while ignoring the cr*p, but it's more than I feel like doing. Maybe I can write-up exactly what I want covered and ask an LLM to highlight portions of an insurance contract that suggest what I want is indeed covered. Then I wouldn't need to read every word of fine-print.
Absolutely agree with this. Over the years we have looked at a number of policies. Three week, sixty days, seven months.
Our experience is to than in order to understand what you need is to speak to someone who is actually in the travel insurance underwriting business. Compare coverages and dollar limits. Dollar limits may appear generous to someone who has absolutely no idea of the cost of say, a private medical flight from Europe to North America w/medical staff in attendance. Or if you are hospitalized for several weeks will the insurance cover your partners accomodation costs, transport home, etc
Someone in the travel insurance business can give you some examples as well as explain the pitfalls of exceptions hidden in the fine print.
Compare the coverage and coverage amounts provided by the card with those amounts that are typically included direct from travel underwriters.
Very carefully look at and understand the gotchas. Some policies exclude coverage for certain activities that they deem to be dangerous even though the average person may not think they are. Others may have exclusions/limits based on age, medication regime, previous hospitalizations, or failure to have a recent physical exam, etc.
Just about every premium credit card we have seen has a long list of 'benefits'. That long list a purposeful attempt to wrap one in a blanket of security and comfort. Along with leading one to make coverage assumptions without bothering to look at or undestand the relevent T's and C's. As above, look closely at the actual value to you of those benefits, what benefits you might use, and how often. And check those benefits on line with the card provider or insurer. Don't depend on what the pleasant CSR at the end of the phone line implies when you call for clarification. He or she will be working from a standard drawer statement/sales pitch.
Whatever you do, never assume that the benefits and/or the benefits that you signed up for three years ago are still in force. Or that extra fine print exceptions have been added. We routinely check our policy every January for changes.
The time to really understand your coverage is not when you are hospitalized for a serious medical event somewhere and your partner is anxiously trying to understand exactly what, if any, travel health insurance you have. Or when you are seeking reimbursement for monies spent after you return home.