Originally Posted by
student586
Thank you for the replies. I want to see whether the two insurances are similar. In particular, I am interested in getting my money back if I am sick and cannot travel. I also purchase medical insurance separately if I am out of the country. Thank you again.
1. "money back if I am sick and cannot travel"
Both policies will cover you for this -- but the devil is in the details.
The Expedia TravelGuard (ETG) policy covers up to $100,000 while the CSR benefits max out at $10,000. If the sickness is related to a pre-existing medical condition, the CSR benefits will technically not cover you. (However, they are unlikely to fight a CSR cardholder over this, because CSR is elite plastic.)
The ETG policy does not care about pre-existing medical conditions.
But if you intend to buy a separate policy, there are better policies than the ETG one. For examples, there are policies that cover more reasons for trip cancellation, like military orders, an employer revoking a previously approved vacation, a school changing examination dates, homes that are merely damaged but not uninhabitable, and sickness of a non-immediate relative.
There are also policies from companies that do not fight as hard against claims. Look through TravelGuard reviews (
BBB and
Yelp) for (self-selected) examples of difficult interactions with TravelGuard.
2. Medical Insurance
Which policy do you usually purchase for foreign medical coverage?