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Credit cards with emergency evacuation coverage

Emergency evacuation benefits arrange or pay for medical transport when a traveler becomes seriously sick or injured on a trip far from home, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve also reimburses emergency medical and dental treatment ⁠1⁠2. Of the 45 cards we cover, 5 list this benefit: the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve, Bank of America Premium Rewards and Premium Rewards Elite, and The Platinum Card from American Express ⁠3⁠4⁠5⁠6⁠7.

Compiled from official sources 5 cards from 3 issuers Last reviewed How we research
Contents6 sections

How the evacuation benefit works

Chase's Sapphire Preferred guide covers necessary emergency evacuation and transportation up to $100,000 when a covered traveler becomes seriously sick or injured on a covered trip, plus up to $15,000 to return remains to the country of primary residence ⁠1. The trip must be paid at least in part with the card or Chase rewards, last from 5 to 60 days and take the traveler more than 100 miles from home; the Sapphire Reserve guide sets the same $100,000 limit and trip rules ⁠1⁠2. Eligible services include transport to the nearest hospital able to give proper treatment and medically necessary transport home afterward, and the guide states the service is performed by a third-party provider and is not an insurance benefit ⁠1.

The Platinum Card works through the Premium Global Assist Hotline, which may provide emergency medical transportation at no cost, but only if the hotline approves and coordinates it; American Express states no dollar limit ⁠7⁠8. Its medical department decides, on medical factors, whether transport is needed because local facilities are inadequate, and the trip must have started from the U.S. billing address within the past 90 days and be at least 100 miles from it ⁠7.

Emergency medical and dental on the Sapphire Reserve

Chase lists a second, separate benefit for the Sapphire Reserve: reimbursement of up to $2,500 for emergency treatment when a traveler is sick or injured 100 miles or more from home on a trip, after a $50 deductible per covered traveler per trip ⁠4⁠2. If the physician says the traveler should recover in a hotel after a hospital stay, the guide adds $75 a day for up to 5 days ⁠2. The common carrier fare must be charged at least in part to the card or paid with rewards, and the guide calls this benefit secondary, paying in excess of other insurance or reimbursement ⁠2.

What the guides exclude

The Chase and Amex guides both require the provider to arrange transport before it happens. Chase's Sapphire Preferred guide says costs not authorized and arranged through its service provider are the traveler's own and will not be reimbursed, and it excludes local first-responder services (ground or air), travel for the purpose of medical treatment, trips outside the 5-to-60-day range and evacuations the provider finds not medically necessary ⁠1. The traveler must show the booking confirmation and proof that the card paid for the trip before an evacuation can be arranged, and services may be unavailable in countries under a U.S. State Department travel warning or OFAC sanctions ⁠1.

The Amex guide likewise refuses reimbursement for transport not authorized and arranged through the hotline, excludes travelers with a pre-existing condition or traveling to seek treatment, and says the hotline does not cover medical expenses ⁠7.

How the cards differ

The two Chase cards and the Premium Rewards Elite state a $100,000 evacuation limit; Bank of America describes the Elite's coverage as up to $100,000 for evacuation expenses when the cardholder or an immediate family member is injured or becomes sick during a trip far from home ⁠1⁠2⁠6. Its Premium Rewards page describes coverage for eligible medical services and transportation without an amount, and says details accompany new account materials ⁠5. Chase's guide covers immediate family members even when they travel without the cardholder, while the Amex hotline covers family members on the same trip itinerary as the Card Member ⁠1⁠7.

Cards with emergency evacuation and medical

5 of the 45 cards we cover list emergency evacuation and medical. Select a heading to sort the table. Each card’s page has the full terms.

Credit cards with emergency evacuation coverage, by annual fee
Terms
Bank of America Premium Rewards credit cardBank of America $95 Covers eligible medical services and transportation in an emergency evacuation; limit not published.⁠5
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit CardChase $95 Evacuation up to $100,000 on 5- to 60-day trips 100+ miles from home.⁠3⁠1
Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite credit cardBank of America $550 Up to $100,000 for evacuation expenses if you or immediate family are injured or sick far from home.⁠6
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit CardChase $795 Evacuation up to $100,000; medical up to $2,500 after $50 deductible.⁠4⁠2
Platinum Card from American ExpressAmerican Express $895 Emergency medical transportation at no cost only if approved and coordinated by the hotline.⁠8⁠7

Related: Rental car coverage · Trip cancellation and interruption · Trip delay · Baggage delay · Lost or damaged luggage · Travel accident insurance. Need several benefits at once? Use the card finder.

Sources

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