Has anyone here actually filed a claim with Chase and if so how did it go?

[LuAnn]

I'm trying to decide what to do re trip insurance...I need medical coverage for sure so trying to decide how to "cobble" this all together. Take a policy with Allianz with full coverage or use Chase and then buy something like Geo Blue?  Your thoughts? Thanks!

[Babr]

The question is not so much whether Chase will pay a claim as it is whether you know what is covered.
 

The two main travel benefits that Chase offers are cancellation and trip interruption, and even those are limited. The covered reasons for cancellation are listed in the Guide to Benefits but do not apply to cancellations caused by a pre-existing condition. The dollar limits are adequate if you are using the premium card. Trip interruption coverage reimburses unused prepaid nonrefundable expenses but not return transportation. There is language about change fees but no allowance for increased cost. Trip delay is only $500 and covers common carrier delay only. It will not pay hotel or meals for other kinds of delay. 

There are some odds and ends such as baggage delay. The premium card offers $2500 coverage for emergency medical expenses.

 

In the end, Chase leaves some significant gaps in coverage compared to standard travel coverage, but it depends on your needs and your comfort level with the risks involved.

 

[LuAnn]

On 6/27/2022 at 5:17 PM, Babr said:

The question is not so much whether Chase will pay a claim as it is whether you know what is covered.
 

The two main travel benefits that Chase offers are cancellation and trip interruption, and even those are limited. The covered reasons for cancellation are listed in the Guide to Benefits but do not apply to cancellations caused by a pre-existing condition. The dollar limits are adequate if you are using the premium card. Trip interruption coverage reimburses unused prepaid nonrefundable expenses but not return transportation. There is language about change fees but no allowance for increased cost. Trip delay is only $500 and covers common carrier delay only. It will not pay hotel or meals for other kinds of delay. 

There are some odds and ends such as baggage delay. The premium card offers $2500 coverage for emergency medical expenses.

 

In the end, Chase leaves some significant gaps in coverage compared to standard travel coverage, but it depends on your needs and your comfort level with the risks involved.

 

Thank you ..appreciate the info!! 

[Hlitner]

Yes, we did file a large claim back in 2018 under the trip interruption coverage.  I actually posted about that experience here on CC.  Eventually, after several months of back and forth, Chase did send us a check for $10,000.  This payment was somewhat of a compromise, but we decided not to press our claim since the settlement amount was reasonable...if not complete.

 

That same incident did involve substantial medical bills and trip evacuation but that was all settled by our travel medical provider, GeoBlue.   We did not ask Chase for any help regarding medical or trip evacuation (which was all paid by GeoBlue).  

 

Like many travel insurance providers, Chase subcontracts with a third party company (or at least that is what existed back in 2018) to handle their claims management.  Those folks (who were never identified) were somewhat difficult (not unusual for claims processing folks) and I think they used a too common philosophy of trying to wear down the claimant with constant demands for more documentation and delays.   Since I worked in the medical insurance industry this was not surprising and I saw it for what it was.  As I have previously posted, when dealing with claims processors you need to be patient, polite, keep your cool, and be persistent.  Document everything you do (phone calls, e-mails, snail mails, etc) and keep plugging away until you either get a satisfactory resolution or a written explanation (which can be appealed or forwarded to a third party advocate).

 

Finally, I will say we have been satisfied with Chase and have found them a better option than our previous AMEX Platinum card.  The two (Chase Sapphire Reserve and AMEX Platinum) are both excellent high-end cards that are in constant competition.  Which is the best option will generally depend on each individuals spending habits, travel habits, and a few other things such as your home town.  So, for example, for someone who lives in NYC, often uses LaGuardia and Uber, the AMEX card might be a very good deal.  For those of us who seldom use Uber and do not often utilize the Amex Centurian Lounges the Chase card may be a better option.

 

Hank

[LuAnn]

On 7/6/2022 at 6:49 AM, Hlitner said:

Yes, we did file a large claim back in 2018 under the trip interruption coverage.  I actually posted about that experience here on CC.  Eventually, after several months of back and forth, Chase did send us a check for $10,000.  This payment was somewhat of a compromise, but we decided not to press our claim since the settlement amount was reasonable...if not complete.

 

That same incident did involve substantial medical bills and trip evacuation but that was all settled by our travel medical provider, GeoBlue.   We did not ask Chase for any help regarding medical or trip evacuation (which was all paid by GeoBlue).  

 

Like many travel insurance providers, Chase subcontracts with a third party company (or at least that is what existed back in 2018) to handle their claims management.  Those folks (who were never identified) were somewhat difficult (not unusual for claims processing folks) and I think they used a too common philosophy of trying to wear down the claimant with constant demands for more documentation and delays.   Since I worked in the medical insurance industry this was not surprising and I saw it for what it was.  As I have previously posted, when dealing with claims processors you need to be patient, polite, keep your cool, and be persistent.  Document everything you do (phone calls, e-mails, snail mails, etc) and keep plugging away until you either get a satisfactory resolution or a written explanation (which can be appealed or forwarded to a third party advocate).

 

Finally, I will say we have been satisfied with Chase and have found them a better option than our previous AMEX Platinum card.  The two (Chase Sapphire Reserve and AMEX Platinum) are both excellent high-end cards that are in constant competition.  Which is the best option will generally depend on each individuals spending habits, travel habits, and a few other things such as your home town.  So, for example, for someone who lives in NYC, often uses LaGuardia and Uber, the AMEX card might be a very good deal.  For those of us who seldom use Uber and do not often utilize the Amex Centurian Lounges the Chase card may be a better option.

 

Hank

Thanks so much Hank!! Such helpful info. I was thinking about buying a Geo Blue policy and then using the Chase coverage if needed for trip interruption. I believe the Chase also covers cancellation..is that correct? I don't have any pre-existing conditions. I have a Medicare Advantage Plan and it has some coverage out of the US but only $25,000 which I don't consider nearly enough! Geo Blue covers Covid as a diagnosis and also has some coverage for a return flight and hotel if you ended up in quarantine. I too worked in the medical field and so "know the drill" !! I used Allianz when my DH was still alive because of his ill health and pre-existing conditions and I was pleased with them when I needed to file a claim last year. But that coverage is so much more expensive. Does this sound like a good plan to you? I've seen your posts for years and value your insight! Thank you!

[Hlitner]

17 minutes ago, LuAnn said:

Thanks so much Hank!! Such helpful info. I was thinking about buying a Geo Blue policy and then using the Chase coverage if needed for trip interruption. I believe the Chase also covers cancellation..is that correct? I don't have any pre-existing conditions. I have a Medicare Advantage Plan and it has some coverage out of the US but only $25,000 which I don't consider nearly enough! Geo Blue covers Covid as a diagnosis and also has some coverage for a return flight and hotel if you ended up in quarantine. I too worked in the medical field and so "know the drill" !! I used Allianz when my DH was still alive because of his ill health and pre-existing conditions and I was pleased with them when I needed to file a claim last year. But that coverage is so much more expensive. Does this sound like a good plan to you? I've seen your posts for years and value your insight! Thank you!

If you have read my insurance related posts you already know I always urge anyone to read the policy (including fine print and definitions) and look for a policy or policies that best meets your own needs/wants.  We are all different and this applies to dealing with risk.  I also think that if folks are just not sure they should seek out a travel insurance professional (such as Steve Dasseos) who represent multiple companies.

 

Chase does have cancellation coverage (up to $10,000 per person) but that coverage does come with many restrictions that may not please everyone.   It is nothing like the "Cancel for any Reason" that seems to have become quite popular.  When Chase started promoting their Sapphire Cards a big sell was their insurance benefits.  We will never know how many informed travelers switched from AMEX Platinum to Chase Sapphire Reserve (we are among that crowd).  It is also telling that AMEX finally got the message and added their own coverage (which is somewhat different than what is offered by Chase.

 

I should also mention that I have no problem with Allianz (many of my friends like their policies) and they also sell some decent products.  

 

The combination of using Chase Sapphire card coverage and also having an annual GeoBlue travel medical policy has been something I have liked for years.  For me, as a frequent International traveler it provides a decent safety net that covers all of our trips throughout the year for much less cost than buying individual Trip Insurance for each of our many trips.  We are also OK with self-insuring some risk (especially where the potential loss is not back breaking) while focusing on the big issues.  But while that does work for us and our own risk tolerance, it may or may not work for you.  I once explained to a friend that although we traveled (just before COVID) nearly 7 months out of the country in a single year, our entire travel insurance cost was less than $400!  And then I further mentioned that our medical insurance coverage was $250,000 (now reduced to $100,000 because of our age).  Our friend was shocked and said they spent thousands on insurance (for only a few weeks of travel per year) and only had $20,000 of medical coverage (which I say is totally inadequate).

 

By the way, one reason (among many) that I love CC is that folks like Steve Dasseos and others with lots of knowledge can read my posts and flame me if they think I am out of line :).  

 

I do have enough knowledge of Medicare Advantage Plans (having worked over 35 years in the government medical insurance sector) that I do not want to depend on that coverage.  As you have mentioned, it is seriously limited by a lifetime cap and there can be many roadblocks to actually getting reimbursed for your medical expenses.  One nice thing about GeoBlue is that they take on the Primary role for claims outside the USA.  Even I was surprised (when filing a GeoBlue Claim) when they did not ask me to file anything with our Medicare Advantage Plan.  If there was to be any claims coordination it was done by them.   With most policies you would first have to file with your Advantage Plan and then wait until they adjudicated the claim.  They might hassle you about getting all the documents translated to English (expensive and time consuming).   In our case I had inches of medical documentation from Japan and some of it was in Kanji.  GeoBlue just told me to send them everything and they would take care of the translation.  And since I did not have to first submit to my Advantage Plan (Aetna) it saved me months.  Geoblue paid our claim in less than a month..and it was a pretty complex claim.

 

I will admit to being somewhat of a Geoblue cheerleader because they were more than fair to us.  Perhaps that is wrong since I base my support on a single complex claim, but the assigned medical case manager earned some loyalty (from me) for doing her job with efficiency and a compassion that I have seldom seen from any insurer.  Does this mean it would be the same for another claim today?  While we can sure hope...there is never a guarantee.  And I should add that Geoblue did not pay everything that I thought should be paid.  There were a few disagreements, but that is how things work with most complex claims.  One small rejection (about $200) was almost amusing since I did what they suggested and then they told me it was not covered (because I followed their advice).  But the pros so outweighed the cons that DW and I actually had a good laugh (and cocktails) over that small denial (for a big taxi fare from Yokohama to Narita).

 

Hank

[westcoastmom]

On 6/27/2022 at 5:17 PM, Babr said:

The question is not so much whether Chase will pay a claim as it is whether you know what is covered.
 

The two main travel benefits that Chase offers are cancellation and trip interruption, and even those are limited. The covered reasons for cancellation are listed in the Guide to Benefits but do not apply to cancellations caused by a pre-existing condition. The dollar limits are adequate if you are using the premium card. Trip interruption coverage reimburses unused prepaid nonrefundable expenses but not return transportation. There is language about change fees but no allowance for increased cost. Trip delay is only $500 and covers common carrier delay only. It will not pay hotel or meals for other kinds of delay. 

 

Can someone else verify whether the Chase Sapphire Reserve interruption will not pay for return transportation particularly increased cost because this worries me. If your trip is interrupted, you have to purchase new tickets at significantly higher cost. 

Hank?

[GeezerCouple]

Just now, westcoastmom said:

Can someone else verify whether the Chase Sapphire Reserve interruption will not pay for return transportation particularly increased cost because this worries me. If your trip is interrupted, you have to purchase new tickets at significantly higher cost. 

Hank?

 

 

We don't have experience with charge card travel claims, even though we might have been eligible for some coverage.  That's because we always get third party travel insurance that we *know* will cover what we might need (which might include something related to a pre-existing condition, for example).

 

The "trip interruption" coverage (as distinct from "trip cancellation" coverage) includes payment of covered expenses up to 150% of the original amount of the coverage (100% is what "trip cancellation" would pay).

This would go much farther if one needed to buy new airline tickets, for example, or exchange for higher-priced tickets.  It would also help cover some of those return expenses in addition to covering any lost non-refundable pre-payments for travel services not yet taken that will be forfeited.

 

And everything covered is paid in cash, no "credits" that require using a specific travel vendor or with any deadline.

 

The fact that we get coverage that doesn't exclude pre-existing conditions also means that the claim might be processed more quickly;  there'd be no need to scroll through any medical records to double check that no pre-existing condition was involved.

 

We've had quite a few claims, including some large ones, and have never had a claim denied.

GC

 

[LuAnn]

23 hours ago, Hlitner said:

If you have read my insurance related posts you already know I always urge anyone to read the policy (including fine print and definitions) and look for a policy or policies that best meets your own needs/wants.  We are all different and this applies to dealing with risk.  I also think that if folks are just not sure they should seek out a travel insurance professional (such as Steve Dasseos) who represent multiple companies.

 

Chase does have cancellation coverage (up to $10,000 per person) but that coverage does come with many restrictions that may not please everyone.   It is nothing like the "Cancel for any Reason" that seems to have become quite popular.  When Chase started promoting their Sapphire Cards a big sell was their insurance benefits.  We will never know how many informed travelers switched from AMEX Platinum to Chase Sapphire Reserve (we are among that crowd).  It is also telling that AMEX finally got the message and added their own coverage (which is somewhat different than what is offered by Chase.

 

I should also mention that I have no problem with Allianz (many of my friends like their policies) and they also sell some decent products.  

 

The combination of using Chase Sapphire card coverage and also having an annual GeoBlue travel medical policy has been something I have liked for years.  For me, as a frequent International traveler it provides a decent safety net that covers all of our trips throughout the year for much less cost than buying individual Trip Insurance for each of our many trips.  We are also OK with self-insuring some risk (especially where the potential loss is not back breaking) while focusing on the big issues.  But while that does work for us and our own risk tolerance, it may or may not work for you.  I once explained to a friend that although we traveled (just before COVID) nearly 7 months out of the country in a single year, our entire travel insurance cost was less than $400!  And then I further mentioned that our medical insurance coverage was $250,000 (now reduced to $100,000 because of our age).  Our friend was shocked and said they spent thousands on insurance (for only a few weeks of travel per year) and only had $20,000 of medical coverage (which I say is totally inadequate).

 

By the way, one reason (among many) that I love CC is that folks like Steve Dasseos and others with lots of knowledge can read my posts and flame me if they think I am out of line :).  

 

I do have enough knowledge of Medicare Advantage Plans (having worked over 35 years in the government medical insurance sector) that I do not want to depend on that coverage.  As you have mentioned, it is seriously limited by a lifetime cap and there can be many roadblocks to actually getting reimbursed for your medical expenses.  One nice thing about GeoBlue is that they take on the Primary role for claims outside the USA.  Even I was surprised (when filing a GeoBlue Claim) when they did not ask me to file anything with our Medicare Advantage Plan.  If there was to be any claims coordination it was done by them.   With most policies you would first have to file with your Advantage Plan and then wait until they adjudicated the claim.  They might hassle you about getting all the documents translated to English (expensive and time consuming).   In our case I had inches of medical documentation from Japan and some of it was in Kanji.  GeoBlue just told me to send them everything and they would take care of the translation.  And since I did not have to first submit to my Advantage Plan (Aetna) it saved me months.  Geoblue paid our claim in less than a month..and it was a pretty complex claim.

 

I will admit to being somewhat of a Geoblue cheerleader because they were more than fair to us.  Perhaps that is wrong since I base my support on a single complex claim, but the assigned medical case manager earned some loyalty (from me) for doing her job with efficiency and a compassion that I have seldom seen from any insurer.  Does this mean it would be the same for another claim today?  While we can sure hope...there is never a guarantee.  And I should add that Geoblue did not pay everything that I thought should be paid.  There were a few disagreements, but that is how things work with most complex claims.  One small rejection (about $200) was almost amusing since I did what they suggested and then they told me it was not covered (because I followed their advice).  But the pros so outweighed the cons that DW and I actually had a good laugh (and cocktails) over that small denial (for a big taxi fare from Yokohama to Narita).

 

Hank

Thank you Hank! I used GeoBlu before I had Medicare coverage and thought it very reasonable. I will check with Steve's company to see if they have anything else to suggest but at this point I'm leaning towards the Chase card coverage and the Multiple Trip Annual policy with GeoBlu. 

[Babr]

 

2 hours ago, westcoastmom said:

Can someone else verify whether the Chase Sapphire Reserve interruption will not pay for return transportation particularly increased cost because this worries me. If your trip is interrupted, you have to purchase new tickets at significantly higher cost. 

Hank?

 

 

https://cdn.f9client.com/api3/file/1130287/inline/BGC10981_Sapphire_Reserve_CF57027.pdf?__gda__=exp=1657337132~acl=/api3/file/1130287/inline/BGC10981_Sapphire_Reserve_CF57027.pdf*~hmac=044a8df7dd1cd1baee978ca5828830b03b0b579515652944747a23528df5f999

 

I know you asked for someone else to verify coverage, but I am including a link to the Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa  Guide to Benefits in effect 8/15/2021, which may be the most recent version, so you can see for yourself.

 

Trip Interruption begins on page 40. It covers the unused prepaid nonrefundable expenses of your trip. Pay special attention to the last item under conditions outlined for trip interruption on page 43.

 

Remember that credit card coverage does not perform the same as comprehensive travel insurance because it is not comprehensive travel insurance. It is one of many perks you get in return for your $500 plus annual fee.

 

[mpk]

On 7/6/2022 at 6:49 AM, Hlitner said:

Like many travel insurance providers, Chase subcontracts with a third party company (or at least that is what existed back in 2018) to handle their claims management.  Those folks (who were never identified) were somewhat difficult (not unusual for claims processing folks) and I think they used a too common philosophy of trying to wear down the claimant with constant demands for more documentation and delays.   Since I worked in the medical insurance industry this was not surprising and I saw it for what it was.

 

What's that old saying...  insurance companies are very eager when accepting your money.  On the paying out part, not so much.

[aloha_DC]

So,  not fully answering your question, but 

 

1. I had a small claim on chase reserve for a delayed flight last year,  went fine, they paid quickly 

 

2. I almost missed a cruise cause of flight delays a few weeks ago and was told chase would have likely covered the missed cruise cost, but would not have covered the flights if I wanted to fly and catch up with the cruise at its first port

 

 

[LuAnn]

On 7/8/2022 at 5:00 PM, Babr said:

 

 

 

https://cdn.f9client.com/api3/file/1130287/inline/BGC10981_Sapphire_Reserve_CF57027.pdf?__gda__=exp=1657337132~acl=/api3/file/1130287/inline/BGC10981_Sapphire_Reserve_CF57027.pdf*~hmac=044a8df7dd1cd1baee978ca5828830b03b0b579515652944747a23528df5f999

 

I know you asked for someone else to verify coverage, but I am including a link to the Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa  Guide to Benefits in effect 8/15/2021, which may be the most recent version, so you can see for yourself.

 

Trip Interruption begins on page 40. It covers the unused prepaid nonrefundable expenses of your trip. Pay special attention to the last item under conditions outlined for trip interruption on page 43.

 

Remember that credit card coverage does not perform the same as comprehensive travel insurance because it is not comprehensive travel insurance. It is one of many perks you get in return for your $500 plus annual fee.

 

Link isn't working?

[Babr]

47 minutes ago, LuAnn said:

Link isn't working?

https://static.chasecdn.com/content/services/structured-document/document.en.pdf/card/benefits-center/product-benefits-guide-pdf/BGC10981_SapphireReserve_VisaInfinite.pdf

 

Didn’t work for me either. This second attempt did.

 

Try googling Chase Sapphire Reserve Guide to Benefits if it doesn’t work for you.

Edited July 10, 2022 by Babr

[jclinard]

On 7/9/2022 at 4:40 PM, mpk said:

 

What's that old saying...  insurance companies are very eager when accepting your money.  On the paying out part, not so much.

 

Insurance companies are good at collecting premiums and denying claims.

 

People give me grief for stating you should only get insurance recommendations from people who know what color the company writes their checks one.  But I'll keep saying it.