What’s the Difference Between EA Plus Services and Travel Insurance?
EA+ (Emergency Assistance Plus) and travel insurance can both provide valuable support when something goes wrong during a trip, but they serve different purposes.
EA+ is an emergency assistance membership focused primarily on medical transportation and related travel assistance. Travel insurance is an insurance policy that can protect both your health and the financial investment you have made in your trip.
For some travelers, having both can provide complementary protection.
What Does EA+ Provide?
Emergency Assistance Plus, or EA+, is an annual membership program, not an insurance policy. It provides emergency medical transportation and travel assistance services for eligible members traveling domestically or internationally.
Depending on the membership level and circumstances, EA+ services may include:
- Emergency medical evacuation to an appropriate medical facility
- Transportation home following a hospitalization
- Medical escorts when medically necessary
- Transportation assistance for a traveling companion
- Transportation home for unattended minor children
- Transportation for a family member or friend to join a hospitalized member
- Return of remains
- Certain vehicle or RV return services
EA+ generally must arrange and provide the covered transportation services directly. It is not typically a reimbursement program where you make your own arrangements and submit a claim afterward.
Some EA+ services require hospitalization or other eligibility criteria, so members should always review their specific Member Guide.
What Doesn’t EA+ Cover?
One of the most important distinctions is that EA+ does not pay your medical treatment bills.
EA+ states that it does not cover expenses such as:
- Doctor or physician charges
- Emergency room expenses
- Hospital bills
- Surgery or other medical procedures
- Prescription medication
- Other medical treatment expenses
EA+ is therefore not a replacement for health insurance or travel medical insurance.
It also is not designed to provide the same type of financial protection for your prepaid trip costs that a comprehensive travel insurance policy may provide.
What Does Travel Insurance Cover?
A comprehensive travel insurance policy can provide financial protection for a variety of travel-related losses, depending on the plan purchased.
Benefits may include:
- Trip Cancellation: Reimbursement of eligible prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if you must cancel for a covered reason
- Trip Interruption: Reimbursement of eligible unused trip expenses and certain additional transportation costs if a covered event interrupts your trip
- Emergency Medical: Coverage for eligible medical treatment needed because of an unexpected illness or injury while traveling
- Emergency Medical Evacuation: Coverage for eligible emergency transportation when medically necessary
- Travel Delay: Reimbursement for certain additional expenses caused by a covered delay
- Baggage Coverage: Benefits for eligible lost, stolen, damaged or delayed baggage
- 24/7 Assistance Services: Help coordinating care and other services during an emergency
The exact benefits, limits, exclusions and covered reasons vary significantly from one travel insurance policy to another.
EA+ vs. Travel Insurance
| EA+ | Travel Insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of product | Annual membership | Insurance policy |
| Domestic travel | Yes | Yes, subject to policy eligibility |
| International travel | Yes | Yes, subject to policy eligibility |
| Emergency medical evacuation | Yes, when eligibility requirements are met | Often included, subject to policy terms and limits |
| Transportation home after hospitalization | Yes, when eligibility requirements are met | May be included |
| Medical treatment bills | No | May be covered |
| Trip cancellation | No | May be covered |
| Trip interruption reimbursement | Not the same type of trip-cost coverage | May be covered |
| Lost or delayed baggage | Generally not its purpose | May be covered |
| Prepaid trip-cost protection | No | May be covered |
Do I Need EA+ If I Already Have Travel Insurance?
Possibly.
They are not necessarily competing products.
EA+ can provide valuable emergency transportation and assistance services, while a comprehensive travel insurance policy can protect against financial losses such as medical expenses, trip cancellation, interruption, delays and baggage problems.
For example, a traveler could have EA+ available to assist with arranging an eligible medical evacuation or transportation home while also having a travel insurance policy that provides coverage for eligible medical bills or prepaid trip expenses.
Having one does not automatically mean you have all the benefits provided by the other.
Does EA+ Replace Travel Insurance?
No.
EA+ itself states that it is a membership program rather than an insurance policy and that it is not a substitute for medical insurance. It focuses primarily on emergency medical transportation and related assistance services.
Travel insurance addresses different risks, particularly the financial consequences of canceling or interrupting a trip, receiving medical treatment while traveling, experiencing significant delays, or losing baggage.
Does Travel Insurance Replace EA+?
Not necessarily.
Many comprehensive travel insurance policies include emergency evacuation and assistance benefits, so there may be some overlap.
However, benefit amounts, eligibility requirements, destinations, transportation provisions and assistance services vary by policy.
If you already have EA+, it is helpful to consider those benefits when evaluating travel insurance so you understand where your protection overlaps and where there may still be gaps.
Which One Should I Choose?
The better question may be what risks are you trying to protect against?
If your main concern is emergency medical transportation and assistance getting home after a serious medical event while traveling, EA+ may provide valuable services.
If you're concerned about losing prepaid, non-refundable trip expenses, paying medical bills overseas, trip interruption, baggage problems or travel delays, you should consider a comprehensive travel insurance policy.
Many frequent travelers choose to carry both because the products address different risks.
If you're unsure what protection you already have or what additional coverage might make sense for an upcoming trip, the ICI Traveler team can help you compare the benefits.
Important Information
EA+ is a third-party membership program and is not affiliated with ICI Traveler. EA+ benefits, eligibility requirements and services are determined by Emergency Assistance Plus and may change. Please review your current EA+ Member Guide for complete details.
Travel insurance plans vary by insurance company and policy. All benefits are subject to the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the policy purchased.
ICI Traveler is not the insurance carrier or claims administrator and cannot determine claim outcomes. Coverage decisions and reimbursements are made by the insurance company or claims administrator identified in your policy documents.
Need Help?
Not sure whether your existing coverage is enough for your next trip?
ICI Traveler can help you review your travel insurance options and understand how they may work alongside benefits you already have.
📧 support@icitraveler.com
📞 800-576-2674