Redpoint Travel Protection

What Redpoint Travel Protection is

Redpoint Travel Protection sells three travel protection plans that combine insurance underwritten by a separate carrier with assistance services run by Redpoint itself. It is a plan brand and assistance provider, not the insurer. The plan pages say "The plans also contain travel assistance services provided by Redpoint Resolutions LLC," and that "The cost of your plan is for the entire plan, which consists of both insurance and non-insurance components." On the underwriter, the pages carry two statements side by side. One reads "Insurance underwritten by State National Inc., a Texas domiciled corporation (NAIC Company Code: 12831; TX license number 6026)," and the Cavalry benefits note names "State National Insurance Company Inc." The next line reads "Travel insurance coverage is underwritten by Centurion Casualty Company." The site does not say which carrier applies to which policy; the policy wording names it.

The Ripcord plan also runs on its own domain, ripcordrescuetravelinsurance.com, which carries the same Ripcord plan page word for word. It is one of Redpoint's three plans, not a separate company.

Three plans, three kinds of trip

Redpoint sorts its plans by the trip rather than by tier. Ripcord Rescue Travel Protection is for "Remote destinations with limited communications or medical facilities." Cavalry Elite Travel Protection is "Best for cultural or luxury trips to foreign cities and towns." Harbor Standard Travel Protection is "Cost effective for domestic or budget-friendly trips." Each plan has a published benefit schedule, per person. The comparison page matches activities to plans: Ripcord for climbing, skiing, hunting and expeditions, and Cavalry for "Major international tourist attractions, bicycle touring, day hiking, cultural experiences, urban travel, leisure travel, luxury trips, and more."

Ripcord is the plan built for this category. Its page calls it "Our most comprehensive travel insurance, with evacuation, rescue, and premium coverages." The schedule lists medical evacuation and repatriation of remains "included up to $1,000,000," political, security or natural disaster evacuation at $150,000, search and rescue at $25,000, emergency accident and sickness medical expense at $100,000 per person (which the features list describes as "secondary medical expense coverage"), and dental at $750. Trip cancellation pays up to 100% of the insured trip cost and interruption up to 150%. Optional Cancel For Any Reason pays up to 75% of non-refundable cost. Trip delay pays up to $200 a day to a $1,000 maximum, baggage $2,500 with a $300 per-item cap, baggage delay up to $600 after 12 hours, missed connection $1000, and accidental death and dismemberment $25,000.

Cavalry keeps the same $1,000,000 evacuation limit and $100,000 medical expense limit, and the same cancellation, interruption and baggage figures, but drops the political evacuation and search and rescue lines. Its FAQ says evacuation to a home hospital of choice in the United States happens only if "it is deemed medically necessary and is pre-approved by both the attending physician and the designated Travel Assistance Services Provider."

Both of the higher plans carry a travel inconvenience benefit of $250 per inconvenience up to $750, which the Cavalry FAQ says covers events such as closed attractions, hotel infestations and rental property lockouts, plus a single occupancy supplement and pet return. Their cancellation reasons, per the FAQs, include illness, injury or death of the traveler or a family member, complications of pregnancy, mandatory evacuations, terrorist incidents, strikes, severe weather, financial default of a travel supplier, jury duty and quarantine. The Ripcord and Cavalry pages frame their emergency services around travelers who are "100 miles or more from home."

Harbor lowers the medical side: $50,000 in emergency medical expense, $500 dental, and medical evacuation "included up to $500,000." Trip delay is $100 a day to a $500 maximum. Its table lists baggage at $750 and baggage delay at $200, while its FAQ says "up to $1,000 for baggage loss and up to $300 for baggage delay," so the two parts of the page disagree. Harbor covers 16 specified cancellation reasons against 30 or more on the other two.

Adventure sports and rescue

Ripcord is where Redpoint puts adventure cover. The adventure page says that on Ripcord rescue services are "a standard part of the policy," and describes the plan as built for "climbing, skiing, hunting, expeditioning, safariing, and more." The evacuation page says Ripcord's 24/7 assistance team "has the authority to determine that an evacuation is necessary" and that when treatment is only available at home, Ripcord pays the cost of flying the traveler home upfront, directly to the service provider. Ripcord's FAQ says travelers can request a rescue by mobile phone, satellite phone or messaging device.

Not everything is covered. The Ripcord FAQ says "Excluded activities include BASE jumping, bull riding, bungee jumping, cliff diving, and scuba diving beyond 131 feet (40 meters), among others." The same FAQ says benefit limits cannot be customized beyond choosing a plan.

Pre-existing conditions, pricing and buying

All three plans list a "Pre-existing medical condition waiver if purchase conditions are met." The Cavalry FAQ says the waiver applies only if the policy is bought within the Time Sensitive Period and the traveler is medically able to travel at purchase. Without the waiver, the plan notes state an "exclusion for pre-existing conditions." On price, the adventure page says "most of our policies range from 6% to 15% of total trip costs," driven mainly by traveler demographics and trip price. The quote form offers single trip or annual plans, asks for country and state of residence, and has an optional CFAR box.

Claims and assistance

Ripcord's FAQ says claims need "itemized receipts and documentation from service providers" submitted through an online claims portal, and that Redpoint, "as the designated Travel Assistance Services Provider, offers 24/7 support for emergencies, including pre-authorizing and arranging services like medical evacuation, search and rescue, and repatriation." Harbor is sold as a "One stop program with a single contact for emergency services, travel assistance, claims and more." The plan pages also say benefits "may vary by state."

Who it suits, and who it fits less well

Ripcord fits a traveler heading into remote country, on a climb, a trek, a hunt or an expedition, who wants field rescue, political evacuation and a $1,000,000 evacuation limit with an assistance team that can authorize the evacuation itself. Cavalry fits a city or cultural trip where hospital-of-choice evacuation matters more than rescue. Harbor is the budget option for domestic or simple trips.

The plans fit less well for a BASE jumper, a bungee jumper or a diver going past 40 meters, all excluded on Ripcord, and for a buyer who wants the carrier settled before buying, since the plan pages name two different underwriters.