EA+ vs. Good Sam Travel Assist: Which is the Better Travel Assistance for You?

If you’ve done any research into travel assistance, you’ve likely come across two names during your search: Emergency Assistance Plus and Good Sam TravelAssist.

Both are respected brand names in the travel assistance space and offer a range of services for travelers looking for some extra protection and peace of mind on their trips. But while each company is technically in the same category, there are some significant differences between the services offered, plan details, and target audiences.

In this post, we’re going to break down some of the main differences between Emergency Assistance Plus (EA+) and Good Sam TravelAssist while offering some context into which might be a better fit for your specific needs.

Company overviews

First, let’s provide some background on these two travel assistance companies.

Emergency Assistance Plus

Emergency Assistance Plus was founded in 1996 and boasts an accredited A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. EA+ has protected over 2 million travelers, providing them with emergency medical transportation, security, and travel assistance services. The services are provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in coordination with a network of air ambulance transport companies, dedicated Global Response center representatives, and in-house medical teams.

Good Sam TravelAssist

Good Sam TravelAssist is part of the Good Sam family, which is well-known among RV enthusiasts and travelers. It’s designed to offer specialized assistance to those who travel by road, particularly RV owners. However, it also provides comprehensive coverage for general travelers.

Good Sam TravelAssist is a key offering from Good Sam, which has a longstanding reputation in the RV community.

Service Comparisons

The range and types of services offered (along with the cost) is typically the most significant factor when shopping for travel assistance. Every traveler has different needs, and some providers cater to certain groups more than others.

Both EA+ and Good Sam TravelAssist have extensive services. To make this section more easily digestible, we’ve divided up the service comparison charts by medical evacuation, travel/medical assistance, and transportation home.

Medical Evacuation

Both travel assistance companies offer first-class medical evacuation, but there are a few key differences.

Emergency Assistance Plus

EA+ provides emergency medical evacuation via ground or air ambulance if deemed medically necessary. The goal is to get you to an appropriate hospital if your current facility can’t properly treat your medical condition. EA+ starts assessing your condition from the first call to determine whether you need to be moved to a different hospital for treatment. This service is available 24/7/365.

What sets EA+ apart in this area is that we provide a rescue nurse or nurse escort for the return home service to ensure members get home safely and receive continued medical monitoring during their trip home.

Good Sam TravelAssist

Good Sam TravelAssist offers emergency medical evacuation to the nearest appropriate medical facility. This plan also provides a ground ambulance benefit of up to $200 toward emergency transportation while away from home.

Good Sam TravelAssist does not have any medical or non-medical escort services at all for the return home trip.

Medical and Travel Assistance

Travel assistance encompasses many different services that are not usually provided by your health insurance or by most travel insurance plans. Here’s a look at the support EA+ and Good Sam TravelAssist can provide you and your family during a trip.

Emergency Assistance Plus

EA+ offers one of the most comprehensive sets of features of any travel assistance provider. In addition, EA+ has an in-house medical staff that will be reviewing your condition, work with your attending doctors, and will even send a medical specialist to you if your condition cannot be assessed over the phone, you are unable to be transported, or if local treatment is unavailable. Other medical assistance services include:

• Emergency medical monitoring
• Continuous updates to a designated family member
• Emergency message forwarding assistance
• Transfer of insurance information to medical providers
• Advance medical payments
• Prescription and medical device replacement assistance
• 24-hour doctor/ER/dentist/attorney locator service

In terms of non-medical travel assistance, EA+ provides plenty of services there, as well. Members have access to:

• Destination intelligence and real-time security intelligence
• Emergency cash advance assistance
• Lost luggage assistance
• Document replacement assistance
• Language interpretation assistance
• Other Travel Assistance services, like making flight arrangements or hotel arrangements if necessary

Read more about EA+’s medical and travel assistance services.

Good Sam TravelAssist

Good Sam TravelAssist provides a broad range of travel assistance services tailored to road travelers and RV owners. This includes services like emergency messaging, translation services, and pre-trip information, and the return of your vehicle.

Transportation services

Many travel assistance providers help get you to an appropriate hospital for treatment, but not all make sure you, your family, and travel companions make it home safely as well. Additionally, if you have a medical emergency while in possession of one of your vehicles, like an RV, you could face challenges even with travel assistance.

Emergency Assistance Plus

EA+ has industry-leading transportation home services, going above and beyond what most travel assistance providers offer. For example, EA+ will ensure that your vehicle is returned home if you’re not able to drive it after a medical emergency. Additionally, if you’re alone and hospitalized away from home, EA+ will arrange for a family member to join you at the medical facility.

This is perhaps the biggest advantage EA+ has over Good Sam TravelAssist: Its comprehensive coverage for medical transportation home.

Note that EA+ plans have the option to add services, including Expanded Evacuation Security Services which provides protection against social/political unrest and natural disasters. This is noted in the plan details and cost section below.

EA+ offers the ability to transport you home by air or ground ambulance if medically necessary, regardless of whether you’re able to drive or not. This makes EA+ particularly valuable for travelers concerned about receiving continued medical care at home after an emergency.

Good Sam TravelAssist

Good Sam TravelAssist’s transportation services are particularly focused on vehicle return, which is crucial for RV owners. This program ensures that your RV, boat, or motorcycle gets home safely if you can’t drive it yourself. The service is essential for those who spend a lot of time on the road and need to ensure that their vehicles are taken care of during an emergency.

Restrictions

Many travel assistance providers have restrictions in place that limit who is eligible and when services can be activated.

Emergency Assistance Plus

• No age restrictions
• No dollar limit on services
• No limit on annual trip volume
• No pre-existing condition exclusions or medical exams for any age
• No limit on distance from home to activate services (except for Washington residents who must be 100 miles from home)

Good Sam TravelAssist

• No age restrictions
• No pre-existing condition exclusions
• No limit on distance from home to activate services
• Combined single limit of $200,000 per member, per event

Types of travel assistance plans offered and costs

Both companies offer membership plans that are relatively straightforward but have a few important distinctions. Let’s take a closer look at the overall plan structures before we get into the services offered.

Emergency Assistance Plus

EA+ has a simple plan structure of two annual membership options (each with a flat-rate with all services included) that enables you to easily determine your membership cost with a two-step process:

Choose between:

• EA+ Essential Annual Membership
• EA+ Premier Annual Membership

Specify who you’d like to protect:

• Individual membership
• Family membership

Annual Rate:
EA+ Essential: $209
EA+ Premier: $279

The rates above are for an individual membership, but with EA+, it’s only $60 more to protect your spouse and dependents with a family plan.

EA+ also offers the option to upgrade your plan with enhanced services via the Premier, Extended Family option. This includes services like:

• Expanded evacuation: Paid evacuation for security and natural disaster evacuations
• Transportation home to choice hospital: Transport to medical facility of your choosing (rather than the closest)
• Hotel and pet upgraded seating: Priority accommodations for you, your family, and pets

Good Sam TravelAssist

Good Sam TravelAssist also offers a straightforward membership structure. However, the focus is on road travelers, particularly RV owners. The plan options are designed to cover a range of needs, from basic travel assistance to more comprehensive vehicle return services.

Choose between:

• Standard Plan
• Premier Plans (additional protection for pets)

Specify who you’d like to protect:

• Individual
• Couple
• Family

Annual Rate:
Individual: $89.99
Couple: $99.99
Family: $109.99
Family + Pets: $179.99

These rates reflect an annual membership with an automatic re-enrollment discount applied.

Similar to EA+ Good Sam TravelAssist offers a few options to upgrade your plan with enhanced services via their Premier option. While not as extensive as the offerings from EA+, it does include:

• Paid natural disaster evacuation
• 24-hour nurse hotline
• Standard hotel accommodations for you, your family, and pets

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And there you have it—an objective analysis of two of the leading providers of travel assistance. While similar, there are a few key differences in terms of cost and services offered between EA+ and Good Sam TravelAssist.

If cost is your primary concern, an individual plan from Good Sam TravelAssist may be your best bet. If you’re looking for the most comprehensive medical evacuation and companion assistance services, EA+ may be better for you.

If you’d like to speak with an EA+ team member about our services, please visit our website or call 866-863-4460 (toll free).

All information provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of 11/6/2024. All information regarding Good Sam TravelAssist’s services is based on a review of their website.