Patriot America Plus vs Safe Travels Elite
Patriot America Plus and Safe Travels Elite are both comprehensive options aimed at a similar profile — visiting parents in the 0–89 age band. The differences are narrower than the brochures suggest, and they show up in places most buyers don't look. The table below calls the winner on each point.
If typical premium band and avg claim settlement is what you'd actually claim on, Safe Travels Elite is the safer pick. Patriot America Plus only beats it on age eligibility, which is a narrower win than the marketing suggests.
Side-by-side: who wins what
| Feature | Patriot America Plus | Safe Travels Elite | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage limit | $1M | $1M | |
| Lowest deductible | - | - | |
| Pre-existing condition cover | Acute-onset | Acute-onset | |
| Direct billing at hospitals | Yes | Yes | |
| Hospital network size | Very large | Very large | |
| Typical premium band | ~$215 | ~$200 | Safe Travels Elite |
| Avg claim settlement | 30 days | 18 days | Safe Travels Elite |
| Age eligibility | 0-99 | 0-89 | Patriot America Plus |
| COVID covered | Yes | Yes | |
| Emergency evacuation | $1M | $1M | |
| 24×7 support | Yes | Yes |
Where they're the same
- Both Patriot America Plus and Safe Travels Elite settle directly with US hospitals — no $50k credit card hold at admission.
- COVID-19 treatment is in scope on both — handled like any other illness, not a separate rider.
- 24×7 phone support sits behind both plans — useful when a hospital admits at 2am IST and you need pre-auth.
- Both are true comprehensive plans — they pay actual hospital bills, not capped per-day or per-procedure amounts.
Acute-onset PED only up to age 70; 20% coinsurance on first $5k stings.
Costs more than Safe Travels USA Comprehensive — only choose if PED cover matters.
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This comparison reflects publicly available IMG and Trawick plan documents as of 2026. Sub-limits, exclusions and territorial rules can change between buy dates, so the official Patriot America Plus and Safe Travels Elite certificates are the source of truth.