Are you a non-U.S. citizen renting a car in the United States? If so, your rental car company may offer an insurance option called Emergency Sickness Protection (ESP). Don’t fall for it.
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Instead, before you travel to the U.S., take out travel insurance that includes coverage for medical expenses abroad. Otherwise, know that there are no reciprocal health care agreements in place for visitors to the USA from foreign countries.
What happens if you have no insurance? You can get medical treatment in the U.S., but you will have to pay for it in full. American medical fees can be extremely high compared to other countries. The final bill for treating a common injury such as a broken ankle can run into thousands of dollars.
What is Emergency Sickness Protection in a Rental Car?
ESP is an insurance product offered by some rental car companies. It theoretically provides sickness protections for international visitors to the US. It’s offered by a third party, which typically charges the rental car company 75 cents per rental day. In turn, the rental car company can then charge $3 or more per day to the renter. That’s called gouging.
It’s a markup that’s fantastic for commissions, so the agents at the counter are highly motivated to sell. But this insurance will duplicate coverage you already have through your travel insurance policy.
Fine print for Emergency Sickness Protection
Even worse, the typical Terms and Conditions shows many exclusions in which a claim could be denied.
Any illness that starts before or after the rental
Any pre-existing condition
Vision, dental, or hearing coverage
Any form of accident
Participation in organized sports
Cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes
Cancer or tumors
Congenital conditions
STDs
Anything related to pregnancy
Travel against physician orders
Travel to seek medical care
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The Enterprise Holdings Companies (Alamo, Enterprise, and National) plus Sixt don’t even bother to offer Emergency Sickness Protection. We consider that a customer-friendly position.