Essential vs. Premier Memberships – What’s the Difference?

Two responsive plans geared to members needs

Since 1996 Emergency Assistance Plus® (EA+®) has been providing travelers with world class travel protection. Whether their travels take them across the state or across the world, EA+ is committed to meeting the needs of members. That’s why over 2 million travelers have relied on EA+ since its inception. As time has gone on, the program has added new and additional services to ensure that we stay true to our original product promise of getting members home safely.

A strong foundation with the Essential plan

It all started with the EA+ Essential plan – our original membership option. This plan provides the most critical services needed by members if they face a medical emergency while traveling away from home – at a price that’s hard to beat. We believe Emergency Assistance Plus is the first thing that all travelers should pack when they depart on their travels, and we’ve maintained our commitment to keeping this level of membership comprehensive while still being affordable. It covers all of the essential services that members need when faced with an emergency away from home.

Over time, members’ needs have evolved, necessitating the creation of different levels of protection to meet their diverse needs.

Emergency Assistance Plus has always been aware of and responsive to the needs of members. By listening to our members, and focusing on the customer experience, we are able to ensure that our product stays competitive and valuable. We are continuously working to enhance and tailor the product based on customer needs. As time has gone on, we’ve added new services and made changes to the plan to better meet the needs of members. After learning that some members desired a higher level of protection than what is offered with the Essential plan, the need for a new plan became evident. That led to the development of the EA+ Premier plan. The EA+ Premier plan offers the next level of assistance that many members have found valuable. Some of the enhancements to the plan were upgrades to existing services, while others were completely brand-new additions.

Enhancements we added to the Premier plan:

• Transportation Home Service offers upgraded airfare seating and choice of destination.
• RV/Vehicle Return service offers inclusion of a third vehicle.
• The Transportation Home for Companion Service increased the number of companions covered from 1 companion to 3 companions.
• Pet Care & Return Home arranges and pays for pet housing and return while you are unable to make that journey.

Brand new services to the Premier plan include:

• Hotel Room for Companion While Member Hospitalized
• Bereavement Reunion
• Hotel Stay While Awaiting Transportation Home

The Premier plan adds services that go above and beyond the basic level of need met by the Essential plan at a price that is still affordable – less than $7.00 a week. These additional services are very helpful for members who take road trips with multiple vehicles (such as an RV towing a car and an additional car/truck that is driven separately) or who might travel with more than one companion. The enhancement to the Pet Care and Return Home benefit removes the stress of worrying about how your beloved pet will get home.

Here is a snapshot of the key difference between memberships:

Whether members choose the Essential plan or the Premier plan, we are confident that the EA+ membership our members select will be the right plan to take care of them should they have a medical emergency while away from home. To learn more about all services provided by EA+ Essential or Premier, visit our Plan Information page. For a comprehensive comparison of all services provided by EA+, view our comparison chart here.

Custom plan options may be available from select partners.