Pulsar or Assist Card: what actually changes when you need a doctor abroad?
Assist Card sells travel assistance cards through country sites across Latin America, including Mexico, Colombia and Argentina [3][4][6]. If a bank or a travel agent has offered you a "tarjeta de asistencia", there is a fair chance it was this one. This page reads its published general conditions next to Pulsar's terms, so you can see where the two contracts differ before you pay for either.
One limit up front: Assist Card's general conditions do not list medical limits per plan. Those sit in the voucher you receive at purchase [1]. So we compare the contract, not a plan-by-plan table of amounts.
Is Assist Card insurance?
Their conditions say it is not. The text reads "los servicios ASSIST CARD no constituyen un seguro médico" [the ASSIST CARD services are not medical insurance] (clause C.1) [1]. The same document has a section headed Seguros, which starts with insurance for lost or delayed baggage (D.1) [2]. The general conditions print the name ASSIST CARD but no registered company name [1]. The country sites do: Assist Card de Colombia S.A.S. on the Colombia site and Servicios Nacionales de Asistencia S.A. de C.V. on the Mexico site, and both say Assist Card is not an insurance company but acts as policyholder for its clients [3][4].
Pulsar is sold by Asteroid LLC in Aventura, Florida. Assistance and claims are run by MDabroad (US & UK Medical Abroad, LLC), and the medical benefits are insured by the insurer named in the voucher email [10].
How are the plans tiered?
Assist Card's Mexico and Colombia pages show product names: Classic, Premium, Privileged, Million and Infinity [3][4]. Their general conditions say the benefit limits are in the particular conditions of each product [1]. Their published conditions do not state the amounts. A fixed deductible applies only to products whose voucher includes one (C.4.1.11) [1].
Pulsar has four plans, with medical limits per person of USD 30,000 (Basic; EUR 30,000 on Europe trips), USD 50,000 (Standard), USD 100,000 (Superior) and USD 150,000 (Prime). There is no deductible on the plans sold on the site [10].
Do I have to call before going to a doctor?
With Assist Card, yes. Clause B.2.1 says the traveler must "Comunicarse con una Central ASSIST CARD y recibir la autorización de la misma antes de tomar cualquier iniciativa o comprometer cualquier gasto" [contact an ASSIST CARD central and receive its authorization before taking any initiative or committing any expense] [1]. Their conditions add that ASSIST CARD is not an emergency medical service: in an urgent emergency you go to the nearest emergency care and report it within 24 hours of the event or within 24 hours after discharge (B.2.2) [1].
Pulsar's rule is to call first. In network, the clinic bills Pulsar directly. People answer 24/7 by phone and WhatsApp in Spanish, English or Portuguese, and the Promise says a person answers within 60 seconds [10][8].
How do payments and reimbursements work?
Clause C.4.1 lets Assist Card pay providers directly "cuando ello resulte posible" [when possible], or reimburse the traveler for emergency expenses. Under C.4.1.12, reimbursement applies to emergency expenses that Assist Card's medical department authorized beforehand and that do not exceed the regular prices in force where the care was given [1].
On timing, the document we read gives one year (365 days) to file baggage reimbursement paperwork (C.4.32.3.2) [1]. Their published conditions do not state a deadline for medical reimbursements or a time to pay them.
For Pulsar, check the issued plan terms for reimbursement timelines.
What about pre-existing conditions?
Clause C.4.2 is headed "Dolencias preexistentes y dolencias crónicas". Where a product does not include them specifically, C.4.2.2 says "solo se asumirán los gastos de la primera atención médica hasta el tope indicado en las Condiciones Particulares" [only the costs of the first medical attention will be assumed, up to the cap in the Particular Conditions] [1]. Where a product does include them, C.4.2.1 limits the payment to an acute episode or unpredictable event [1]. Their Argentina site lists "Enfermedades Preexistentes" as an add-on service [6].
Pulsar does not cover pre-existing conditions, with one exception: acute heart attack and stroke are covered regardless of history. An optional upgrade (USD 15,000 or 20,000) covers acute episodes of listed chronic conditions [10].
Is there an age limit, and what changes from 65 or 75?
Assist Card's conditions have a clause headed "Limitaciones y exclusiones por edad" (C.5.13) [1]. An FAQ PDF on their site, which carries no date, lists five limitations for people aged 75 or older, including: no repatriation service (medical transfer stays within the same country), and no service for surgery involving implants or prostheses [5].
Pulsar's maximum age is 85 at purchase. From 65, the medical limit applies at 75 percent [10].
How long can a trip be?
The conditions have a clause on consecutive days of travel (C.5.4) that points to the voucher [1]. The undated FAQ says annual cards allow trips of up to 120 consecutive days (Privileged) or 90 consecutive days (Premium, Corporate and others) [5].
Pulsar's maximum trip is 180 days, with up to 9 travelers per quote [10].
Is there telemedicine?
Assist Card's conditions mention online assistance through the mobile app, "telemedicina" (C.4.1) [1]. Their Colombia page mentions medication prescriptions by telemedicine [4].
Pulsar includes unlimited telemedicine on every plan, with no charge per consultation and nothing counted against the medical limit [10].
What happens if my flight is delayed?
Clause C.4.10, on products whose particular conditions include it, applies when an international flight is delayed more than 6 consecutive hours from the scheduled departure and the traveler has no other transport in that time. Assist Card then reimburses lodging, taxi and food up to the voucher limit, and up to USD 50 without receipts [1].
Pulsar today reimburses reasonable expenses for delays over 12 consecutive hours (clause 38) [7]. Flight delay, with Blink Parametric: register your flight 24 hours ahead and get a lounge pass if it is delayed, live now. An automatic USD 50 payment for a delay of 2 hours or more is coming November 2026. Eligible flights per the terms on your voucher.
Can I cancel and get my money back?
The conditions carry a consumer notice (clause C.1) giving the right to revoke the purchase "durante el plazo de DIEZ (10) días corridos" [within ten calendar days]. It adds that the start of the product's validity counts as use of the service, and that cancellation or date changes are possible only before validity starts [1].
Pulsar refunds in full within 10 days of purchase if the trip has not started and nothing was used. After that, 80 percent back or a free date change until 3 business days before cover starts [7][10].
How am I charged?
For ticket cancellation compensation, Assist Card's conditions say it pays the traveler in the same currency in which the trip was paid (C.4.23) [1]. The documents we read do not say in which currency the card itself is billed.
Pulsar charges in your own currency (COP, MXN, PEN, CLP and others) at the prior day's market rate plus 1 percent, rounded up. A refund is the same amount in the same currency [10].
Anything unusual in their conditions?
Three clauses stand out. Services that originate within 100 km of your habitual residence are excluded unless the product says otherwise, and countries in civil or foreign war are excluded (C.3) [1]. A hospital stay is paid for the card's validity plus 7 complementary days (C.4.1.7) [1]. And an add-on for sports covers recreational, training and competitive practice, amateur and professional (C.4.21.2) [1], with a USD 15,000 cap shown on their Argentina add-on page [6].
When might Assist Card be the better choice?
If your flight is delayed 7 hours and your product includes the benefit, Assist Card's conditions start paying lodging, taxi and food after 6 hours; Pulsar's current trigger is 12 hours [1][7]. If you play sports on holiday and want it covered, Assist Card sells a sports add-on, and Pulsar's terms should be read first for what is excluded [1][7]. If you travel several times a year, Assist Card publishes annual multiple-trip products [3][5]; Pulsar's facts list a maximum of 180 days per trip [10]. If you want baggage or mobile device protection, their site lists add-ons for both [6].
How do I choose?
Four checks work with any product. First, read the limit on the voucher, not the brochure, and ask whether it is per person or per event. Second, find the clause on prior authorization and see what happens if you go to the emergency room without calling. Third, look for the pre-existing conditions clause and read the cap in numbers. Fourth, find out how long reimbursement takes and whether that is written down.
Sources
- Assist Card, Condiciones Generales de Servicios ASSIST CARD (Argentina), última actualización 03.2025. https://www.assistcard.com/DocumentHandler/GetDocument?recordId=184 (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Assist Card, Condiciones Generales de Servicios ASSIST CARD (Mexico site link), última actualización 03.2025. https://www.assistcard.com/DocumentHandler/GetDocument?recordId=556 (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Assist Card México. https://www.assistcard.com/mx (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Assist Card Colombia. https://www.assistcard.com/co (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Assist Card, Preguntas frecuentes (undated PDF). https://www.assistcard.com/pdf/FAQs_es.pdf (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Assist Card, Productos de Assist Card (Argentina). https://www.assistcard.com/ar/productos-assist-card (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Pulsar terms. https://pulsar.travel/terms/ (accessed 2026-10-01)
- The Pulsar Promise. https://pulsar.travel/pulsar-promise/ (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Pulsar Flight Delay Benefit. https://pulsar.travel/flight-delay-benefit/ (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Pulsar product summary. https://pulsar.travel/llms-full.txt (accessed 2026-10-01)
This comparison uses the conditions and pages Assist Card publishes, read on 2026-10-01 (sources above). Conditions change and vary by plan and country: check the current document before you buy. Pulsar is not affiliated with Assist Card. Brand names belong to their owners.