Pulsar or SURA: what actually changes when you need a doctor abroad?
SURA's international travel insurance is sold online by Seguros SURA in Colombia, in three individual plans: Esencial, Plus and Total. [2] This page reads its published conditions next to Pulsar's, clause by clause where the documents allow. We compared SURA's Esencial and Plus with Pulsar's Basic and Standard, because the limits line up. [2][6]
Who is behind SURA's travel policy, and who do you deal with?
The conditions document is issued by SEGUROS SURA. [1] It refers to a "red de proveedores" (a network of providers) and names no separate assistance company. [1] Pulsar is sold by Asteroid LLC in Aventura, Florida, and its assistance and claims are run by MDabroad (US & UK Medical Abroad, LLC), which has worked in international medical assistance since 2000. [6]
What are the medical limits, and how are the plans tiered?
On the product page, the international individual plans are Esencial (medical emergency up to USD 35,000), Plus (up to USD 50,000) and Total (up to USD 75,000). [2] The conditions add that medical expenses, transfers and medical assistances form a single insured amount that goes down as services are used. [1] Pulsar's plans are Basic USD 30,000 (EUR 30,000 on Europe trips), Standard USD 50,000, Superior USD 100,000 and Prime USD 150,000 medical per person. [6]
Are pre-existing conditions covered?
SURA's exclusions (Section 2, item 9) list "enfermedades originadas o adquiridas antes de la contratación, salvo que no las conocieras" [illnesses that began or were acquired before purchase, unless you did not know of them]. [1] Its glossary defines a pre-existing condition as "una patología conocida y/o diagnosticada previamente" [a condition known and/or previously diagnosed]. [1] Separately, item 1.3 of the cover section pays for care "con el objetivo de estabilizarte" [to stabilize you] if a pre-existing illness suddenly decompensates or becomes complicated during the trip. [1]
Pulsar does not cover pre-existing conditions, except acute heart attack and stroke, which are covered regardless of history. [6] An optional upgrade (USD 15,000 or 20,000) covers acute episodes of listed chronic conditions. [6]
What are the age limits, and what changes from 65?
SURA's conditions state: "restricciones de edad hasta los 74 años más 364 días" [age restrictions up to 74 years plus 364 days] (Section 3, item 10). [1] Their published conditions do not state a different benefit level from age 65. [1] Pulsar sells up to age 85 at purchase; from 65 the medical limit applies at 75 percent. [6]
How long can the trip be?
The only day count we found in SURA's conditions is 365 days, in the passage on foreign residents arriving in Colombia (Section 3), where cover starts from the third day of stay. [1] Their published conditions do not state a separate maximum for a Colombian resident traveling abroad. [1] Pulsar's maximum is 180 days. [6]
Is there a deductible?
The words "deducible" and "copago" do not appear in SURA's conditions. [1] Pulsar has no deductible on the plans sold on its site. [6]
How do you get care: call first, direct billing or reimbursement?
SURA's claims clause (Section 3, item 19) says you or your beneficiaries can contact SURA "dentro de las primeras 72 horas de ocurrido el evento" [within the first 72 hours of the event], by #888, WhatsApp 315 275 7888 or the regional and international lines it lists. [1] After 72 hours, "no habrá lugar a reembolsos o pagos de indemnizaciones" [there will be no reimbursements or payments], and only serious cases are reviewed. [1] Evidence of what happened is the policyholder's responsibility. [1] Transfers against SURA's indication or without its prior authorization are excluded. [1]
Pulsar asks you to call first. In network, the clinic bills Pulsar directly. [6] People answer 24/7 by phone and WhatsApp, in Spanish, English or Portuguese. [6]
How long does reimbursement take?
SURA's conditions say it will pay "dentro de los 28 días calendario" [within 28 calendar days] after you prove the loss and its amount. [1] For Pulsar, check the issued plan terms for reimbursement timelines.
Is there telemedicine?
SURA's assistance section includes "atención médica telefónica o virtual como primera atención" [telephone or virtual medical care as first attention] (Asistencias médicas, item 2). [1] That section belongs to the single insured amount described above. [1] The product page lists 24/7 phone and WhatsApp assistance. [2] On Pulsar, telemedicine is unlimited on every plan, with no charge per consultation and nothing counted against the medical limit. [6]
In what currency are you charged?
SURA's product page shows its limits in US dollars. [2] Their published conditions do not state the currency of the premium or of claim payments. [1] Pulsar charges in the traveler's own currency (COP, MXN, PEN, CLP and others) at the prior day's market rate plus 1 percent, rounded up, and refunds the same amount in the same currency. [6]
What about cancellation and refunds?
SURA's conditions (Section 3, item 21) end the policy when you ask in writing, and where it is revoked, the unearned premium is returned proportionally from the revocation date. [1] The conditions do not mention a "retracto" or cooling-off period. [1] Pulsar refunds in full within 10 days of purchase if the trip has not started and nothing was used; afterward it returns 80 percent or offers a free date change until 3 business days before cover starts. [6]
What happens if my flight is delayed?
Among its plan highlights, SURA's product page lists a payment of USD 200 if the airline cancels your trip on Plus, USD 300 on Total, and baggage lost or late up to USD 500 on Total. [2] The conditions we read contain no flight delay benefit. [1] Pulsar reimburses reasonable expenses for delays over 12 consecutive hours (clause 38). [3] 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.
What else is distinctive in SURA's conditions?
The policy must be bought in your place of origin before traveling, and not during a connection. [1] Countries sanctioned by OFAC are excluded, except Cuba. [1] Dialysis, transplants, and oncological, psychiatric and psychological treatments are excluded (Section 2, item 11). [1] Treatment for chronic illness is excluded when the trip was made for that purpose (item 10). [1] Complications of pregnancy are covered up to week 32 (item 1.1). [1]
When might SURA be the better choice?
Several cases. If the trip is inside Colombia, SURA's product page lists domestic plans, Terrestre and Aéreo, [2] while Pulsar is built for trips abroad. [6] If you want a limit between USD 50,000 and USD 100,000, SURA's Total plan sits at USD 75,000. [2] SURA's conditions include accidental death and invalidity cover (Accidentes Personales), and its page shows up to USD 10,000 for partial or total invalidity on Esencial and Plus; check whether the Pulsar plan you want has an equivalent. [1][2] Its item 1.3 pays to stabilize a sudden complication of a pre-existing condition, within a sub-limit, without a paid upgrade. [1] It covers extreme sports in properly equipped, regulated spaces with certified staff (item 1.2). [1] And if you want a Colombian insurer with Colombian phone lines, whose payment deadline is tied to Article 1077 of the Código de Comercio, SURA's conditions say so in those terms. [1]
How do I choose?
Four checks work on any product. First, find the pre-existing clause and read who decides what "known" means. Second, find the deadline to notify the insurer and what happens if you miss it (72 hours here). [1] Third, look for a stated payment deadline and an age cutoff, and compare them with who in your family will travel. Fourth, ask whether telemedicine is counted inside the limit.
Sources
- SEGUROS SURA, "Condicionado Seguro de viaje internacional", proforma F-14-11-0084-355, effective 30/05/2025. https://www.sura.co/documents/d/seguros/clausulado_viajes_digital (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Seguros SURA Colombia, "Seguro de Viaje Internacional SURA - Cotiza y Compra Online 100%". https://www.sura.co/seguros/personas/salud/viajes/digital (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Asteroid LLC, Pulsar terms. https://pulsar.travel/terms/ (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Asteroid LLC, "The Pulsar Promise". https://pulsar.travel/pulsar-promise/ (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Asteroid LLC, "Draft Flight Delay Benefit terms (dated October 1, 2026)". https://pulsar.travel/flight-delay-benefit/ (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Asteroid LLC, "Pulsar Travel Assistance: full text for assistants". https://pulsar.travel/llms-full.txt (accessed 2026-10-01)
This comparison uses the conditions and pages SURA publishes, read on October 1, 2026 (sources above). Conditions change and vary by plan and country: check the current document before you buy. Pulsar is not affiliated with SURA. Brand names belong to their owners.