Complete Guide To Obtaining US Travel Health Insurance For Visitors

Travel health insurance is essential when visiting the US. Even if you are well and simply staying a week or two, you cannot forecast the future or mishaps. USA visitor health insurance reduces the cost of medical issues or accidents.

Do I Need to Get US Travel Insurance?

No, technically. Health insurance is not necessary for short-term US visitors. Medical insurance for tourists visiting the US is not required, however it is strongly recommended due to the high cost of healthcare.

US doctor consultations can cost hundreds. After an accident, the ambulance ride to the ER can cost thousands of dollars, not to mention medical treatment and hospitalization. Without health insurance, you must pay for everything. Bills can reach tens of thousands of dollars, if not hundreds.

You can get US health insurance if you spend longer than six months in the US. Compare travel and foreign health insurance here.

Your plan determines coverage. Insubuy, a comparison marketplace, offers affordable US visitor health insurance.

What Does US Travel Health Insurance for Visitors Cover?

Usually, all health insurance plans for visitors to the US cover the following:

• Doctor’s visit
• Hospitalization (the cost of the hospital room)
• The cost of prescription drugs and medicine
• Surgical procedures
• Emergency services, such as the ambulance and ER
• The cost of lab tests and X-rays
• Physical therapy

The following medical procedures, however, are not included in all plans:

• Dental
• Maternity
• Pre-existing conditions
• AD&D (accidental death and dismemberment)

Where to Find the Best Travel Health Insurance for Visitors to the United States?

Travel health insurance is one of the first things that all visitors to the United States must consider when planning their trip. Online is the most convenient way to get travel health insurance for the United States. Comparison markets like Insubuy allow you to effortlessly evaluate several plans from the comfort of your own home.

What Is the Best Health Insurance Plan for Visitors to USA?

Here are the best health insurance plans for visitors to the United States:

• Safe Travels for Visitors to the USA.
• Visitor Secure.
• Visitors Care.
• Safe Travel USA Comprehensive.
• Atlas America.
• Safe Travel USA Cost Saver.
• Atlas Essential America.
• Safe Travels USA.
• Atlas Premium America.
• Patriot America Plus.
• Patriot America.
• Patriot Platinum America.
• Beacon America.

If you are unsure about these plans, you can simply use Insubuy to compare them.

How to Purchase Visitor Medical Insurance for The US?

You must investigate and select a suitable US visitor health insurance plan before buying one. This involves carefully reading several plans.

Insubuy lets tourists compare US health insurance policies.

Read the medical insurance policy to find out how much and what it covers before buying. See below for US tourist health insurance considerations.

Things to Keep in Mind When Buying Travel Health Insurance for USA

Purchasing health insurance in the US can be tricky and confusing even for residents, let alone visitors. So, before deciding on which plan to purchase, make sure you have considered the following:

• There are various levels of coverage available for health insurance policies. They can provide coverage ranging from $25,000 to millions of dollars. This is the most money your insurance company will pay for your medical bills. Policies with additional coverage will, of course, cost more.
• You have to choose a plan with a policy maximum in concurrence with the time you intend to stay in the US. So, if you are only staying for a week, the policy maximum can be smaller than if you were staying for a month or longer.
• Even if you are in good health, do not settle for the cheapest visitors health insurance plan you can find. This is because, if you require medical care while visiting the United States, a low-cost health insurance policy will most likely only cover a percentage of your medical expense, leaving you to bear the bulk.

The coverage: What types of travel health insurance plans are there for visitors?

Coverage-wise, there are two types of travel health insurance plans:

• Plans with a fixed coverage
• Plans with comprehensive coverage

Fixed coverage

• For this type of health insurance plan, the insurance company pays a fixed sum for each medical procedure, regardless of the cost of the procedure.
• So, assume you have a $5,000 deductible but need a $50,000 surgery in this situation, you will have to pay around $45,000 yourself, depending on the deductible.
• You have to pay a deductible every time you get sick or injured.
• They have a lower policy maximum
• They are usually cheaper to purchase.

Comprehensive coverage

• This health insurance plan covers a proportion of medical procedures up to a specific sum. For any costs exceeding that amount, the company pays 100% of the costs up to the policy maximum.
• (Example: After the deductible*, the health insurance company covers 80%–90% of the first $5,000, then 100% up to the policy maximum).
• You have to pay a deductible only once for the entire policy.
• They have a higher policy maximum.
• They are more expensive.

Before your health insurance company covers a procedure, you must pay the deductible. You must pay your $2,000 deductible before the company pays.

**The policy maximum is the most the travel health insurance coverage will pay for eligible medical services or expenses. Plans with larger policy maximums cost more.

The price

The price of a travel health insurance plan depends on three main factors:

• The type and extent of coverage desired. As previously stated, comprehensive coverage plans are more expensive than fixed coverage. Furthermore, there are plans that cover additional medical treatments and/or emergencies; some can begin the day you arrive in the United States, while others cover you while you are traveling; the more coverage you choose, the more expensive the travel insurance plan.
• The duration. The price of health insurance changes depending on the duration that you need coverage for. A one-week coverage period will be cheaper than if you were purchasing insurance for one month, for example.
• Your age. All travel health insurance plans rise in price with age. Seniors pay more for the same coverage. Most health insurance companies do not cover visitors over 69. Thus, if your parents are visiting you in the US, you must select a suitable health insurance plan for elderly visitors.

NOTE: Get the most expensive plan you can find! Because cheap plans provide far less coverage, if you have a medical emergency, you will end up paying a lot more out of your own pocket later on.

Prices for travel health insurance are controlled in the United States, so you won’t be able to locate a cheaper plan elsewhere.

Pre-existing conditions coverage

Pre-existing condition coverage is not provided by all health insurance carriers in the United States. If you have diabetes, for example, they will not cover the cost of your diabetes medicine while you are abroad. This is because travel insurance is only designed to protect you for emergencies or mishaps that occur while traveling.

Pregnancy coverage

Travel health insurance does not cover pregnant conditions, even “normal” ones. Thus, if you give birth, receive a checkup, or get help for morning sickness in the US, you must pay for your medical bills.

Some travel insurance plans include pregnancy issues, although coverage is limited.