Are you planning a trip to the USA and wondering what to do in case of a medical emergency? A trip overseas can be stressful, especially when you do not understand how to maneuver the other country’s medical system and the insurance you would need to purchase to cover the costs.
In this blog, you will learn everything you need to know about visitor health insurance when visiting the United States and how to find the best visitor health insurance in USA.
What Is VISITOR HEALTH INSURANCE?
Visitor health insurance Is a type of travel health insurance for international visitors and residents visiting the United States. A visitor health insurance will protect a policyholder’s medical and travel costs for the duration of their stay in the United States starting from the effective date of the policy.
Tourists and people traveling on a few other select visas will benefit from health insurance for visitors and access good quality healthcare and travel benefits for unexpected medical emergencies in the United States.
WHY DO I NEED VISITOR HEALTH INSURANCE?
Millions of tourists visit the US annually to see the vast scenic expanse and groundbreaking technological advances. With this comes a greater risk of falling sick or experiencing an injury. If you’re visiting the USA, health insurance for visitors is highly recommended by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Here are some reasons we recommend visitor health insurance when you visit the USA.
Unexpected illness
Despite basic precautions, succumbing to an unexpected illness during your trip is possible. These are the times when visitor medical insurance can be beneficial. It will cover expenses incurred due to an unexpected illness or injury.
No coverage
Local medical insurance will cover medical expenses within your country but may not protect you during your overseas travel. Visitor medical insurance is made specifically for people visiting the United States or other countries.
Exorbitant Healthcare
It is a known fact that the United States has one of the highest healthcare costs in the world. You can save yourself from paying exorbitant fees with travel medical insurance.
Benefit from Visitor Health Insurance
Depending on your plan and other variables, such as your age, here are some benefits that may be included in your fixed and comprehensive plans.
Medical Benefits
- Policy maximum from $10,000 up to $8,000,000.
- Hospital room and board, including medical services
- Intensive Care Unit
- Ambulance charges
Travel Benefits
- Emergency Medical Evacuation
- Repatriation of remains
- Local Burial or Cremation
- Loss of checked luggage
- Bedside Visits
- Return of Minor Children
- Trip Interruption
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment
What Does Visitor Health Insurance for USA Visitors Cover?
Most plans will cover basic hospital and doctor visit expenses up to the permissible limit in the policy. Based on your visitor medical insurance, here are some benefits that could be covered in your plan.
Coverage for Medical Expenses
Medical Treatment
Covers expenses related to unexpected illness, injury, or accident.
Emergency Medical Evacuation
Evacuate you to the nearest airport that is closest to the medical facility for treatment.
Accidental Death or Dismemberment
Transport your remains back to the home country or towards burial or cremation in the place of death.
Coverage for Travel Expenses
Loss of Checked Luggage
The insurance will cover up to a maximum limit of your loss of checked luggage.
Trip Interruptions
The insurance will cover in the event you have to interrupt your journey and return to your home country.
What are the types of coverage you can buy?
One of the biggest reasons to choose a visitor medical insurance is the lack of medical coverage during overseas trips by a local health insurance plan. The risks involved during an international trip to the USA are unpredictable.
There are two types of coverage in visitor medical insurance plans. These are fixed and comprehensive coverage plans.
Fixed Coverage
As the name suggests, fixed coverage plans have limited coverage, which makes it a very affordable option for travelers visiting the United States. That said, the biggest limitation of this type of coverage is you become responsible for expenses that exceed the coverage limits. Let’s look at some of the benefits of fixed coverage —
- Essential protection, ideal for low-risk travelers
- Low premium that makes it easy on your pocket
- Fixed coverage amount to offer a basic level of protection
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive coverage plans have higher coverage compared to fixed coverage plans. Most comprehensive plans are higher in cost than fixed health insurance plans. Here are some options when it comes to comprehensive coverage plans on VisitorPLANS, such as —
- Atlas America
- Patriot America Plus
- Safe Travels USA Comprehensive
- Visitors Protect
Please check with your agent to determine the right plan for you based on factors such as age, length of stay, place of origin and destination, health risk, etc.
Conclusion
If you’re visiting the US from another country, ensure you purchase travel medical insurance. VisitorPLANS is one of the leading websites in the United States with multiple coverage options for your need.
Check out VisitorPLANS for more information.
