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Health insurance from other countries generally isn’t accepted in the U.S. and medical care in the States can be expensive. That’s why buying visitors insurance for your U.S. trip can be a smart move.
Insurance for visitors can reimburse a person’s medical expenses if they get sick or injured during their stay in the U.S. Visitors insurance works more like traditional U.S. health insurance—with deductibles, copays and provider networks—than standard travel medical insurance. If you need routine, urgent or emergency medical care while in the U.S., visitors coverage can help pay the bills.
What Is Visitors Insurance?
Visitors insurance provides short-term medical coverage for non-U.S. citizens staying temporarily in the USA. These types of policies—also called travel medical insurance—are typically for trips up to 364 days. For example, visitors insurance is a common type of travel insurance for parents visiting the U.S. whose adult children live here.
If you’re an American traveling internationally, you can also buy travel medical insurance, often as part of comprehensive travel insurance policies that cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delays, medical costs and much more.
Types of Insurance for Visitors
The two main types of visitors insurance are fixed insurance and comprehensive insurance. You get less coverage with fixed insurance than with comprehensive insurance. For example, maximum coverage amounts can be millions of dollars for comprehensive visitors insurance plans. However, the wider scope of coverage provided by comprehensive plans makes them more expensive than fixed visitors insurance plans.
Fixed Insurance for Visitors to the U.S.
- Coverage limits for various expenses. Fixed visitors insurance plans have an overall medical cost maximum that the insurer will pay, as well as specific benefit limits for different covered medical expenses.
- Deductibles apply per event. You pay an initial deductible for each injury or sickness and the fixed visitors insurance coverage pays for the remainder of your covered expenses.
- Limited coverage. Fixed insurance for visitors provides much less medical coverage compared to comprehensive medical insurance for visitors.
- Little if any trip benefits. Fixed plan travel insurance typically provides little to no coverage for trip cancellation, delay or interruption.
- Network flexibility. You can receive treatment from any hospital or doctor you wish, but fixed plan benefits only pay up to the set limits for each service.
Comprehensive Insurance for Visitors to the U.S.
- No sub-limits. There is no coverage cap on different medical events. Benefits for covered medical expenses have a plan maximum that the insurer will pay.
- Coinsurance and deductibles apply. You pay the deductible and a pre-set percentage for coinsurance. For example, the coinsurance can be 20% for the first $5,000 of the medical expense incurred. After $5,000, the plan pays 100% of the eligible medical expenses up to the plan maximum. Other plans may pay 90% up to the first $5,000 and 100% after that.
- Robust coverage. Comprehensive travel insurance supplies more robust coverage than fixed plan travel insurance, so may be worthwhile if you’re concerned about the high cost of a medical emergency while you’re in the U.S.
- Trip coverage. Some comprehensive visitors insurance coverage provides benefits for trip cancellation, interruption and delay.
- Out-of-Network coverage is more costly. Comprehensive visitors coverage usually works within a preferred provider organization network, which means your costs are more if you see providers outside the network.
What Does Visitors Insurance Cover in the USA?
Visitor insurance for the USA generally works much like a U.S. health insurance plan. It helps pay for inpatient and outpatient care, urgent and emergency medical services, as well as a range of other types of medical treatments, such as:
- Emergency dental costs
- Emergency medical evacuation expenses
- Emergency medical treatment for pregnancy complications
- Medication/prescriptions
- Mental health disorders
What Does Visitors Insurance Not Cover?
The list of what’s not covered by visitors insurance varies by insurance policy, so review the policy for details on what conditions and activities are not covered. Exclusions otten include:
- Attempted suicide or suicide
- Cosmetic surgeries
- Elective surgeries
- Extreme sports injuries
- Injury or illness while over the legal limits for alcohol
- Self-inflicted injuries that are intentional
Health Insurance for Visitors to the USA
The best medical insurance for visitors to the USA provides high levels of compensation for medical bills, high reimbursem*nt percentages for out-of-network care and a choice of deductibles. Cost is important, too. You want a policy that packages together valuable benefits at an affordable price.
Best Visitors Insurance Companies
| Company | Company - Logo | Forbes Advisor Rating | Forbes Advisor Rating | Policy | Choices of deductibles | Learn More CTA text | Learn more CTA below text | LEARN MORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas America |  | 5.0 |  | n/a | $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 | Get A Quote | Via Squaremouth's Secure Website | |
| Patriot |  | 5.0 | | America Lite | $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500 | Get A Quote | Via Squaremouth's Secure Website | |
| Patriot | | 4.5 |  | America Plus | $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500 | Get A Quote | Via Squaremouth's Secure Website | |
| Safe Travels USA |  | 4.0 |  | Comprehensive | $0, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 | Get A Quote | Via Trawick International's Secure Website | |
| Seven Corners |  | 4.0 | | Travel Medical Basic | $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $5,000 | Get A Quote | On Seven Corners' Secure Website |
Many travel insurance companies sell different types of visitors insurance plans to meet a range of budgets and needs. You can purchase visitors insurance online at company websites or at a visitors insurance comparison site.
Insurance for Visitors Plans
| Insurance company | Examples of visitor insurance policies offered |
|---|---|
| IMG Global | Patriot America Plus, Visitors Protect Insurance and Patriot Platinum Medical Insurance |
| Seven Corners | Travel Medical USA Visitor Basic and Travel Medical USA Visitor Choice |
| Trawick International | Safe Travels USA Comprehensive |
| USI Affinity | Visit USA-HealthCare Visitors Insurance (Budget Plan, Standard Plan and Superior Plan) |
| WorldTrips Travel Insurance | Atlas America |
How Much Does Insurance For Visitors Cost?
Insurance for visitors can cost about $200 to $400, on average, according to VisitorsCoverage, a visitor insurance comparison provider. But many factors will influence what you pay, such as the type of policy you buy, your coverage amounts, your age and the length of your trip.
Examples of Visitors Insurance Costs
| Company and policy name | Cost for visitors age 60 and 65 from India coming to U.S. for 30 days ($50,000 in medical coverage with a $100 deductible) | Cost for a visitor age 70 from India coming to U.S. for 90 days ($100,000 in medical coverage with a $250 deductible) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas America | $447 | $1,147.50 | ||
| Patriot America Lite | $303.93 | $659.70* | ||
| Patriot America Plus | $331.65 | $720* | ||
| Seven Corners Travel Medical Basic - USA | $330 | $979.20 | ||
| Safe Travels USA Comprehensive | $328.20 | $1,139.40 | ||
| Source: Forbes Advisor research. *Patriot costs are based on a $50,000 policy because $100,000 wasn’t available. | ||||
How Much Travel Medical Coverage Should You Get As a Visitor to the U.S.?
Visitors to the U.S. should get a travel medical policy with a maximum coverage amount that’s enough to pay for all of their medical bills if they get seriously ill or injured while in the States. But it might be hard to estimate that number. Consider the following to get an idea of how much coverage you need:
Trip length. Take into account how long your trip is—the longer the stay, the higher the likelihood that you may have a medical emergency or need urgent care, which means higher coverage amounts may be a prudent choice. For example, you can find visitors insurance policies with maximum coverage amounts of $500,000 to $8 million.
Your age and the condition of your health. If you are older, you may be more prone to experiencing medical issues that require treatment. The same goes if you have health conditions. You may decide higher coverage amounts make more sense in these situations.
Your comfort with risk. While a longer visit may increase the chance that you have a medical emergency, it’s also possible that you could be in the States for just a week and still suffer from a major illness or injury. Lower coverage amounts for a shorter trip may suffice if you’re OK with the inherent risk involved. For example, some visitor insurance policies provide coverage amounts choices ranging from $10,000 to $500,000.
Compare & Buy Travel Insurance
Methodology
To identify the best medical insurance for visitors coming to the USA, we scored only comprehensive travel medical plans on the following criteria:
Cost (50% of score): Plans with lower costs were awarded the most points. We analyzed average rates for:
- A 70-year-old traveler from India coming to the U.S. for 90 days, with coverage of $100,000 with a $250 deductible (or closest deductible).
- Two travelers ages 60 and 65 coming from India to the U.S. for 30 days, with coverage of $50,000 with a $100 deductible (or closest deductible).
Trip interruption benefits (10% of score): Points were awarded if policies included $10,000 or more in trip interruption benefits. If a visitor has to cut their trip to the U.S. short and return home, this coverage can pay the costs. To make a claim for trip interruption, the reason must be listed in the policy.
Choices of policy maximum coverage amounts (10% of score): Points were awarded if the policy had maximum medical coverage amounts of $500,000 and up.
Urgent care out-of-network reimbursem*nt (10% of score): Policies that cover out-of-network urgent care at 100% (after copay) earned points.
Emergency room out-of-network reimbursem*nt (10% of score): Policies that cover out-of-network emergency room care at 100% (after copay) earned points.
Emergency dental care (10% of score): Points were awarded if emergency dental care coverage was $300 or more.
Insurance for Visitors Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I need visitors insurance when I travel to the U.S.?
Yes, you need visitors insurance if you travel to the U.S. if you want to be compensated for medical expenses if you get sick or injured here. Health plans from other countries aren’t typically accepted in the U.S.
Where do I buy travel insurance for visitors?
You can buy visitors insurance online. Many travel insurance companies sell visitors insurance on their websites and you can also purchase visitors insurance online from a visitors insurance comparison provider such as VisitorsCoverage.
Visitors insurance policies range from budget plans with low benefit limits to more expensive policies with more generous coverage.
