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- If you are traveling to the United States, you may want to get temporary visitor’s medical insurance
- Visitor’s medical insurance can protect you against exorbitant out of pocket costs in case there is a medical emergency while you are traveling
- The rates and benefits that will be covered can vary depending on the international health insurance you purchase
- If you are going to be in the United States for a longer period of time on an eligible visa, you may want to consider short-term health insurance
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What is visitor’s medical insurance?
Visitor’s medical insurance is a temporary insurance policy for visitors who are traveling abroad. It can help protect you from having to pay high costs in the case of an injury, illness, or more serious medical emergency. It is particularly important to purchase visitor’s medical insurance when you are traveling to the United States because healthcare costs can be extremely expensive.
In most cases, you will purchase the temporary policy from an insurance company based in the United States. These companies are more familiar with the United States healthcare system and hospitals are more likely to accept their insurance policies. Many of these companies also offer 24/7 customer support.
However, it may be possible to purchase an international health insurance policy from your home country. Keep in mind that it will most likely not provide the same level of coverage as a U.S.-based plan.
If you do need to use your insurance, you may have to file a claim that includes proof of the medical visit and all of the associated bills.
Compare American visitor’s health insurance quotes for free and find the best deal today by entering the zip code of the US city you’ll be staying in into the box above!
What kind of benefits does US visitor’s insurance cover?
The two most common types of medical visitor’s insurance are limited coverage plans and comprehensive coverage plans. The benefits can vary depending on the company you purchase it from and the type of plan you get. Some plans allow you to choose the rate of your deductible as well. Keep in mind that if you have a lower deductible, you may have a higher daily or monthly premium payment.
Most visitor’s medical insurance plans will cover an illness you develop while you are away and an injury you sustain. Some may cover more serious medical emergencies and the cost of returning remains in the event of a death.
Comprehensive plans will cover a more extensive list of services.
Most visitor’s medical insurance will not cover medical services that relate to a pre-existing condition, pregnancy and childbirth, vision, dental, or preventive care such as a wellness visit or immunization. You will have to look through your own individual insurance plan to find out exactly what is going to be covered.
What are the costs of visitor’s medical insurance?
The costs of visitor’s medical insurance will vary depending on the company and the type of insurance plan. Many of the insurance plans will require copayments and deductibles in addition to the basic cost of the insurance plan. If you are only getting travel medical insurance for a short period of time, you will most likely pay daily rates.
The daily rates may vary depending on your age and other factors including deductible costs and benefits coverage. Some of these rates can start as low as $2 a day.
Are there other short-term health insurance plans available?
If you are going to be staying in the United States for an extended period of time and you have an eligible visa, you may want to consider short-term health insurance plans which are different than traveler’s medical insurance. There are some drawbacks to short term health insurance plans since they do not have to comply with many of the Affordable Care Act regulations.
Insurance companies do not have to renew your plan and they do not have to offer coverage for pre-existing conditions. They can also refuse to pay or kick you off your plan if it turns out you need medical services for a pre-existing condition that you did not mention on your application.
You can get short term health insurance coverage for a period of time from 30 days to 12 months.
Although documented immigrants with eligible visas can purchase a plan on the healthcare exchange marketplace if they want to, short-term health insurance plans are not available for purchase there. You must buy them through a private insurance company or broker.
The benefits of short-term health insurance plans are that they are low-cost, short-term, and you can get approval the next day.
Medical Insurance for US Travel
If you are going to be traveling through the United States for less than a month, you should purchase visitor’s medical insurance. If you are an immigrant who will be in the United States on a visa for more than a month, but less than a year, you may want to get short term health insurance instead.
Enter a US zip code below and start comparing private short-term health insurance plans for your visit now!
[su_spoiler title=”References:” icon=”caret-square” style=”fancy” open=”yes”]
- https://www.visitorscoverage.com/visitor-medical-insurance/
- https://www.travelinsure.com/products/visit-usa-healthcare/
- http://obamacarefacts.com/insurance-exchange/short-term-health-insurance/
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