Travel Insurance for Foreign Visitors

Travel insurance for foreign visitors is very important for anyone traveling internationally, but even more so for visitors to the United States.

While the United States offers some of the best healthcare in the world, it is also the most expensive. A single visit to the emergency room can cost you several thousand dollars. If you need to be admitted into the hospital or need surgery while visiting the U.S., the cost may easily be tens of thousands of dollars. Such expenses are simply shocking for most foreign visitors to the U.S., as they can’t even imagine that the cost would really be that high.

The best medical insurance for visitors to the USA typically covers any new medical conditions, injuries or accidents that may occur after the effective date of the policy. Health insurance for foreign visitors to the USA is not usually designed to cover routine medical expenses related to pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, or dialysis. It is also not meant to cover anticipated expenses such as getting knee surgery or receiving cancer treatment while you are visiting the U.S. While a foreign visitor is traveling, many new things can happen such as an upset stomach, food poisoning, diarrhea, pneumonia, cold, flu, COVID-19, fever, falling down the stairs, slipping and falling on ice, and so on. However, there are some travel insurance plans for foreign visitors that can cover the acute onset of pre-existing conditions up to a certain age, which may cover unexpected emergencies without any prior warnings, or symptoms that require treatment within the next 24 hours.

Types of Insurance Coverage

Travel insurance for foreign visitors to USA is primarily available in two types coverage: Fixed Benefit and Comprehensive Coverage.

Fixed benefit plans are the scheduled benefit plans that cost less upfront, but only pay a fixed amount for each and every procedure. For example, it would pay $300 for an emergency room visit. If that visit costs $2,000, you would pay $1,700 out of your pocket. If it pays $3,000 for a surgery that might cost $40,000, you would need to pay $37,000 out of your pocket. As you can see, compared to the actual expenses, fixed coverage plans pay considerably less. 

Someone may wonder, if these plans pay so little and if I am required to pay most of the charges myself, why should I buy such insurance? Why do even such insurance plans even exist? Why do insurance companies even make such insurance plans? 

Such travel insurance plans are made simply to compete with the travel insurance plans from some foreign countries such as India where most of the insurance companies sell only this type of insurance for the elderly population over the age of 55, sometimes even over 50 years of age. In other words, there are considerable risks of purchasing fixed coverage travel insurance, which has sub-limits for every benefit.

That is why foreign visitors to the USA should always consider purchasing comprehensive coverage plans, which, after the deductible, pay 80% or 90% to the $5,000, then 100% to the policy maximum. Some of them even pay 100% right away after the deductible, and some even waive the deductible when visiting a provider within the PPO network. A PPO network is a directory of contracted health providers such as physicians, hospitals, urgent cares, laboratories and so on that participate in the insurance, and can bill the insurance company directly. Comprehensive visitors insurance plans are increasingly popular and they are highly recommended to purchase.

Travel Insurance for Foreigners

As there are many travel insurance plans available for foreign visitors, including medical insurance for visitors to the USA from India, and visitor insurance for parents visiting the USA. it can be confusing as to which one is the best for someone’s specific needs. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase from a marketplace where you can get instant quotes from multiple companies, compare them side-by-side, and make an instant purchase online.

Travel insurance for foreign visitors is not only for the USA. In fact, outside the U.S., travel insurance for foreigners is required by many countries, especially all the Schengen countries.