Visitor Insurance | TravelInsurance.com (2024)

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The Facts About VisitorInsurance Plans

Planning a trip to the United States (or outside of your home country) can be exciting, but it also raises plenty of concerns. International travelers may have health insurance coverage in the country they reside in, but what if they need medical care while they are staying in the U.S. or another destination country? Most domestic insurance plans will not offer coverage once the insured individual leaves their home country. And if that person needs urgent medical assistance, they could end up paying a very high fee they didn’t expect. That is where visitor insurance plans can be useful. You can buy Visitor Insurance here or read more about it below.

What is VisitorInsurance?

Also known as International Travel Medical Insurance, Visitor’s Insurance covers the cost of medical expenses for those traveling to the United States or outside of their home country. This type of insurance focuses on medical expenses that are most likely to occur while visiting other countries. The main reason why this is a necessary form of coverage for travelers is that medical care can be very expensive when you are traveling outside of your home country.

There are two types of visitor insurance plans available. You can choose from a ScheduledBenefit Plan or a Comprehensive plan.

What isa Scheduled Benefit Plan?

A scheduled benefit plan places a cap on each service you may use. For instance, say your visitor’s insurance plan had a limit of $75 per doctor visit and you had to visit a physician while staying in the United States. With a standard benefit plan, your insurance would pay for $75 of your total, and you would be responsible for paying the remaining $100. That is if you already met your deductible.

What isa Comprehensive Plan?

A comprehensive insurance plan doesn’t have any fixed limits on payment for medical treatment. Instead, you have the option to choose a maximum amount of coverage, and any medical expenses you have that are covered by your plan are paid for you after meeting your deductible. Comprehensive plans often have a network that allows visitors to the U.S. to find doctors or medical facilities in their area. For those reasons, comprehensive plans the most popular choice.

Is This Insurance Required for Immigrants Visiting the U.S.?

While ithas many great benefits, visitor’s insurance is not required for those visitingthe U.S. on a B-2 Visa. But it is still highly recommended. Visiting the UnitedStates without health insurance coverage could cause you to pay out hundreds oreven thousands of dollars if you need medical care during your stay.

Purchasinga visitor’s insurance plan is a straightforward process. There’s no need todiscuss your medical history, and exams are not necessary to get coverage.

What Factors Determinethe Cost of Visitor’s Insurance?

There area few factors that help determine the cost of your visitor’s health insuranceplan.

The Ageof the Traveler

Visitor’sinsurance plans are available for travelers of all ages. However, premiumsbegin to go up the older the traveler is. That is due to the increased risk ofhealth problems older travelers may have. But there are still budget-friendlyoptions available regardless of your age.

HowLong You Will Need Coverage

Most companies will break down the cost of coverage to show you quotes for daily, weekly, or monthly rates. That provides customers with an idea of what they can expect to pay while staying in the U.S. Most visitor insurance plans will cover up to a year and can be extended or renewed near the expiration date of the policy.

TheLevel of Coverage You Want

There aretwo types of visitor’s insurance plans available, scheduled benefit andcomprehensive. While comprehensive is considered the best option by mosttravelers and insurance experts, it’s essential to look at factors such ascoverage limits and deductible amounts that could increase or decrease yourpremium.

What Does VisitorInsurance Cover?

Coveragewill vary from one insurance provider to the next, but the majority ofcompanies will cover the following types of medical care and related services.

EmergencyEvacuation

If anemergency medical evacuation occurs during your stay in the U.S., yourvisitor’s insurance will cover the cost of evacuation to the closest medicalfacility. It will also pay for transportation costs as a result of theevacuation.

MedicalExpenses

Thishealth insurance coverage will take care of the medically necessary expensesyou endure due to a new or unexpected illness or injury. That can include thecost of transportation by ambulance, intensive care, or services provided in ahospital emergency room.

Returnof Mortal Remains

If anillness or injury covered by visitor’s insurance results in death, this benefitpays for the cost of returning mortal remains to your home country. It willalso pay for the preparation, cremation, or local burial of your remains at theplace of your death in the U.S.

AcuteOnset of Pre-existing Conditions

With thisbenefit, your visitor insurance coverage will pay for treatment for a sudden orunexpected occurrence of a pre-existing medical condition that occurs withoutwarning. If the events happen after your plan’s effective date and before theage shown on your schedule of benefits, you will be covered. Keep in mind thatconditions that are congenital or chronic that worsen over time are often notconsidered an acute onset and, therefore, not included with coverage.

When to Buy VisitorHealth Insurance

Expertssuggest you purchase your visitor health insurance plan after you have bookedyour flight or set a date for your trip to the U.S. The start date for yourplan should be the day that you depart your home country. And the end dateshould be the day you return home. Remember that your destination’s time zonedetermines the time the policy starts and ends.

How to File a VisitorHealth Insurance Claim

In most cases, a customer may file a claim to their visitor’s insurance company by scanning a copy of the bill, the completed claim form, and all related receipts. The customer then sends the documents to the insurance company using their preferred method, typically by email. Once the insurance company receives the bill and approves the claim, they reimburse the amount owed to the customer. Sometimes the healthcare provider and the insurance company will agree on direct billing. When that happens, the medical facility will send the bill directly to the insurance company; then, they will pay for treatment without the customer having to submit a claim or wait for reimbursem*nt.

How to Buy VisitorInsurance Online

Visitor’s insurance can be beneficial for anyone traveling to the United States or outside of their home country. It can help pay for general medical treatment and emergency care for foreign visitors. Insurance experts will often recommend this coverage to foreign travelers visiting the U.S., mainly because of the high cost of healthcare in America.

To compare and buy Visitor Insurance online, please visit our travel insurance comparison website for Visitor’s Insurance coverage. You can buy a plan to cover your stay in the United States (or outside of your home country) in under five minutes.