Ask the Experts

The Travel Medical plans that we offer are available for purchase either before or after arrival. Because these policies typically only provide coverage for anything new that happens after the policy start date, we recommend that you make your purchase prior to embarking on your travels. This will help ensure that you are protected, should anything unexpected happen along the way. If you wish to insure yourself after you've already arrived, note that some policies do have specified restrictions in terms of how long you may wait to provide you with coverage. For this reason, it is important to check the policy documents of each plan before making a decision. If you will be traveling to the U.S. on a visitors visa, you can explore your options and find a plan that best fits your individual needs here.

The I-134 Affidavit of Support is a contract between the sponsor and the US government stating that the sponsor will be responsible for the visitor/beneficiary while the visitor is in the US. Make sure that the sponsored person has sufficient financial support for the time period of their stay. I.e. basic amenities to support their living and welfare in US. This includes: food, boarding, clothing and health care. For possible healthcare expenses arising out of illness or injury, it is a good idea to get a good visitors medical insurance policy. You can find more information in the following link: US Visa Sponsors Liabilities: Whether the Sponsor is Liable for Visitor's Unpaid Bills?

After a policy has been purchased, changes to coverage dates can only be made by extending or canceling your policy. If you would like to change the start date of a policy, we recommend canceling the policy and repurchasing a policy with your new travel dates. Most policies can be canceled for a full refund if the cancellation is submitted before the start date. If the policy has already gone into effect, there may be a fee for early termination. You must submit a formal request for cancellation or policy changes by signing into your VisitorsCoverage Account.

Canadians visiting the US can consider any of the visitors insurance plans we offer based on their individual needs. However, two of the post popular plans for visitors to the United States are CoverAmerica Gold and Patriot America Plus. Both plans offer comprehensive coverage for visitors and pay 100% up to the policy maximum within the PPO network, after the deductible.

All of the travel medical insurance policies available for visitors to the U.S. are also suitable for those on K visas. Some policies that are available to those on K visas include: Safe Travels USA Comprehensive, and Patriot America Plus. You can view, compare, and purchase any of the available policies here.

It is always up to the doctor's discretion to diagnose a pre-existing condition. There may be a 2 year "look back period" which means the attending medical staff will look back two years into your medical records and health history to look for any other instance or treatment of stroke or a related condition. Some plans may provide coverage for unexpected life-threatening situations related to pre-existing conditions. For more about pre-existing conditions see our page about Pre-Existing Conditions for Visitor Insurance

You can choose to either pay the amount upfront in full, or purchase an extendable plan for 1 month initially, and then continue to extend it for a maximum period of 12 months. There are no monthly payment plans available for travel medical insurance. Extending your policy must be done before it expires and there may be an extension fee. You can extend your policy by logging in to your VisitorsCoverage Account.