Emergency Room Coverage – When to Use It

Emergency room (ER) Visits in the U.S. are extremely expensive. This is true even for minor non-emergency problems like allergy, cold and fever. ER charges are notoriously high. Even normal check-ups and tests like X-Rays and bloodwork can be very costly. 

 

Emergency Room Charges Covered for Major Emergency Situations:

Most visitors insurance policies provide Emergency Room Coverage charges for any major medical emergency situation. However, expenses incurred in an emergency room, for non-emergency situations, may not be fully covered or may have limitations. Read and understand your policy for benefits related to ER.

Go to Emergency Room only for Major Emergencies:

If someone has a major injury or a life-threatening sickness, they should use the Emergency Room.  For example if someone has a heart attack, head injury, or has a major accident, you should take them to an ER. The ERs of big hospitals are better at dealing with such life threatening situations, which might require multiple specialist physicians and surgeons.

Choose an Urgent Care Center for Non-Emergency Medical Situations:

Not only are ER visits expensive, waiting time in the emergency room on an average is quite long. If someone has a serious but non-life-threatening medical condition like a fever and vomiting, allergies, or minor injuries that can be treated at a physician’s clinic, then it is advisable to go to the Urgent Care. Not only does it save you money, it also saves you from the hassles of long waits in the ER.

If you go to an Urgent Care and the doctors present there determine that the situation is indeed life-threatening, they would themselves call the ambulance and send you to the nearest ER. In that situation, the insurance company would pay for the Emergency Room charges for covered services.

Explore our travel insurance section to determine which of the policies would provide you with Emergency Room coverage, and coverage for major injuries during your trip to the U.S.. If you have additional questions about emergency room coverage, contact our Customer Success Team for assistance.