When planning a trip to the United States, one thing you should always consider is getting travel insurance.
Why? Medical expenses in the U.S. are some of the highest in the world. If an accident or unexpected illness were to occur during your travels, you may be left with a huge financial burden, especially if you have to pay for your medical expenses out-of-pocket. Also, if you are flying to a busy airport hub such as LAX or JFK, it may be common that your baggage gets delayed or even lost. These busy airports may also be more prone to flight delays, which might end up with you missing your connecting flight.
As you compare travel insurance plans for your US trip, you may find that you have a couple of options: US trip insurance and US travel medical insurance.
Which is better for travelers to the USA? Let’s break it down.
What Does Trip Insurance Cover?
Trip insurance is a type of US travel insurance that is designed to protect a traveler’s nonrefundable and prepaid trip costs.
This means that if you have to cancel your trip or if your trip is delayed or interrupted for a covered reason under your trip insurance policy, you can have coverage for any trip expenses you insure that otherwise would have been nonrefundable.
This can include expenses such as your flight, hotel or accommodations, tours, transportation, and more.
Trip insurance coverage can include:
- Trip cancellation
- Trip delay
- Trip Interruption
- Baggage delay or loss
- Accident & sickness
- Emergency medical evacuation
- Accidental death & dismemberment
- Lost or stolen travel documents
- Rental car damage
What Does Travel Medical Insurance Cover?
Travel medical insurance is a type of US travel insurance that is focused on covering emergency medical expenses if you are injured or fall ill during your travels and need to seek medical care.
Comprehensive travel medical insurance plans offer excellent protection for emergency medical situations, which is vital when traveling to the United States where medical costs can be extremely high.
Travel medical insurance can also include many other benefits, such as border entry protection, return of mortal remains, emergency dental treatment, political evacuation, and more.
Travel medical insurance coverage can include:
- Hospitalization
- Physician visits
- Urgent care
- Lab tests
- Surgery
- Emergency medical evacuation
- Return of mortal remains
- Accidental death & dismemberment
- Lost luggage
- Lost or stolen passport
What Are the Differences Between Trip and Travel Medical Insurance?
The main difference between trip insurance and travel medical insurance is the type of coverage that they offer.
Trip insurance is useful for those who want to protect their actual trip expenses, while also receiving other emergency medical benefits. The cost of trip insurance is typically based on the total amount of your nonrefundable and prepaid trip expenses that you insure when you purchase your plan. If you are looking for more ways to save your trip costs in case of an unexpected delay, interruption, or cancellation, you may want trip insurance.
Travel medical insurance is focused on covering a wide range of emergency medical expenses with an addition to some trip benefits. It is typically good for people who are in the US for longer than 30 days, those who are primarily concerned about getting medical coverage in the face of high US healthcare costs, and/or those especially concerned about their health or have a health risk. The cost of travel medical insurance is typically based on your age, length of trip, and destination country.
Does Trip Insurance Cover Medical Expenses?
Yes, trip insurance does offer an accident and sickness benefit which can cover eligible emergency medical expenses.
It also includes other medical expenses such as emergency medical evacuation.
One important thing to note about trip insurance medical coverage is that you cannot choose your policy maximum or deductible – these benefits are fixed for each plan. Different trip insurance plans may offer different coverage amounts, but you can’t increase a plan’s policy maximum if you want more coverage.
Travel medical insurance, however, gives you the flexibility of choosing your policy maximum if you want better coverage and the ability to choose your deductible to control your out-of-pocket costs.
Which Is Better for Visitors to the USA?
When it comes to choosing between a trip insurance plan or a travel medical insurance plan, one isn’t necessarily better than the other. It really depends on your wants and needs as a traveler.
If you have a lot of nonrefundable prepaid expenses for your trip to the US that you want to protect in case your trip plans are disrupted, trip insurance is a good option as it still includes some medical coverage.
If you are mostly concerned about having health coverage in a country where medical expenses can be extremely costly, and you want to be able to choose your medical benefits according to your needs, travel medical insurance is an excellent option as it can offer comprehensive medical benefits for travelers.
Best Trip Insurance for US Visitors
SafeTrip International Travel Medical Plus – Premium
SafeTrip International Travel Medical Plus – Premium offers travel protection for your trip expenses in the event of a covered cancellation or interruption in addition to emergency medical benefits.
Key benefits of SafeTrip International Travel Medical Plus – Premium include:
- Up to 100% coverage for trip cancellation
- Up to 175% coverage for trip interruption
- Up to $150,000 in emergency medical expense coverage
- Up to $250,000 for emergency medical evacuation
- Baggage delay or loss
- Accidental death & dismemberment
- Optional coverage for extreme sports activities
- Optional coverage for rental car damage
SafeTrip International Travel Medical Plus – Core
SafeTrip International Travel Medical Plus – Core is a travel protection plan that covers your eligible nonrefundable trip expenses in the event of a coverage cancellation or interruption and also offers basic emergency medical expense coverage.
Key benefits of SafeTrip International Travel Medical Plus – Core include:
- Up to 100% coverage for trip cancellation
- Up to 125% coverage for trip interruption
- Up to $250,000 for emergency medical evacuation
- Baggage delay or loss
- Accidental death & dismemberment
- Optional coverage for extreme sports activities
- Optional coverage for rental car damage
- Up to $50,000 in emergency medical expense coverage
Best Travel Medical Insurance for US Visitors
CoverAmerica – Gold (Most Popular)
CoverAmerica – Gold is a travel medical insurance plan specifically designed for visitors to the US. It offers ideal comprehensive medical coverage for new illnesses and injuries that occur during your trip to the US.
Key benefits of CoverAmerica – Gold include:
- Plan pays 100% of eligible medical expenses in network after the applicable deductible up to the policy maximum
- No cancellation fee
- Urgent care visit with only $15 copay
- Covers the acute onset of pre-existing conditions
- Border entry protection
- Loss of passport or travel documents
- Emergency dental treatment & eye exam
- Emergency medical reunion
- Return of mortal remains
- Natural disaster & terrorism coverage
- Flu shot covered (separate deductible of $25 applicable)
Patriot America Plus
Patriot America Plus, also known as Patriot Plus, offers comprehensive medical coverage for those traveling to the U.S. from abroad for new injuries or illnesses that occur during your travels.
Key benefits of Patriot America Plus include:
- Plan pays 100% of eligible medical expenses in network up to the policy maximum after the deductible is met
- Outpatient and inpatient treatment
- Emergency medical evacuation
- Coverage for the acute onset of pre-existing conditions
- Telehealth
- Natural disaster evacuation
- Return of mortal remains
- Pet return
- Lost luggage
Travel With Protection and Confidence
Regardless of which type of US travel insurance you opt to choose, having protection during your US trip will give you the ultimate protection and peace of mind so you can fully enjoy your travels, even if the unexpected were to occur.
Ready to get covered? Compare our available trip insurance plans or travel medical insurance plans or contact our Customer Success Team for further assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much do U.S. travel insurance plans typically cost if I am coming from abroad?
The cost of travel insurance plans for U.S. visitors typically ranges from 4% to 10% of your total trip cost, though this can vary significantly based on several factors such as age, trip length, total trip cost, and coverage level.
For example, if you are going on a trip to the United States that has a total trip cost of $3,000, your travel insurance would typically cost between $120 and $300. For many travelers, this can be a very reasonable price, especially considering the extremely high cost of healthcare in the United States where even a brief emergency room visit can easily cost thousands of dollars.
If I already have insurance in my home country, will it work in the United States?
Most health insurance plans from other countries provide limited to no coverage at all when you’re in the United States. Additionally, U.S. medical facilities generally don’t accept foreign insurance directly, meaning you would need to pay out-of-pocket which can be costly with the U.S. healthcare system being quite expensive.
Purchasing travel insurance specifically designed for U.S. visitors is strongly recommended to get efficient coverage, even if you have existing coverage in your home country., It is also important to make sure to contact your medical insurance provider and see if you are covered in the U.S., and get that extra coverage that trip insurance provides just in case.
Does U.S. travel insurance typically provide coverage for prescription medications, especially those needed for unexpected illnesses or injuries during the trip?
Yes, if you get unexpectedly sick or have an injury during your trip, travel insurance typically provides coverage if you need to get prescription medications. Oftentimes, you will have to pay for the medication up front, and then seek reimbursement through your travel insurance provider.
When is the best time to book travel insurance for my trip?
To get maximum coverage benefits, purchase travel insurance as soon as possible after making your first trip payment. Especially, if you are thinking about getting trip insurance, many time-sensitive benefits such as Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage and pre-existing condition waivers are only available if you buy within 14-21 days of your initial trip deposit.
Is rental car damage coverage included in either type of travel insurance?
Rental car coverage is generally only available on trip insurance policies, since trip insurance focuses more on trip benefits than travel medical insurance. Rental car coverage could either be automatically covered on some trip insurance policies, or is typically an optional add-on benefit.
How do I find PPO network doctors or hospitals in the U.S. with travel insurance?
If you’re looking for a provider in your plan’s PPO network, you can follow these easy steps:
- Find your visitor insurance plan listed on our Visitors Insurance Provider Directory page
- Click the PPO Network and Providers link for your specific plan
- Click the View Providers in the USA button
- Search for providers in your area view the PPO network’s website
If I am traveling with family members, can I add them to my plan?
Yes, a travel insurance policy plan can cover everyone in your family traveling to the U.S. with you, as long as you have accounted for them in your plan. On your travel insurance, it is important to add every traveler that is joining you, that way they are all covered under your policy.
How does travel insurance work if I’m visiting multiple countries including the U.S.?
You can select any one of your planned destinations while purchasing a travel insurance plan. It is recommended to select the one you’ll spend the most time in. However, travel insurance covers all prepaid, non-refundable trip costs during the coverage dates, including those from different destinations. For example, if you spend two weeks in the United States and then one week in Mexico, you should select the United States as your main destination. Regardless, the policy will cover your prepaid, non-refundable expenses for both countries during your trip dates.
