The Facts About Visitor Insurance 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 Visitor Insurance?
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 Scheduled Benefit Plan or a Comprehensive plan.
What is a 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 is a 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 it has many great benefits, visitor’s insurance is not required for those visiting the U.S. on a B-2 Visa. But it is still highly recommended. Visiting the United States without health insurance coverage could cause you to pay out hundreds or even thousands of dollars if you need medical care during your stay.
Purchasing a visitor’s insurance plan is a straightforward process. There’s no need to discuss your medical history, and exams are not necessary to get coverage.
What Factors Determine the Cost of Visitor’s Insurance?
There are a few factors that help determine the cost of your visitor’s health insurance plan.
The Age of the Traveler
Visitor’s insurance plans are available for travelers of all ages. However, premiums begin to go up the older the traveler is. That is due to the increased risk of health problems older travelers may have. But there are still budget-friendly options available regardless of your age.
How Long 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.
The Level of Coverage You Want
There are two types of visitor’s insurance plans available, scheduled benefit and comprehensive. While comprehensive is considered the best option by most travelers and insurance experts, it’s essential to look at factors such as coverage limits and deductible amounts that could increase or decrease your premium.
What Does Visitor Insurance Cover?
Coverage will vary from one insurance provider to the next, but the majority of companies will cover the following types of medical care and related services.
Emergency Evacuation
If an emergency medical evacuation occurs during your stay in the U.S., your visitor’s insurance will cover the cost of evacuation to the closest medical facility. It will also pay for transportation costs as a result of the evacuation.
Medical Expenses
This health insurance coverage will take care of the medically necessary expenses you endure due to a new or unexpected illness or injury. That can include the cost of transportation by ambulance, intensive care, or services provided in a hospital emergency room.
Return of Mortal Remains
If an illness or injury covered by visitor’s insurance results in death, this benefit pays for the cost of returning mortal remains to your home country. It will also pay for the preparation, cremation, or local burial of your remains at the place of your death in the U.S.
Acute Onset of Pre-existing Conditions
With this benefit, your visitor insurance coverage will pay for treatment for a sudden or unexpected occurrence of a pre-existing medical condition that occurs without warning. If the events happen after your plan’s effective date and before the age shown on your schedule of benefits, you will be covered. Keep in mind that conditions that are congenital or chronic that worsen over time are often not considered an acute onset and, therefore, not included with coverage.
When to Buy Visitor Health Insurance
Experts suggest you purchase your visitor health insurance plan after you have booked your flight or set a date for your trip to the U.S. The start date for your plan should be the day that you depart your home country. And the end date should be the day you return home. Remember that your destination’s time zone determines the time the policy starts and ends.
How to File a Visitor Health 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 reimbursement.
How to Buy Visitor Insurance 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.
