If there is one destination where having good travel insurance is very important, it’s the U.S. Finding the company that offers the best health insurance for a trip to the United States can take a lot of research, however, and you could still make the wrong choice. The purpose of your visit, the duration of your stay, and your nationality will all affect your choice.
Perhaps you are only visiting for a couple of days or weeks, or maybe you are coming to the U.S. to study or work. There is no need to despair.
Below, we look at a few of the top insurers in this industry and then provide recommendations for the best travel insurance options for the United States. Even if, after reading this, you decide not to go with any of the companies on our list, you will still be in a better position to make an informed decision.
Heymondo
Irrespective of whether you will be traveling to the United States as a tourist, to study, or to start a new job, we believe Heymondo offers the best travel insurance solutions.
There are quite a few reasons why we believe that buying travel insurance from Heymondo is one of the best options. In the first place, they offer a wide selection of different options. Examples include yearly travel insurance for multiple trips, single trips, travel insurance that only covers your medical expenses, and long-term travel insurance plans. The latter is the best choice for those who want to study or work in the United States.
Apart from that, Heymondo is also (as far as we could ascertain) the only company in the travel insurance market that will pay your medical bills upfront. All the others require you to pay the bill and then claim the money back from them.
This is particularly relevant in the United States, where healthcare costs can be extremely high. With Heymondo, you will have peace of mind knowing that there is no need to pay the bills first and then wait for the insurer to refund you.
On top of that, Heymondo also has a favorable coverage/cost ratio, i.e., it provides an excellent level of coverage for a very reasonable price. The company has stood out from the crowd for its competitive prices for a long time, and it continues to do so until this day.
We’ve also seen many positive online reviews for this company. People, for example, often comment favorably on their 24/7 customer support, and the support staff are very knowledgeable and friendly.
SafetyWing
If you are a student or a budget traveler who wants to explore the United States for a few months, you should not make the mistake of saving a few dollars by neglecting to buy at least health insurance. As we mentioned earlier, healthcare in the U.S. can be horribly expensive.
If you buy only healthcare insurance, you should be aware that you will typically not be covered for other travel-related expenses such as trip cancellation, baggage loss, and trip delays. Also, while you are comparing different health insurance plans, you should be aware that most U.S. insurers require that the policyholder have been a resident of the United States for at least 6 or 12 months.
Taking the above into account, we view SafetyWing as the best option for travel health insurance for those who want to visit the United States. The company’s plans are tailor-made for visitors to the U.S. who require comprehensive medical insurance coverage that can be renewed monthly until the policyholder wants to cancel.
The company’s Nomad Insurance option, for example, provides coverage for the cost of ambulance transportation, being treated in a hospital, and emergency dental treatment. Policyholders are also covered for various other travel-related costs, such as emergency repatriation and evacuation, lost luggage, and trip interruption.
IMG Global
We view this firm as the best option for travel insurance if you are an American citizen who, for example, works or lives overseas and wants to visit the United States to visit family and friends. IMG Global can provide short-term travel insurance that covers you until you want to return to wherever you live or work.
In a situation like this, getting travel insurance for the United States can be rather difficult because, although many health insurers offer excellent travel insurance policies for American citizens who want to travel abroad, there is only a handful of them that sell coverage for American citizens who are visiting the United States.
Important: If you are an American citizen living and traveling in the U.S., you should seek domestic travel insurance.
Additionally, American travel insurers very often require the policyholder to have lived in the United States for a specified period (typically around six months) before they will be willing to provide him or her with insurance coverage.
That is one of the main reasons we believe that IMG Global has the best travel insurance plans for American citizens who want to visit the United States. The company, for example, offers one of the top trip cancellation policies on the market. It also sells a superb “cancel for any reason” policy.
Having said that, IMG Global is also an excellent choice for American expats because it offers 3 Patriot America plans that provide great medical coverage and basic travel insurance coverage when they visit the U.S.
Their Patriot American plan, for example, includes comprehensive coverage for medical costs and emergency evacuation for medical reasons, accidental death, lost luggage, trip interruption, and natural disasters.
The company also sells a Patriot America Plus plan that covers everything mentioned above and the acute onset of a pre-existing condition, provided that you are younger than 70.
Even better coverage is provided by their Patriot Platinum America plan, which covers everything mentioned above plus significantly higher maximum amounts of coverage (between $2 million and $8 million). The renewal period here is also 36 months instead of the 24 months provided by the Patriot America Plus plan.
World Trips
This company provides great travel insurance plans for people who have just landed a job in the United States. It can be hard for foreigners to find the right travel insurance because most U.S. insurance firms require the policyholder to have resided in the United States for a minimum period of around six months.
If you are on your way to start a new career in the United States, don’t make the mistake of going without coverage. We can’t stress enough that healthcare in the United States can be expensive. You don’t want to pay the cost of a major emergency operation out of your pocket!
Luckily, World Trips has its Atlas America Work Visa Health Insurance plan. It has been specially created for people who have temporary work visas for the United States.
This plan covers everything you would normally expect from a quality health insurance plan, including ambulance costs, hospital stays, intensive care, emergency evacuation on medical grounds, and urgent care.
The good news is that it is priced very competitively, even if you decide to take the $0 deductible option. Apart from that, World Trips is also one of the top travel insurance firms when it comes to pre-existing conditions, even for seniors up to the age of 79 years.
BUPA
Please note that since 2021, this company is no longer offering travel insurance.*
AXA
This company has been rated the top global insurance brand by Interbrand for ten years in a row.
AXA offers travel insurance for the following scenarios:
Baggage Loss
AXA offers reimbursement coverage should your personal effects or luggage be stolen or damaged during your journey.
Cancellation cover if you have to cancel your trip, regardless of the reason
The company offers coverage for 75% of the non-refundable prepaid costs of your trip if the journey has to be canceled for any reason.
Travel Interruption
The company offers coverage for all the trip costs that are not refundable in case you cannot continue with the trip because of a covered reason.
Trip Cancellation
AXA will refund you up to a maximum amount equal to the value of your insured trip cost in respect of cancellation costs that were incurred because of an event that could not be foreseen, such as inclement weather or illness.
Emergency Evacuation
AXA offers travel insurance coverage for evacuations and repatriations to the closest adequate healthcare facility or to your home deemed necessary on medical grounds by a doctor.
Emergency Medical
The company also offers coverage for expenses related to emergency medical treatment after an illness or accidental injury while traveling, plus emergency repatriation and evacuation on medical grounds.
ALLIANZ
OneTrip Basic
This cost-effective plan provides coverage in case you have to cancel your trip or it is interrupted. This plan also provides a limited amount of coverage for post-departure events like, for example, damaged or lost luggage and medical coverage in an emergency.
OneTrip Rental Car Protector
In the majority of states, this option will provide primary insurance coverage for costs related to covered losses, collisions, and damage to a car that you are renting. This option also includes 24-hour assistance in emergencies.
AllTrips Prime
This plan provides relatively low-cost protection for all your trips during a full year. Benefits include trip interruption and trip cancellation, stolen, lost, or delayed luggage, etc.
AllTrips Premier
The AllTrips Premier plan offers a year of international travel protection, including a concierge service. It provides coverage for you and the members of your household – regardless of whether you are traveling together or individually.