Safe Travels USA Cost Saver: Where the Savings Come From

Safe Travels USA Cost Saver is Trawick International's lower priced comprehensive plan for visitors to the US. After the deductible it pays 80% of the first $5,000 of eligible expenses and then 100% up to the maximum. The savings come from three cuts compared with Safe Travels USA Comprehensive: you share up to $1,000 of each period's costs, COVID-19 is excluded, and acute onset of a pre-existing condition is limited to $1,000 and ends at age 70. It suits healthy travelers under 70 who can absorb that coinsurance; it is a weak fit for older parents with medical conditions.

Key facts at a glance

• Maximums of $50,000, $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, or $1,000,000, with deductibles from $0 to $5,000, according to Trawick.
• After the deductible, the plan pays 80% of the first $5,000 and then 100% up to the maximum, in or out of the UHC Direct network.
• Trawick states that the plan does not cover COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2.
• The unexpected recurrence of a pre-existing condition is limited to $1,000 per period and is not available from age 70.
• Cardiac conditions or stroke are capped at $25,000 per period through age 69 and $15,000 from age 70.
• Emergency medical evacuation is covered up to $1,000,000, and repatriation of remains up to $50,000.

Is Safe Travels USA Cost Saver a fixed benefit plan?

No. A fixed benefit plan pays a set dollar amount for each service, whatever the hospital charges. Trawick's summary shows that Cost Saver pays a percentage of eligible expenses: 80% of the first $5,000 after the deductible, then 100% up to your maximum. That makes it a comprehensive plan with a coinsurance band, which is a very different risk from a scheduled plan. The difference matters most for a hospital stay, where a fixed schedule can leave a large gap. Our guide to fixed benefit vs comprehensive plans explains the two designs.

What benefits do you give up for the lower premium?

Set side by side with Safe Travels USA Comprehensive, the same carrier's fuller plan, the tradeoffs are specific.

• Coinsurance: Comprehensive pays 100% after the deductible. Cost Saver leaves you 20% of the first $5,000, which is up to $1,000 more per period.
• COVID-19: covered as any sickness on Comprehensive, excluded on Cost Saver.
• Acute onset: Comprehensive covers it to the maximum through 69, then $35,000 from 70 and $20,000 from 80. Cost Saver pays up to $1,000, and nothing from 70.
• Lowest maximum: Comprehensive offers a $20,000 option; Cost Saver starts at $50,000.

Several benefits are the same on both, according to Trawick: the $30 urgent care copay, the $200 emergency room deductible for sickness without admission, the $250 dental limit for sound natural teeth, the $125 well doctor visit, the evacuation limit, and the cardiac or stroke cap. So the choice turns almost entirely on coinsurance, COVID-19, and pre-existing conditions. Our full Safe Travels USA Comprehensive review covers the other plan in detail.

How does the 80% coinsurance work on a real bill?

Take an eligible bill of $8,000 for a short hospital stay after a fall, with a $250 deductible. You pay the $250 deductible first, leaving $7,750. On the next $5,000, the plan pays 80% and you pay 20%, which is $1,000. The remaining $2,750 is paid at 100%. Your share is $1,250 and the plan pays $6,750. On Safe Travels USA Comprehensive with the same deductible, your share of the same eligible bill would be $250.

Two further points apply to both plans. The plan pays only what it considers eligible, so charges above usual, reasonable, and customary levels can remain with you, especially out of network. And if the stay needed pre-certification and did not get it, Trawick reduces eligible expenses before the deductible and coinsurance apply. Its Cost Saver page lists a 50% reduction in the plan highlights and 70% in the benefit table, so confirm the figure in your policy document. Run your own numbers with our insurance calculator to see how deductible and coinsurance interact at different bill sizes.

When is Safe Travels USA Cost Saver a reasonable choice?

The plan works best when the main purpose is protection against a serious accident or a new illness, and when the traveler could absorb a four figure share of a claim without hardship. Typical fits include:

• A healthy traveler under 70 with no chronic conditions and no recent changes in medication.
• A short visit where the chance of a claim is low and the premium difference is meaningful to the family budget.
• A traveler who has, or accepts, COVID-19 risk being outside the policy.
• A family choosing a higher maximum on a lower priced plan instead of a lower maximum on a fuller plan.

When should you upgrade instead?

Pay for the fuller plan when the cuts land on the risks you are most worried about. That includes any traveler aged 70 or over, since Cost Saver's pre-existing benefit ends at 70; any traveler with a heart condition, diabetes, or another chronic condition where a sudden flare is plausible; a long stay where the chance of at least one claim rises; and anyone who wants COVID-19 treatment covered. In those cases the $1,000 acute onset limit is close to no coverage, and a comprehensive plan with a larger acute onset benefit is the more honest match. Our guide to visitor insurance for parents over 70 lays out the options for that age group.

Who can buy Safe Travels USA Cost Saver?

The plan listing in Ombrela's quote system shows it for non US residents visiting the US, from 14 days old up to age 89, for 5 days to 364 days. It can be bought within 364 days of arrival. The residency exclusions match Safe Travels USA Comprehensive: residents of Australia and much of Europe, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and the Nordic countries, cannot buy it, and neither can residents of the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, Nigeria, Venezuela, and several other countries. If the traveler's country is on that list, the quote form will show the plans they can buy.

What do Safe Travels USA Cost Saver reviews miss?

A review written by a traveler who never claimed tells you about the purchase, not the coverage. A review written after a denied claim often reflects one of the tradeoffs above: a flare of a known condition over the $1,000 limit, a COVID-19 bill, a missed pre-certification, or a coinsurance share the traveler did not expect. Before relying on any review, check whether the situation it describes is one the plan was built to cover.

To make the decision concrete, download our free Budget Visitor Plan Tradeoff Checklist below. It walks through the benefits you give up, the situations where a budget plan is fine, the ones where you should upgrade, and a simple quote comparison you can fill in.

How to get covered

Compare Cost Saver against at least one fuller plan at the same maximum and deductible, so the price gap is measured fairly. Compare visitor insurance quotes on Ombrela, note the premium difference, and weigh it against the up to $1,000 in coinsurance and the COVID-19 and acute onset limits. Premiums depend on age, trip length, maximum, and deductible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Safe Travels USA Cost Saver cover pre-existing conditions?

Only in a very limited way. Trawick's summary covers the unexpected recurrence of a pre-existing condition up to $1,000 per period, for travelers under 70, when it starts at least 48 hours after the effective date and is treated within 24 hours. The condition must have been stable for 30 days before coverage. Ongoing treatment of known conditions is excluded.

Does Safe Travels USA Cost Saver cover COVID-19?

No. Trawick states that the plan does not cover COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2. If COVID-19 treatment matters to you, compare plans that include it, such as Safe Travels USA Comprehensive, which Trawick says covers COVID-19 as any other sickness up to the medical maximum. Check the current policy document at purchase, since COVID-19 terms have changed over time.

How much more will I pay on a claim with Cost Saver?

Up to $1,000 per period more than on a plan that pays 100% after the deductible. Cost Saver pays 80% of the first $5,000 of eligible expenses after the deductible, so your coinsurance share tops out at $1,000. Copays, the emergency room deductible for sickness, and charges above usual, reasonable, and customary levels come in addition.

What is the age limit for Safe Travels USA Cost Saver?

The plan listing in Ombrela's quote system shows eligibility from 14 days to 89 years, with no coverage at 90 or over. Within that range the pre-existing recurrence benefit ends at 70, and the cardiac or stroke limit falls from $25,000 to $15,000 at 70. For travelers 70 and over, a fuller plan usually fits better.

Cost Saver is an honest budget plan when the traveler is young, healthy, and prepared for a coinsurance share. For anyone else, the savings can cost more than they save. Get live quotes on Ombrela and compare before you choose.