What Is Visitor Insurance? Coverage, Cost and How to Buy

Visitor insurance is short term travel medical insurance for people who are visiting a country where they have no domestic health coverage, most often non US citizens visiting the United States. It pays for new illnesses and injuries that happen during the trip, such as doctor visits, urgent care, emergency room treatment, hospital stays, prescriptions and medical evacuation. It is not a full health plan: routine care and pre-existing conditions are largely excluded.

Key facts at a glance

• The United States does not legally require B-2 tourists or other short term visitors to carry health insurance. It is a financial decision, not a visa condition.
• HealthCare.gov states that fixing a broken leg can cost up to $7,500 and that the average cost of a 3 day hospital stay is around $30,000.
• The visitor plans in Ombrela's catalog can be bought for as few as 5 days and for up to 364 or 365 days, and most can be extended.
• There are two plan types: fixed benefit plans that pay a set amount per service, and comprehensive plans that pay a percentage of eligible costs up to a policy maximum.
• According to the plan catalog, the IMG and WorldTrips visitor plans accept travelers from 14 days old to age 99, while Trawick's Safe Travels USA plans stop at age 89.
• J-1 exchange visitors are a separate case: 22 CFR 62.14 sets minimum insurance levels for them, so they need a plan built to that rule.

Who is visitor insurance for?

The typical buyer is a US resident arranging cover for parents, in laws or other relatives who are flying in for a few weeks or months. It is also used by tourists, business travelers, people visiting on ESTA, and new arrivals who need a bridge until other coverage starts.

What these travelers share is that they cannot rely on anything else. Health insurance from the home country rarely pays US providers. Visitors generally cannot enroll in Medicare, and Marketplace coverage under the Affordable Care Act is for people who live in the United States, not for people passing through. Without a policy, a visitor is billed as a self pay patient at full hospital rates.

It is not the right product for everyone. International students usually need a plan that satisfies their university, exchange visitors need one that meets the State Department minimums, and long term residents need domestic health insurance. Ombrela has separate quote pages for those situations, and the plan finder will point you to the right one.

What does visitor insurance cover?

A visitor medical policy is designed around the unexpected. The plans in the catalog list benefits such as:

• Doctor office and urgent care visits for a new illness or injury.
• Emergency room treatment and hospital room and board.
• Surgery, diagnostic tests and prescription medication related to a covered condition.
• Emergency medical evacuation to the nearest suitable facility and, on most plans, repatriation.
• Emergency dental treatment for sudden pain or an accident.
• On many plans, an acute onset of a pre-existing condition benefit, which pays for a sudden and unexpected flare up within set age and dollar limits.

Some plans add a few travel benefits. The WorldTrips Atlas America plan, for example, lists trip interruption and trip delay among its features. These are extras on a medical policy, not a substitute for trip cancellation insurance.

What does visitor insurance not cover?

The exclusions matter as much as the benefits, and they are similar across carriers. Every visitor plan in the catalog states that pre-existing conditions have no coverage, apart from the limited acute onset benefit. That means ongoing management of diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, including refills and monitoring, is not paid.

Routine physicals, vaccinations, maternity care, standard dental and vision care, and treatment you traveled to the US to receive are also excluded on typical plans. Most policies have conditions around hazardous sports, and some exclude specific illnesses. Our guide to what visitor insurance does not cover goes through the list in detail. Always read the policy wording, because the certificate is what governs a claim.

What is the difference between fixed and comprehensive visitor plans?

This is the most important choice you will make. A fixed benefit plan, sometimes called a limited plan, pays a preset dollar amount for each service: so much per doctor visit, per hospital day, per surgery. If the provider charges more, you pay the difference. The catalog notes plainly that on these plans coverage and benefits may not be adequate.

A comprehensive plan pays a percentage of eligible charges after your deductible, commonly 100 percent inside a PPO network, up to the policy maximum you choose. It costs more and protects far better against a large hospital bill. Read fixed benefit vs comprehensive plans for worked comparisons.

How much does visitor insurance cost?

There is no single price. Premiums depend on the traveler's age, the length of the trip, the policy maximum and the deductible, and on whether you choose a fixed or comprehensive plan. Age is the strongest factor: the same plan costs considerably more for a traveler in their seventies than for someone in their thirties.

You can lower the premium by choosing a higher deductible or a lower policy maximum, but both shift cost to you if something happens. To judge what limit makes sense, try the medical cost estimator, then look at live quotes for your exact dates.

When and how do you buy visitor insurance?

The cleanest approach is to buy before departure with a start date equal to the arrival date, so the traveler is covered from the first day. Most plans in the catalog can also be purchased after arrival, although anything that begins before the policy start date will be treated as pre-existing.

You need the traveler's name, date of birth, passport country, home country, travel dates and a US address. The purchase is online, the ID card and certificate arrive by email, and no medical exam is required. Not every plan is open to every traveler: carriers exclude residents or citizens of certain countries, and Trawick's Safe Travels USA plans, for instance, are not available to residents of Germany, France or Australia according to the catalog. The quote form applies these rules automatically.

For a plain language reference you can share with the relative who is traveling, download our free Visitor Insurance Basics Guide below. It summarizes what the cover is, what it pays, and the steps to take before and after arrival.

How to get covered

Go to the visitor insurance quote page, enter the traveler's age, home country and dates, and compare fixed and comprehensive plans side by side. Review the deductible, policy maximum and acute onset limits for the traveler's age before you buy, and keep the ID card and the insurer's assistance number with the traveler's passport.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is visitor insurance the same as health insurance?

No. Visitor insurance is temporary travel medical cover for new illnesses and injuries during a trip. It does not meet Affordable Care Act standards, does not cover routine or preventive care, and largely excludes pre-existing conditions. Domestic health insurance is designed for residents and covers ongoing care. Visitors use travel medical plans because they usually cannot enroll in domestic coverage.

Is visitor insurance required to enter the United States?

No. The US does not require tourists or business visitors on B-1 or B-2 visas, or travelers on ESTA, to hold health insurance, and it is not a condition of entry. The exception is J-1 exchange visitors and their J-2 dependents, who must meet the insurance minimums in 22 CFR 62.14 for their whole program.

Can I buy visitor insurance after my parents arrive in the USA?

Usually yes. Most visitor plans in Ombrela's catalog state that they can be purchased after arrival at the destination. Coverage starts no earlier than the date you choose, and any illness or injury that began before that date will not be covered. Some plans set time limits for older travelers, so buying before the flight is the simpler option.

Does visitor insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Not in the ordinary sense. Visitor plans exclude treatment of known conditions. Many include a benefit for the acute onset of a pre-existing condition, meaning a sudden and unexpected emergency, with limits that depend on age and plan. For example, the catalog shows some plans paying this benefit only for travelers under 70. Read the definition carefully before relying on it.

If someone you care about is visiting soon, compare visitor insurance plans on Ombrela and arrange cover before they board.