Atlas America vs Safe Travels USA Comprehensive (2026)

Atlas America and Safe Travels USA Comprehensive are both comprehensive visitor medical plans that pay 100% of eligible expenses after the deductible, so the choice comes down to age, health history, and extras. Atlas America, administered by WorldTrips, offers higher maximums (up to $2,000,000 before age 65) and covers the acute onset of a pre-existing condition up to the overall maximum until age 80. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive, administered by Trawick International and underwritten by Zurich, sells to travelers up to age 89 and keeps a reduced acute onset benefit after 70, but its schedule limits cardiac conditions and stroke to $25,000, or $15,000 from age 70. Neither plan wins for everyone. You can compare both plans for your age and dates on Ombrela.

Key facts at a glance

• Atlas America offers overall maximums of $50,000 to $2,000,000 for travelers under 65, but only $50,000 or $100,000 from ages 65 to 79 and $10,000 from age 80, according to WorldTrips.
• Safe Travels USA Comprehensive offers medical maximums of $20,000 to $1,000,000 and is not available to anyone aged 90 or older, according to Trawick's policy document.
• Atlas America covers the acute onset of a pre-existing condition up to the overall maximum for travelers under 80, provided it does not relate to a chronic or congenital condition.
• Safe Travels USA Comprehensive covers acute onset up to the policy maximum through age 69, then up to $35,000 from age 70 and $20,000 from age 80.
• Trawick's schedule of benefits limits cardiac conditions and stroke to $25,000 per period of insurance through age 69 and $15,000 from age 70.
• Both plans list a UnitedHealthcare network for US care and pay 100% of eligible expenses after the deductible, up to the chosen maximum.

How do Atlas America and Safe Travels USA Comprehensive compare?

Both are comprehensive plans, not fixed benefit plans: they pay a percentage of eligible charges up to your maximum rather than a set amount per service, as our guide to fixed benefit vs comprehensive plans explains. This comparison uses the WorldTrips plan page and description of coverage for Atlas America and Trawick's product page and policy document for Safe Travels USA Comprehensive, all current in September 2026.

• Who stands behind the plan: Atlas America is administered by WorldTrips, part of Tokio Marine HCC, under a master policy issued by TMHCC (CI) Insurance SPC Ltd. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive is administered by Trawick International and underwritten by Zurich Insurance Europe AG, Belgian branch.
• Deductibles: Atlas America offers $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000 per certificate period. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive adds a $50 option to a similar list, from $0 to $5,000 per period of insurance.
• Coinsurance: both pay 100% of eligible expenses after the deductible, up to the maximum.
• Age: Atlas America sells up to age 99, but the maximum drops to $10,000 at 80. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive stops at 89.

Weighing IMG's plan too? Read Atlas America vs Patriot America and Patriot America Plus vs Safe Travels USA Comprehensive.

Who can buy each plan, and for how long?

Atlas America is for people who are not US citizens or residents and are traveling to the US, from 14 days old to age 99 in Ombrela's quote data, though the maximum shrinks with age. A certificate runs up to 12 months, and WorldTrips says extensions are at its discretion. According to Ombrela's quote data, the plan can be bought after arrival, and UK residents and citizens are limited to 119 days.

Safe Travels USA Comprehensive covers people who are not US citizens and live outside the US. Trawick's policy document says the traveler must arrive in the US first, time in other countries is covered for up to 30 days, and the plan is not available at 90 or over or to anyone who has lived in the US for more than 365 days before the effective date. The total period cannot exceed 364 days, with no grace period: a lapse restarts the pre-existing condition exclusion and the deductible.

Home country matters too. The quote data lists Safe Travels USA Comprehensive as unavailable to residents of a long list of countries that includes most of the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Australia, Nigeria, Ghana, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. Atlas America cannot be bought while the traveler is physically in the EU, the UK, Canada, or Australia, and the same data marks Maryland, New York, and Washington as states where Atlas plans cannot be bought while the traveler is already there, although the policy still covers visits to those states. Buying before departure avoids that, and Ombrela's quote form only shows plans your traveler can buy.

Do they pay the same in network and out of network?

On paper, yes. Both plans pay 100% of eligible expenses after the deductible whether or not the provider is in the network. Atlas America lists the UnitedHealthcare PPO network, and Trawick lists UHC Direct as the provider network for Safe Travels USA Comprehensive. Inside the network, the provider bills the insurer and accepts the network rate. Our guide to direct billing and PPO networks covers how that works at the front desk.

The fine print is in what counts as an eligible expense. Both plans pay only up to usual and customary charges. Atlas America's description of coverage goes further: for claims outside the PPO network in the US, it defines the usual, reasonable, and customary amount as the lesser of 150% of what Medicare pays or the most common local charge. A hospital outside the network can bill the patient for the difference, so staying in network matters under either plan.

Trawick's policy document also sets a pre-certification rule: if the requirements are not met for an inpatient hospitalization or surgery, eligible expenses are reduced by 50% before the deductible and coinsurance apply. Whichever plan you choose, call the assistance number before any planned admission. Small costs also differ:

• Emergency room for an illness without admission: a $200 copay on Atlas America and a $200 additional deductible on Safe Travels USA Comprehensive. Injuries are exempt on both.
• Urgent care: a $15 copay on Atlas America and a $30 copay on Safe Travels USA Comprehensive, neither subject to the deductible, and both waived if you choose a $0 deductible.

Which plan is better for pre-existing conditions?

Neither plan covers routine care of a condition your parent already has. Both cover the acute onset of a pre-existing condition, meaning a sudden, unexpected flare that is short, rapidly progressive, and needs urgent care. A condition that is chronic, congenital, or gradually getting worse does not qualify on either plan. See acute onset of pre-existing conditions explained for how claims are judged.

Atlas America pays acute onset up to the overall maximum, with emergency evacuation for it capped at $25,000 for life. The traveler must be under 80, get treatment within 24 hours, not be traveling against medical advice or to seek treatment, and the episode must not relate directly or indirectly to a chronic or congenital condition. Atlas looks back two years when deciding whether a condition is pre-existing.

Safe Travels USA Comprehensive pays acute onset up to the maximum through age 69, $35,000 from 70, and $20,000 from 80, with evacuation for it limited to $25,000. Trawick adds conditions: the episode must start at least 48 hours after the effective date, treatment must begin within 24 hours, the condition must have been stable for 30 days before coverage without a change in treatment, and only one acute onset episode is covered per period. Its look back period is three years.

The biggest difference for many parents is the cardiac limit. Trawick's schedule lists cardiac conditions and stroke at up to $25,000 per period through age 69 and $15,000 from 70, and its definition of cardiac conditions includes hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart attack. Ask Trawick how this limit applies to your traveler before buying, and remember that on both plans a flare of a chronic condition such as long standing heart disease does not count as acute onset. By age band, the picture looks like this:

• 65 to 69: Atlas America caps the overall maximum at $100,000. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive's schedule lists the same maximum choices without an age band, and acute onset still runs to the maximum.
• 70 to 79: Atlas America pays acute onset up to its $100,000 ceiling. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive pays up to $35,000, with cardiac and stroke claims limited to $15,000.
• 80 to 89: Atlas America has a $10,000 maximum and no acute onset benefit. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive still offers acute onset up to $20,000.
• 90 to 99: only Atlas America is available, with its $10,000 maximum.

See also parents over 70 and parents over 80.

What policy maximum and deductible should you choose?

Pick the maximum first. Use our medical cost estimator for the state where your visitor will stay, then choose a deductible you could pay the same day without strain. Hold both numbers constant when you compare the two plans. Both apply the deductible once per period, not per illness. Our guide to policy maximums and deductibles goes deeper.

What extras come with each plan?

Atlas America, according to WorldTrips, includes:

• Trip interruption up to $10,000 and travel delay up to $100 a day for 2 days.
• Lost checked luggage up to $1,000 and a lost or stolen passport or visa up to $100.
• Border entry protection up to $500 if you hold a valid B-2 visa and are refused entry at the US border.
• Hospital indemnity of $100 per inpatient day and emergency dental up to $300.
• Complications of pregnancy treated as an illness during the first 26 weeks, per the description of coverage.
• Optional riders for accidental death, crisis response, and personal liability.

Safe Travels USA Comprehensive, according to Trawick, includes:

• Trip interruption up to $5,000, for the death of a relative or a break in, fire, or natural disaster at home.
• Emergency medical treatment of pregnancy up to $1,000 and mental or nervous disorder treatment up to $2,500.
• One well doctor visit up to $125, if taken within the first 21 days on a policy bought for at least 30 days.
• Lost checked baggage up to $1,000 and hospital confinement of $50 a night for up to 10 nights.
• Optional return to home country coverage up to $25,000 and sports coverage up to $50,000.

Both exclude routine pregnancy care and childbirth. Trawick's document also excludes a urinary tract infection that needs inpatient treatment within 90 days of the effective date. Our list of what visitor insurance does not cover shows other common gaps.

Should you choose Atlas America or Safe Travels USA Comprehensive?

Choose Atlas America if:

• The traveler is under 65 and you want a maximum above $1,000,000.
• The traveler is 70 to 79, since Atlas America's acute onset benefit runs to the full $100,000 maximum.
• You want heart attack and stroke claims paid up to the full maximum, without the separate cardiac limit in Trawick's schedule.
• Trip interruption, border entry protection, or cover for pregnancy complications in the first 26 weeks matters to you.
• The traveler lives in a country where Safe Travels USA Comprehensive is not sold, or is 90 or older.

Choose Safe Travels USA Comprehensive if:

• The traveler is 80 to 89 and you want some acute onset cover, which Atlas America does not offer at that age.
• You are 65 to 69 and want a maximum above $100,000 with acute onset to the maximum.
• A small emergency pregnancy benefit, a well visit, or some mental health cover would be useful.

Then get visitor insurance quotes on Ombrela with the same maximum and deductible on both plans, check acute onset at your traveler's age, and read each brochure from the results before paying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Atlas America or Safe Travels USA Comprehensive better for seniors?

It depends on the age band. From 65 to 79, Atlas America caps the maximum at $100,000 but pays acute onset up to that amount. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive pays acute onset up to $35,000 from 70 and $20,000 from 80, and sells up to age 89. At 80 and over, Atlas America offers a $10,000 maximum with no acute onset benefit, so Safe Travels USA Comprehensive often suits that group.

Does Safe Travels USA Comprehensive cover heart problems?

Yes, but with a limit. Trawick's schedule of benefits lists cardiac conditions and stroke at up to $25,000 per period of insurance through age 69 and $15,000 from age 70. Its definition of cardiac conditions includes hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart attack. If heart health is a concern, ask Trawick how the limit applies, and compare it with Atlas America, which lists no separate cardiac limit.

Do both plans use the UnitedHealthcare network?

Yes. Atlas America lists the UnitedHealthcare PPO network, and Trawick lists UHC Direct for Safe Travels USA Comprehensive. Both pay 100% of eligible expenses after the deductible in or out of network, but out of network providers can bill above what the plan treats as usual and customary. Atlas America defines that amount for US claims outside the network as up to 150% of Medicare rates.

Can I buy Atlas America or Safe Travels USA Comprehensive after arriving?

Usually, yes. Atlas America can be bought after arrival, although the plan listing marks a few states, including New York, where it cannot be bought while the traveler is physically there. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive must be bought within 364 days of arrival. Buying before departure avoids these limits and means an illness that starts on the first day is not a pre-existing condition.

Which plan is cheaper, Atlas America or Safe Travels USA Comprehensive?

There is no fixed answer. Price depends on the traveler's age, trip length, maximum, deductible, and home country, and the cheaper plan changes between profiles. Compare live prices for your age and dates with the same maximum and deductible on both plans, then weigh the differences in acute onset, cardiac limits, and extras rather than choosing on price alone.

The right plan is the one that fits your traveler's age and health, not the one with the familiar name. Compare Atlas America and Safe Travels USA Comprehensive on Ombrela and choose with the details in front of you.