Visitor medical insurance is a highly recommended form of travel health insurance required especially for visitors to USA or any foreign country. With the increase in travel to the United States, visitor insurance USA is highly recommended considering the cost associated with healthcare in USA.
To have a safe and worry-free overseas vacation, travel, holiday or extended stay in USA or in any foriegn country, it is important that one is adequately covered with accident and sickness insurance coverage from a reputed visitor health insurance provider. The premiums collected by the insurance company provider will pay for the injured or sick visitors medical bills if needed during your visit to a foreign country. The comprehensive plans typically cover the visitor with medical evacuation benefits in case of prolonged sickness in the visiting country. The visitor remains covered under the visitors health insurance plan until the individual or family is paying the premium costs. The usefulness of the visitor insurance plan is calculated on the basis of the method with which you subscribe to it. Siblings, relatives or friends in hosting the visitor can sign up for a plan for parents, family or friends visiting abroad.
Visitor medical insurance is best purchased from the country you are planning to visit. The main reason being it is advantageous to the traveler to obtain a locally networked visitor medical insurance plan as they have in-network billing through a recognized preferred provider network (PPO). Also it is advantageous that the visitor joins a plan from a company who has office or center in the country which is to be visited.
Though the premiums for such countries are higher (than plans offered by providers in home country), such plans are a better choice because of the convenience of claiming for your compensation directly in the country visiting. The reason why it is convenient is that the doctors or hospitals in that country accept the insurance cards of companies having centers in their country.
The doctors and clinics are generally reluctant to accept the cards of some other country or certain medical institutes may not be familiar or associated with your native insurance providers. It becomes easy for the hospitals and clinics to get in touch with the native office if any problem regarding insurance policy arises. The same thing would be difficult or even impossible if the insurance have been purchased in a foreign land.
Once visitors medical insurance is purchased, the insurance holder is given an identification card that needs to be displayed at the time of seeking medical assistance from a hospital or doctor. The visitor health insurance company will furnish such a clinic or hospital with written instructions for the likely medical expenses that can be claimed under the policy.
After this any claim that you make, will be evaluated by the insurance company and it will make the hospital or clinic appropriate payments on your behalf. Some companies also cover injuries under visitor medical insurance which you may have to bear because of accidents, war or terrorist activities. Depending upon the plan, the companies may either reimburse the costs you incur during the treatment or it can also directly pay your bills at the concerned clinic or hospital.
Recommended reading:
Compare visitor insurance plans
Visitor Insurance Glossary
Visitor Insurance FAQ