Can I buy travel insurance after arrival in the USA?
Yes, you can purchase travel insurance after arriving in the USA. Many insurance providers, such as WorldTrips, Trawick International, Travel Insurance Services and Global Underwriters, offer plans without arrival time restrictions. It is essential to buy the travel health insurance before any medical conditions arise, as pre-existing conditions are not covered unless explicitly stated under specific coverage criteria. One of the more crucial requirements for international travel is visitor medical insurance since medical
Expenses in a foreign country can be crippling in countries like the US where cost of healthcare is very expensive.
Having sufficient and best international travel insurance makes your international travel an enjoyable experience taking care of your hard earned money in the event of any unexpected injury or sickness. While buying travel insurance USA for travelling to USA it is important to understand visitors insurance purchase process, that it has to be bought before arriving in the foreign country. There are many insurance companies who have excellent plans for covering unexpected sickness and injury but they stress that the customers purchase the policy before they arrive in their international destination.
Buying US visa medical insurance early is important to ensure that the travel health insurance is used legitimately for incidents that occur after the insurance has been purchased as opposed to buying travel insurance after one has a specific need of a medical treatment. However there are legitimate instances where travellers are compelled to buy the travel insurance after reaching the destination country. Some of these reasons include the inability to renew an existing travel insurance plan purchased from their home country, or students who finish their school work and are not eligible to buy student insurance, but need health coverage for the Optional Practical Training (OPT) status. It is very important to understand that even without an eligibility timeframe, you cannot buy the insurance after having an medical ailment which needs treatment. Any existing medical ailment before you buy the insurance will be considered as a pre-existing condition, and the coverage will be considered under the Pre-existing condition visitor insurance coverage criterion.
Different insurance providers have different eligibility time limits after reaching the destination country for travellers to buy their travel insurance products. Listed below are the criteria for some popular insurance providers.Can I buy travel insurance after arrival in the US?
Yes, you can buy travel insurance after arriving in the US. Popular plans like INF Elite X insurance, INF Premier X Insurance, Atlas America Insurance, Safe Travels USA Comprehensive and Patriot America Plus , INF Premier X Insurance, INF Standard X Insurance are all eligible for purchase after arrival, giving visitors flexibility even if they didn’t buy coverage before traveling.
A comprehensive travel medical insurance plan offering full coverage for pre-existing conditions , including worsening chronic issues up to 99 years , for travelers aged 18 to 99. The policy provides flexible coverage durations ranging from 90 to 364 days.
Can I Buy Travel Insurance After Arrival in the USA?
Yes, visitors can purchase travel medical insurance even after they have already arrived in the United States. However, there are some important points to understand:
Most insurance providers impose a waiting period (typically 2–15 days) before coverage begins if you buy the policy after arrival. During this waiting period, any sickness that occurs is not covered. Accidents and injuries from new incidents are usually covered right away.
Most travel insurance plans purchased after arrival in the US do not cover pre-existing conditions immediately. At best, they may cover the acute onset of pre-existing conditions after a short waiting period.
However, some of our plans (like INF Elite X and INF Premier X) provide full pre-existing condition coverage, even if purchased after arrival. This makes them a good option for seniors and visitors with existing health concerns.
Most travel insurance plans purchased after arrival in the US do not cover pre-existing conditions immediately. At best, they may cover the acute onset of pre-existing conditions after a short waiting period.
If your parents or relatives are staying for several months, buying after arrival still makes sense. But for short trips (1–2 months), it’s better to purchase before traveling to avoid gaps in coverage.
Even with a post-arrival purchase, you can still get coverage for:
- Emergency hospitalization.
- Doctor visits.
- Prescription drugs.
- Medical evacuation.
- COVID-19 treatment (depending on plan).
- Arrived in the US without insurance: You can still buy a plan, but remember the waiting period.
- Parents forgot to buy insurance: Safer to buy as soon as possible after arrival.
- Visitor already sick: Insurance won’t cover treatment for an illness that started before the policy took effect.
What are some practical tips for using travel insurance in the U.S.?
- Buy early: Purchase as soon as possible after arrival to minimize waiting periods.
- Keep documents handy: Carry both digital and printed copies of your insurance ID card and certificate.
- Use network hospitals: Many policies work best with PPO hospitals that offer direct billing.
- Understand claims: Keep all receipts and medical records in case you need to file a claim.
- Call before care: Whenever possible, call the assistance number on your card before visiting a hospital.
- Know exclusions: Review policy exclusions to avoid surprises about what isn’t covered.
Key Points About Buying Insurance After Arrival
Buying visitor health insurance after arrival in the U.S. is not the best option, but it is still much better than having no insurance at all. Even if purchased after travel begins, a plan can cover sudden sickness, accidental injuries, and medical emergencies. This protection gives travelers peace of mind and helps avoid large medical bills.
Families hosting parents or relatives should make sure insurance is arranged immediately after arrival. With the high cost of U.S. healthcare, paying a few dollars a day for insurance can save thousands of dollars in the event of an emergency.
Some plans, such as INF Elite X and INF Premier X, include full pre-existing condition coverage. This is rare in the market and especially useful for older visitors or travelers with existing medical issues.
Other well-known plans, including Atlas America, Safe Travels USA Comprehensive, and Patriot America Plus, cover only the acute onset of pre-existing conditions. This coverage is more limited and usually depends on the traveler’s age.
Summary: It is always better to buy insurance before traveling. But if that was missed, buying a plan after arrival is still a smart step to secure medical care and reduce financial risk.
Can visitor insurance bought after arriving in the USA be canceled or refunded?
Yes. The majority of visitor insurance policies can be cancelled, and unused days are reimbursed if there have been no claims. In case the visitor departs the U.S. prematurely or changes to a different policy, a prorated refund is generally issued, less an administrative fee. Always check the cancellation terms of the plan prior to purchase.
Note: Most policies provide a refund of the full premium if canceled prior to the policy commencement date. After coverage has commenced, refunds are usually prorated and also attract admin fees.
Can you get travel insurance after arriving in the US, and which companies offer plans without arrival time restrictions?
Yes, you can get travel insurance after arriving in the US.
The International Medical Group (IMG) offers popular fixed and comprehensive visitor insurance plans for all budgets. They have an eligibility criteria which is inbuilt in their online application. Customers will not be allowed to buy their plan once they have exceeded the eligibility time frame of being in the destination country.
Some of the other companies that do not have arrival time restriction in the US are highlighted below:
WorldTrips travel insurance does not have any eligibility time limits to buy their visitor travel insurance plans.
Trawick International is another company that has plans for visitors and they do not have any arrival time restrictions as well. Their comprehensive plans have very good coverage for acute onset of pre-existing condition for even people who are above 70 which makes these plans unique from other comprehensive plans.
Travel Insurance Services has excellent comprehensive plans for Green Card holders and visitors. Their Visit USA Healthcare plan has good sports coverage as well. Their student plans are quite popular as well for their benefits. The plans from this company have a unique advantage where they do not have state restriction in the US where, purchasing of plans while located physically in some states is prohibited although the coverage is still available when purchased in a different unrestricted state in the US.
Global Underwriters is another popular provider and their Diplomat America plan is suitable for visitors as well as US citizens visiting US for brief time. They provide a year coverage with the plan for US citizens visiting US.
Which is the cheapest travel medical insurance for USA?
The cheapest US travel insurance is INF Standard X. The other affordable travel insurance for the US are Atlas America from WorldTrips and Patriot America Plus from IMG.
Cheapest travel insurance cost for USA| Insurance Plans | Plan Maximum | Deductible | Cost * |
|---|---|---|---|
| INF Standard X | $50,000 | $250 | $56 |
| Patriot America Plus | $50,000 | $250 | $74 |
| Atlas America | $50,000 | $250 | $75 |
*Disclaimer: The average cost of cheapest travel insurance for USA is based on quotes for a 40-year-old for one month.
Source: American Visitor Insurance®
Which health insurance is best for traveling to the USA?
The best travel insurance for USA are INF Premier X, Elite X by INF, Safe Travels USA Comprehensive from Trawick International. These are comprehensive plans and offer coverage for pre-existing conditions.
| Insurance Plans | Plan Maximum | Deductible | Cost * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safe Travels USA Comprehensive | $50,000 | $250 | $87 |
| INF Premier X | $50,000 | $250 | $272 |
| INF Elite X | $150,000 | $250 | $639 |
*Disclaimer: The average cost of USA travel insurance is based on quotes for a 40-year-old: INF Premier X and INF Elite X for 3 months, and Safe Travels USA Comprehensive for 1 month.
Source: American Visitor Insurance®
What are the types of US Visitors travel insurance?
Fixed Benefit travel insurance
A fixed benefit or scheduled benefits travel insurance plan is the cheapest US travel insurance plan. This is because the Fixed benefit travel insurance have a fixed limit of coverage for different medical benefits. Fixed benefit international travel medical insurance works well for small ailments but can be inadequate for more serious medical conditions involving hospitalisation.
Comprehensive travel insurance
Comprehensive travel insurance provide full coverage for medical expenses up to the policy medical maximum limit. As opposed to fixed benefit international travel medical insurance there are no coverage limits for each benefit. It is much more expensive when compared to fixed benefit plans but also provides significantly superior coverage especially in case of a serious medical emergency or hospitalisation.
What are the main factors for the cost of US travel insurance plans?
- Age of the traveler: The cost of travel insurance is directly proportional to the age of the traveler. The older the traveler and greater will be the cost of the visitors health insurance.
- Type of travel insurance: Comprehensive travel insurance which provide exhaustive coverage are more expensive than fixed benefit travel insurance.
- Medical maximum coverage and deductible options: The price of visitors medical insurance is directly dependant on the maximum medical coverage and inversely proportional to the deductible of the plan chosen.
- Duration of travel insurance for USA: The longer the duration of visitor insurance for US required, the higher will be the cost.
How does travel insurance for pre-existing conditions work?
The travel health insurance plans which cover pre-existing conditions have clear definitions of what is a pre-existing condition, the look back period for pre-existing condition, whether the travel insurance coverage is limited to acute onset of pre-existing conditions, and if it provides full coverage for pre-existing conditions the coverage limit within the policy for pre-existing conditions. Any travel health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions will depend on all these.
How do I know if my pre-existing condition is covered by travel insurance?
Unfortunately, this simple question has a fairly complicated answer. The answer is: it depends. Firstly, it depends on whether you are a US resident traveling outside the US or a visitor to the US. US residents can purchase trip cancellation insurance that can cover pre-existing conditions and even plans that are travel medical only without cancellation often are more generous in their coverage of pre-existing conditions. These plans may have specific requirements in order to waive the usual exclusion of coverage for pre-existing conditions (like purchase them within a certain number of days of your initial trip deposit or that you have a primary domestic insurance plan in the US), so you should check these details carefully if this is important to you.
Non-US residents or US residents traveling into the US have much more limited options to insure their pre-existing conditions are covered. Some plans offer coverage for "acute onset" of pre-existing conditions. However, this is misleading, since a careful look at their definition excludes chronic or congenital disorders from such coverage. Chronic illnesses are those that worsen over time and congenital disorders are issues one is born with. They exclude emergencies due to chronic illness because they will say that is not "acute" it is simply a worsening of your condition.
Travel Insurance - Pre-existing conditions coverage
Compare and buy best pre-existing plans
What is the best US visitors insurance with pre-existing conditions coverage?
The best US visitors insurance with pre-existing conditions coverage is listed here:
- The INF Elite plans are designed for travelers who need coverage for full pre-existing medical conditions up to age 99 years. INF Elite plans are comprehensive plans available for people traveling to the US and provide flexible coverage. Minimum Purchase of 90 days is required on the plans.
- Safe Travels USA Comprehensive offers coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions up to 70 years the limit is up to the medical maximum purchased per period of coverage and for any coverage related to cardiac disease, coverage is limited to $25,000.
- Atlas America Insurance is a comprehensive visitor insurance for acute on set of pre-existing conditions that covers Non-US citizens and Non-US residents while visiting the US up to age 79 years.
The plan provides acute onset of non-chronic pre-existing conditions coverage.. - Patriot America plus is Comprehensive travel insurance covers acute on set of pre-existing conditions up to chosen maximum limit aged up to 70 years. This plan is available for Non US citizens travelling to the USA and US citizens and Non US citizens living abroad can buy this plan for visiting the US for short while. Plan is suitable for Green Card holders as long as they reside outside the US.
- INF Premier X is a fixed-benefit travel medical insurance plan designed for non-U.S. residents up to age 99. It provides full coverage for pre-existing conditions and offers flexible protection for 90 to 364 days while traveling in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Travel Insurance - FAQ's
Yes, visitors insurance is the same of travel insurance. However there are several types of travel insurance one can purchase for a trip. Some policies are long-term and meant for a frequent international traveler who wants to choose where they get their medical care (global medical plans). Some are annual travel insurance that require a home plan that will cover for medical expenses while away from home for short (generally under 45 days) trips (annual multi-trip plans). There are trip cancellation plans that allow you to insure the value of your trip should you not be able to take your trip as well as cover your unexpected medical expenses should you go on your trip (trip plans) which are available from US companies for US residents only. And, finally, there are single trip travel insurance which do not insure your trip, but cover you medically while on your trip and are usually completely refundable if you cancel your trip (travel insurance).
The cost of the travel insurance for US visitors is based on the age of the insured, the maximum of the policy, the deductible on the policy, and the number of days of the trip. With visitor insurance, you can choose a fixed or a comprehensive plan. A fixed or limited benefit plan is generally much cheaper than a comprehensive plan because the plan has limits on what it pays out for each medical expense. The comprehensive plan is more expensive because it offers more complete coverage of medical expenses to the medical maximum.
Tourists can use Urgent Care clinics, make appointments at a doctor's office or go the the hospital, if needed. However, they will have to pay out-of-pocket for any and all medical care they receive. This is why we recommend getting a travel or US tourist health insurance plan for the duration of their stay.
Yes, visitors can purchase travel medical insurance even after they arrive. However, most plans have a short waiting period (2–15 days) before sickness coverage begins. Accidents are usually covered right away.
Coverage varies by plan, but generally includes:
- Emergency medical treatment for new illness or injury.
- Hospitalization and outpatient care.
- Doctor visits and urgent care services.
- Prescription medications for covered conditions.
- Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation.
- Acute onset of pre-existing conditions (with limits by age and policy).
- Full pre-existing condition coverage in select plans (such as INF Elite & INF Premier).
Common exclusions include:
- Routine checkups and preventive care.
- Maternity and childbirth-related care.
- Dental or vision care (unless due to an accident).
- Ongoing treatment for chronic conditions.
Note: While most plans do not cover full pre-existing conditions, select plans such as INF Elite and INF Premier are exceptions, as they provide comprehensive pre-existing condition coverage even if purchased after arrival.
No. Visitor insurance is short-term protection for unexpected medical expenses during travel. It is not a replacement for domestic U.S. health insurance.
Immediately, the better. Most visitor insurance policies have a waiting period of 2–15 days for sickness coverage if purchased after arrival. During this time, only accidents are covered immediately. Buying as early as possible reduces the risk of being uninsured during the waiting period and ensures faster access to full benefits
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