Travel insurance coverage for US citizens visiting USA

There are hundreds and thousands of travelers traveling to the US from all parts of the world through out the year. Among them we often come across US citizens residing abroad coming to the US for short term for various reasons. Considering that travel insurance or health insurance as a critical requirement while you are traveling to the US, it gets a little tricky to the US citizens residing abroad coming to the US to get a suitable travel health insurance for their short term stay in the US. This is true because many companies will not provide insurance for US citizens while in the US regardless of where they live most of their time. Please note that this includes people with dual citizenships. For US citizenship, it is better to be on the safe side and purchase a policy suitable for this situation and enter the US passport information on the application so that there are no issues. There are however options available for US citizens residing abroad and coming to the US for short term with the intent to return to their home countries outside USA.

Very recently, IMG has updated their plan eligibility requirements such that US citizens who reside abroad can purchase either the Patriot America or the Patriot America Plus plans for their travel into the US (assuming they intend to return to their foreign address). Please note that US citizens relocating to the US, should apply for domestic coverage right away upon arrival or the “window” for their application may close until the start of the new year. The Patriot Plans offer excellent economical choices either with coverage for pre-existing conditions for persons under 70 (Patriot America Plus plan) or without this coverage (Patriot America).

The other company is Global Underwriters. You can purchase either of their policies, Diplomat America or Diplomat LongTerm. The Diplomat LongTerm costs more because the policy can be renewed up to 12 months as needed. The Diplomat America policy cannot be renewed. Again, the home address should be the foreign address where the applicant spends most of their time.

So, while options are more limited for US citizens, there are options available to these travelers. If you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you, as always, to consult with one of our friendly agents who can guide you through all the details. You should be able to make your purchase from wherever you may find yourself in this large world as long as you have a credit card and internet access!

If you are a US citizen coming back home to a more permanent situation, you should qualify quickly for domestic insurance. Most states will cover children nearly automatically with special programs. Furthermore, you may be able to purchase a high deductible, emergency-only policy from most regular insurance companies (Farmers, State Farm, etc) until you are eligible for other coverage. Please call your state’s Health Department to get the details and options available to you. The policies we offer are strictly for short term coverage to cover accident and sudden illness only.

As ever, we wish you safe and happy travels!