Visitor Insurance Resources, Travel insurance articles

There is no denying that travel insurance to USA is sadly very expensive. The main reason for this is simply because the cost of healthcare in the USA is very expensive and the travel insurance USA costs are directly related to the healthcare costs.

One more factor for some USA travel insurance plans to be very expensive is that there are specially designed travel insurance USA plans available for older travelers, with higher medical coverage as well as some plans with coverage for pre-existing ailments.

We get many inquiries about how the insurance works and if you must pay up front and submit a claim to get reimbursed or if the insurance company will directly pay the provider. This is an excellent question and one which many clients do not understand. Many US residents are used to showing our ID cards and having all the bills directly paid (albeit slowly) and then paying our portion some time later to the provider.

Because the insurance companies that issue plans for visitors are much smaller than our domestic companies, many providers will say "We don't take this insurance." What that means is they do not want to call the insurance company and arrange direct payment for you. In that case, you can still use the provider, but you will have to pay up front and submit a claim to get reimbursed.

Some clients take this message from the provider to mean their insurance is no good. Nothing could be farther from the truth. All the policies we offer can be used at any doctor or hospital you desire -- they are meant to be used in an emergency and the closest place may or may not be in the PPO network (if that is an issue). So, you don't have to worry about that.

All that means is you will have a little more legwork on your end to get your reimbursement. The good news is the claims forms are all available on our website to download and they are very straightforward. You do not need to be a doctor to fill them out. Be sure you keep a copy of anything you send in for yourself and simply follow the directions on the claims form for the insurance policy you purchased.

You should expect to get repaid within a couple weeks if they get all the documentation they need. Be sure, if you have a client zone login, to check on your claim from time to time to be sure you have done your part to move the process along. There is one company, called GeoBlue which works with a very large network that does claim to have "guaranteed" direct bill pay (IF you do use a BlueCross/BlueShield provider).

I would personally take this with a grain of salt since nobody can make someone make a phone call if they are unwilling to do so. However, the network is very popular and extensive and may provide some reassurance to a traveler to the US. This company also has providers abroad in over 100 countries as well, but I do assume these are less numerous. Happy traveling!

The actual forms and instructions on filing a claim vary slightly by company. For certain, each company has a form (usually only one page front and back) to be filled out. The full instructions for submission of the form are on the form itself and all the forms can be downloaded from our website (for companies we work with). There can be two different forms for medical expenses and other expenses (baggage loss, etc), so check to make sure you have the correct form.

If the provider will not set up a direct payment with the insurance company, you will have to pay for all bills out of your pocket. Keep all receipts and documents you are given. Fill out the claims form as instructed, make a copy of all documents for yourself and mail, fax, or email the document as instructed to the insurance company.

If you have a login for your insurance policy, use that to check on the status of the claim to make sure they receive all the necessary documentation they require (careful reading of the instructions will help, but they may need something more from the provider which you may be able to expedite in person).

Then, you simply have to be patient as the process unfolds. Those of us that are US residents know that this can take weeks with our own medical insurance as they work out their process. Some clients are shocked to get a bill in the mail soon after a stint in the hospital or at a doctor's office (even if they did get direct billing).

Just hang on to the bill and give the insurance company at least two weeks before giving them a call. Do not pay anything until you have heard back from the insurance company. As we say, "chill and let it ride" until you get your insurance company to do their part!

Yes, international tourists can and should buy travel health insurance in USA. Given the high cost of US healthcare, it is very risky to travel without the best short term health insurance for UK visitors to USA. UK tourists can compare different travel health insurance online and then buy travel insurance for USA Visitors to get coverage as early as the following day.

The cost of UK travel health insurance for USA depends mainly on the following factors; The age of the traveler, the duration of travel health insurance coverage, type of travel insurance (fixed vs comprehensive coverage), any add on coverage requirements, or the need for health insurance for visitors to usa with pre-existing conditions.