USA Healthcare cost & need for US visitors medical insurance

International visitors to USA

Following are the different types of visitors to USA, Review the average cost of health insurance for visitors to USA:

• Visitors medical insurance - Short term health insurance for USA visitors, international tourists on vacation or to visit family. More Details
• International students health insurance - International students enrolled in a US university. More Details
• J1 Visa holders insurance - J visa holders or exchange scholars on research program. More Details
• US Immigrant health insurance - New immigrants planning to settle in USA. More Details
• Green Card Holders medical insurance - US Green Card holders frequently visiting US. More Details
• Global health insurance - Travelers like expatriates, missionaries. More Details
• H1B visa holders insurance - Non-immigrants on temporary work visa. More Details
• F2 visa holders insurance - Dependants of F1 visa holders. More Details
• J2 visa holders insurance - Dependants of J1 visa holders. More Details
• US visa types - Coverage for different visas in the US.More Details

Cost of routine physician visits, Medical Costs for Visitors to the USA

While visiting the United States is great fun, being forced to visit an US hospital can be financially traumatic, especially if you do not have proper travel insurance. While the US healthcare system is amongst the best in the world, medical costs for visitors to the USA is very-very expensive. There are chances that a visitor may face a medical emergency and will have to visit a physician. Even a visit to a physician is very expensive in the US when compared to many other countries. In the US it costs $176/ while in countries like Spain the cost is only about $11. Even neighboring Canada it costs only $30. You can review the comparative costs of a routine physician visit in these countries.

Cost of Surgery

Just imagine that you face an even more serious medical situation, you might have an accident, have a fall or have a serious heart problem. The average cost of a bypass heart surgery in the US would be $73,420 while that of a knee replacement is $25,637 . This price is not something any tourist in the US would like to face while enjoying a holiday. You can compare the cost of these surgeries in other countries like Australia, South Africa, the UK or Argentina. The price is significantly less when compared to the price of surgeries in the US.

Cost of staying in hospital

Any serious medical treatment would involve a stay in the hospital. For an average of 7 day stay in a US hospital it would cost you $16,000. While 10 days of stay in a hospital in Germany would cost you only $4,000. This is a very huge difference. Bottom line, while the healthcare cost in US is very sophisticated, it is also really expensive.

Ailment and average cost of treatment in US

According to INF insurance, the top Eight visitor medical insurance claims for older travelers visiting the US are:

1. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Hyperglycemia
   Patients admitted to the hospital Emergency Room(ER) and discharged within 1-2 days. The average bill across the US for a hypoglycemic event is around $25,000.
2. Cerebral Infarction, also known as stroke
   This can involve a 4-5 day stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) coupled with at least 2 MRI scans and follow up treatments with a Neurologist. The average cost of a cerebral infraction is nearly $100,000.
3. Septicemia, blood poisoning caused by bacteria often due to Urinary Tract infection
   The average cost of septicemia in 2018 was over $50,000
4. Cerebral Artery Occlusion
   Ischemic stroke- the occlusion of a cerebral artery that causes damage to the brain tissue dependent on blood supply for the affected blood vessel. Treatment for this kind of stoke will definitely need ICU care for 8-10 days, many brain scans from MRI and PET machines, and skilled follow up care. The average cost of cerebral artery occlusion in 2018 was nearly $120,000.
5. Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attack
   Typical medical bills will include ambulance, hospital emergency room, ICU, EKG and MRI heart scans and continuing care from cardiologists. The average cost for Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction in 2018 was close to $20,000.
6. Persistent atrial fibrillation which results in irregular or rapid heartbeat.
   Common symptoms experienced by older travelers due to extreme weather conditions can include dizziness, nausea and heart palpitations. According to INF claims data, the average cost of an atrial fibrillation in 2018 was almost $12,500.
7. Hypertensive emergency
   A Hypertensive emergency is high blood pressure with a systolic blood pressure of over 180 mmHg or having a diastolic blood pressure over 110mmHh. This level of high blood pressure can permanently damage organs such as the brain, kidney, eyes, or heart. INF claims data found that the average treatment of hypertensive emergencies was over $85,000 in 2018.
8. Acute Kidney Failure
   Acute Kidney Failure is a complication caused by different pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure, urinary tract infections or diabetes. The average treatment cost of acute kidney failure in the USA was over $22,000 in 2018.