Yes, B1 and B2 Visa (Tourist Visa) applicants coming to the US on a tourist visa can buy visitors insurance for the USA. It is strongly recommended that all tourists buy the travel insurance for B1 visa since US healthcare is very expensive. Being forced to visit an US hospital without proper US visitors insurance can be financially debilitating.
In most cases, your home country's domestic health insurance may not provide coverage in the United States. It is important to check with your insurance provider to see if they offer international coverage. In any event it is strongly recommended to purchase a US travel insurance plan on American Visitor Insurance which are specifically designed for B1/B2 visa holders in the US. These US travel health insurance plans work well within the US healthcare system, and hospital bills are significantly reduced for select preferred provider networks (PPO) which US travel insurance plans are a part of.
The B1-B2 visa health insurance coverage should - match the complete duration of your stay in the United States. It is advisable to have coverage to include your journey to the US and last till you travel back home to ensure continuous protection during your entire stay in the US.
If you are coming to the US on a business trip you will be issued the B1 visa permit. The B1 visa permits a Six-Twelve month stay in the USA. With this visa one can travel to the USA and participate in any of these activities:
Since healthcare is very expensive, it is important to have good work visa health insurance while in the country. We have identified work visa health insurance plans ideal for business travelers.
There are both single and multi-trip US B1 visa health insurance plans available. B1 visa travelers can compare quotes from different insurance companies in one screen and buy work visa health insurance that fits their needs best.
Eligibility for the B1 visa.
You must demonstrate the following in order to be eligible to obtain a B-1 visa:
"I am always appreciating good business conduct and when I am coming back here for the longer time span.."
"Thank you for your prompt response. Your prompt response will be highly appreciated.."
"Thank you American Visitor Insurance! You went way beyond what I would expect from an insurance co.."
Here are some travel insurance tips for travelers with pre-existing conditions
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 conditons. Any travel health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions will depend on all these.
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. There are only two policies we know of that offer coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. They are INF Premier and INF Elite plans.
Firstly, they define pre-existing conditions in the following way: A pre-existing condition is a condition for which the insured received treatment or took medication for in the previous 12 months before the start of the policy. If the medication dosage has not changed and is taken as a maintenance medication, this would NOT count as a flare up or treatment of the condition. In that case, very stable conditions that have no flare ups in the past 12 months are not even excluded as pre-existing conditions. Conditions that have had flare ups or doctor recommended treatment or change in medication, are still covered by the plans but with a higher deductible and a lower maximum.
INF Elite (also INF Elite 90) are comprehensive plans offering fairly complete coverage. INF Premier is a fixed plan. Find details on these plans here.
The above plans must be purchased for at least 90 days and can be quite pricey for seniors, but they offer the only real coverage for chronic conditions.
The other option, of course, is to take a plans with little ($1K) or no coverage for pre-existing conditions and take a risk that that condition will not flare up during the trip.
Acute onset of a pre-existing condition can be defined as the sudden & unexpected occurrence of a pre-existing condition which requires in-patient, emergency hospitalization within 24 hours of exhibiting first symptoms. The main difference between acute onset & full pre-existing is that with Full Pre-Existing coverage, is that one is covered for all pre-existing conditions and associated medical costs and this includes follow up visits, hospitalizations and doctor’s visits, etc. The acute onset coverage will only cover the in-patient hospitalization expense.
The list of covered services under Visitors insurance full pre-existing conditions coverage can be found on the American Visitor Insurance website of the INF Premier, INF Premier Plus, INF Elite, INF Elite Plus and INF Elite 90. INF plans are open to green card holders
Compare and buy best pre-existing plans
A fixed benefit or scheduled benefits travel insurance plan is the cheapest US travel insurance plan, however 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 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.
Complete the health insurance quote request form by providing details of the B1 Visa holder and insurance requirements.
Compare the price and the benefits of the different travel insurance for B1 Visa holders options to identify what fits your needs best.
Purchase the plan that fits your requirements and budget best by using a credit card and completing the online application.
Review the Visa insurance policy documents received by email closely for coverage details and relevant contact numbers.
#1 Maximum Coverage is the maximum eligible medical expenses that the plan will cover.
#2 Deductible is the amount of expenses that must be paid out of pocket before an insurer will pay any expenses.
The cost of health insurance is directly proportional to the age of the applicant. The older the traveler and greater will be the cost of the B1 visa health insurance in USA.
Comprehensive travel insurance which provide exhaustive coverage are more expensive than fixed benefit travel insurance.
The price of medical insurance for US B1 Visa is directly dependant on the maximum medical coverage and inversely proportional to the deductible of the plan chosen.
Travel insurance for US B1 Visa depends on the coverage region. The cost for health insurance for the United States is most expensive.
The longer the duration of medical insurance required, the higher will be the cost.
Additional add-on benefits to the basic travel insurance plan like adventure sports coverage, coverage for pre-existing conditions… will add to the overall cost.
B1/B2 visa health insurance can be purchased on American Visitor Insurance which works with several reputable US insurance providers that offer specially designed B1-B2 visa health insurance plans.
When buying B1-B2 visa health insurance, consider the medical coverage limit, the co-insurance and deductible amounts, pre-existing conditions coverage, network of hospitals and doctors, claims process, customer reviews, and customer support. All of these factors can be objectively compared on American Visitor Insurance using their visitor travel insurance comparison tool. B1-B2 visa holders can compare and find the best B1-B2 visa insurance plans for their specific needs easily using this tool.
Most of the travel health insurance plans on American Visitor Insurance will allow you to extend your B1-B2 visa health insurance coverage if your stay in the United States is extended beyond the initially planned duration. However, it is important to get details about extension options on American Visitor Insurance or contact our customer support team at 877-340-7910 to confirm this and to understand the process and additional costs involved with extending the coverage.
While it is not a legal requirement to have health insurance for a B1/B2 visa, given the very cost of US healthcare, not having B1 visa travel health insurance is financially risky. Medical expenses in the United States can be exorbitant, and without insurance, you may be responsible for paying the entire cost out of pocket. It is highly recommended to have adequate B1-B2 visa health insurance to protect oneself from any unexpected medical expenses.
No, B1/B2 visa health insurance does not provide coverage for routine check-ups or preventive care and usually has limited coverage for pre-existing conditions. B1-B2 visa health insurance mainly covers unexpected medical emergencies and accidents that occur during your stay in the United States.
International travel insurance resources for B1 Visa Holders while in the US.
Explore »Important factors to consider while buying B1 Visa medical insurance.
Explore »Different US B1 Visa insurance, fixed benefits vs comprehensive coverage.
Explore »B1 Visa holder insurance claims process for medical care in hospital.
Explore »Customer queries about insurance plans for B1 visa holders.
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