Best health insurance for H1B and H4 Visa holders

Joe Biden was sworn in as 46th president of the USA on January 20th, 2021. The incoming president has proposed a lot of changes to policies that were introduced by the previous Donald Trump administration. There is good news for immigrants who are in the USA Green Card queue. President Joe Biden has proposed changes to the immigration policy that will ease the Green Card process and time to citizenship by applicants. Biden has also proposed to reverse the revocation of work authorization for spouses of H1-B Visa holders. In 2020 the green card backlog of employment-based immigration crossed 1.2 million mark, {Data from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)}. The proposed US Immigration Bill will bring a lot of changes to the existing format. The changes are also friendly to international students and foreign students who have received their PhD in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) will be exempt from Visa caps.

H1B Visa holders are facing a very stressful situation in the United States. In addition to the legal changes, the high costs of healthcare especially in light of the Covid pandemic, makes it of paramount importance to have best H1B Visa health insurance. This will mitigate the financial risks while in USA. At American Visitor Insurance, H1B Visa holders can find the ideal H1b Visa medical insurance plan by using our H1B Visa medical insurance comparison tool. H1B Visa holders should provide relevant information such as their age, the duration of insurance coverage and other relevant details like the medical maximum coverage and the deductible. The H1 B Visa insurance comparison utility will display the available health insurance plans based on the Visa holder’s specific requirements. The H1B Visa holder can then review these plans based on price and other coverage benefits to select the best H1B Visa insurance plan that suits their budget and needs.

Pre-existing condition is a medical ailment that existed before the travel insurance became effective. Another term that we come across more frequently in insurance policies is "Acute onset of pre-existing condition" .Acute onset of pre-existing condition is a sudden relapse of the pre-existing condition without advance warning which requires medical attention within 24 hours.

Travelers with pre-existing conditions always find it hard to buy travel health insurance. Some of the common conditions that are considered as pre-existing conditions are asthma, food & drug allergies, environmental allergies, heart related issues, high blood pressure, kidney disease, cancer, and diabetes. Typically all insurance providers have their terms and conditions for the pre-existing condition coverage provided. Most do not cover anything related to a pre-existing condition. Travelers can buy a travel insurance policy without a medical check, however chronic illnesses like cancer, parkinson's disease, Amnesia...which cannot be cured are not covered by the travel health insurance policies. With the pre-existing condition there is a "look back" period of 60-180 days to determine the claim. Most of the Insurance providers consider the age of the individual as a factor for providing this benefit. Most of the policies do not provide coverage for pre-existing conditions at the age of 70 and more.

Some US insurance providers offer senior citizen travel insurance for pre-existing conditions above the age of 80 with fixed or limited coverage. The Safe Travels USA, Safe Travels USA Cost Saver, and Safe Travels USA Comprehensive all offer $1000 coverage for pre-existing conditions without limitation to chronic illness. If travelers have a medical condition they are concerned about, it is very important for them to buy a policy that includes the illnesses in the coverage and to be aware of the terms of pre-existing condition coverage.

INF is one of the few companies which offers travel insurance plans for travelers with flexible coverage for pre-existing ailments. They define pre-existing conditions differently and do not exclude chronic illness. First of all, if the person has had no flare up or change in their condition, even if they take medication for it (as long as there has been no change in medication) for 12 months prior to the start of the plan, then the plan does not consider it as a pre-existing condition. If there has been a flare up or change in the condition, then it is covered but at a lower maximum than the overall maximum of the plan and may be subject to a higher deductible.

They have two plans which have this coverage: INF Premier and INF Elite. The Premier plan is a fixed plan which has limitations on the coverage of each medical expense. The Elite plan is an 80/20 comprehensive plan (the plan pays 80% and the insured 20% after the deductible). INF offers the best travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions but the difference is reflected in the cost, particularly in the Elite plan. Note that regularly needed maintenance medications or treatments are still not covered with these plans, only if there is a new problem will there be coverage. However, the problem does not need to be life-threatening or acute. Travelers with pre-existing conditions should weigh these options to reduce their risk of high medical costs should they suffer from one of their conditions while traveling. Note that the plans need to be purchased for at least 90 days, so these are more suitable for longer term stays in US, Canada, and/or Mexico. Also, the plans may be purchased by green card holders as long as they have a non-US residence address. The Elite plan has several variations: INF Elite, Elite Plus and INF Elite 90.

To compare the best travel insurance for seniors visiting USA for flexible pre-existing conditions plans offered by INF, use this link: INF Premier & INF Elite best travel insurance for pre-existing conditions.

To qualify for Medicare, you must have worked in the US for 40 quarters (10 years) or have a Green card for at least 5 years.
H1B h4 Visa insurance US employers with more than 50 full time employees provide health care coverage. If there are less than 50 full time employees and if your employer does not provide health care coverage, you need to purchase a qualified health insurance plan to receive coverage for medical treatment. While employers provide some cover for H1B Visa holders, they do not usually provide coverage for H4 Visa holders.

At American visitor insurance we offer a number of short term visitor insurance plans which however do not satisfy Obamacare (ACA) requirements. These plans work well even while you are waiting for your employer's plan or during the time period before you can purchase a domestic Obamacare US plan.

Given that health care costs in the USA are astronomical, a H Visa insurance plan is a requirement while in USA. American Visitor Insurance allows a H Visa holder to buy short-term medical insurance for the duration of their stay in the USA. This short-term medical insurance plan will cover them for injury sustained in an accident and for any new sickness. Health insurance coverage for H1-visa in the USA includes medical expenses such as doctor's visits, hospital fees and medicines/prescription drugs. We work with all the major insurers who offer health insurance for H1B Visa employees, so that you can select the most appropriate plan for your needs from amongst all available plans.

We try to identify the best insurance for H1B Visa holders. All health insurance for H1B holders offered here are underwritten by reputed insurers with A.M. ratings of A+. On purchasing the insurance, you will be provided with the relevant medical insurance details, including an ID card, and a toll free number to the plan administrator so that you can contact someone, at any time of day or night in case of a medical emergency. You may also use the toll free number for guidance on how to find a hospital or doctor, file a claim, or verify a benefit.

• The age of traveler: The older the H Visa holder, the more expensive is the medical insurance costs for H1B Visa holder.
• The maximum medical coverage selected: The options range from $25,000, up to $1,000,000, the higher the coverage amount, the higher the premium.
• The selected deductible: A 'deductible' is the amount of the medical costs the customer pays before the insurance plan provides any coverage. Most plans provide several options ranging form $0 to $2500 (travelers over age 60 years may not have the $0 deductible option). The lower the deductible, the higher the premium.
• The co-insurance on the plan: 'Co-insurance' is the percentage on medical expenses borne by the customer AFTER the deductible is paid off. This is relevant to comprehensive plans and is typically the 80/20 or 90/10.
• The insurance underwriter: There are different underwriters such as AIG, Lloyds, Nationwide, etc. Premium will correspondingly vary for different underwriter.
• Type of plan: There are two types of plans available: Fixed vs comprehensive visitor insurance coverage

• Affordable but Limited Coverage

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  Fixed Benefits plans are have specific benefit limits for different covered medical expenses. These benefit limits are not the same as the plan medical maximum.

  Scheduled Benefits Example: A plan with a $50k maximum limit may have a maximum of $3k for surgery, and a maximum of $500 for diagnostic services (X-rays, scans).

  These fixed limits for different situations are detailed in the plan brochure.

  How do fixed benefits plans work? The customer is required to pay an initial deductible for each injury or sickness and the plan pays for the rest of the covered expenses. Scheduled Benefits Plans Highlights.

  These plans have a list of medical benefits, over and above which the plan will not pay. While these plans tend to have lower premiums, the out of pocket costs (the cost borne by the customer that are over and above the fixed benefit) may be quite high.

  Popular fixed benefit visitor insurance plans

  Visitors Care insurance Visitors Secure insurance Safe Travels Elite insurance

  INF Premier Plan insurance INF Standard Plan insurance INF Premier Plus insurance

  Travel Medical USA Visitor Choice insurance Travel Medical USA Visitor Basic insurance

• Expensive but Exhaustive coverage

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  These plans do not have benefit limits based on the type of medical expense. Benefits for covered medical expenses go all the way up to the plan maximum (less deductible and co-insurance) How do comprehensive benefits plans work?

  Typically for all covered medical expenses during the plan period the insured pays the deductible plus 20% of the first $5,000; and then the plan pays 100% of the eligible medical expenses upto the plan maximun. The details for each plan such as the plan maximum, medical expense eligibility etc. are listed in the plan brochure. Comprehensive Coverage Plans Highlights.

  • Relatively higher premiums
  • Offer better benefits than the Scheduled Benefits Plans.
  • Can reduce premium cost by increasing the deductible.
  • Amounts are available at $0, $100, $250, $500, $1000, and $2,500 with some plans offering even higher deductible options.

  These plans are more flexible than fixed plans and do not have fixed ceilings for various medical benefits. Because they provide more extensive coverage they also cost more.

  Popular Comprehensive visitor insurance plans

  Atlas America insurance Patriot America Lite insurance Patriot America Plus insurance Patriot Platinum insurance Travel Medical Basic insurance

  INF Elite insurance INF Safe Traveler USA insurance INF Elite Plus insurance INF Elite 90 insurance INF Safe Traveler USA 90 insurance

  WorldMed insurance Diplomat America insurance Safe Travels USA insurance Safe Travels USA Comprehensive insurance