Visitor insurance information for travelers to the United States
Have you ever traveled abroad and found yourself in a situation where you needed emergency medical services, or worse yet, your family were in need of the same….
Press Release (PressBurner) Mar 17, 2009 - Have you ever traveled abroad and found yourself in a situation where you needed emergency medical services, or worse yet, your family were in need of the same…. And to top it all, you did not have enough money or an adequate travel insurance to cover your medical needs?
Many travelers are not aware of the need for visitor travel insurance or of the subtleties regarding different travel insurance policies. Some travel insurance packages may cover only your travel needs in terms of baggage loss, flight cancellations etc, but there are other insurance plans that cover you for medical emergency needs – it could be a minor accident like twisted ankle, or something more major like an appendix operation.
There are several plans available in the market, that it’s difficult to know what exactly you are looking for and what you might be missing in a travel insurance policy …. until of course it is too late. For instance, there are travel policies that do cover visitors over the age of 70 under certain conditions, other plans that do cover pre-existing conditions, and so on - some of these may come at a higher cost, but they do exist and unless you know what you are looking for or where to look for it, you could be lost in the world of choices.
A good place to start looking is www.americanvisitorinsurance.com . I found this site quite by accident, and after browsing for just a few minutes, realized it was exactly what a traveler would need if they were shopping for insurance policies. On this site are listed a host of insurance providers and their products. The website has a very user friendly comparison utility which compares features and prices across several different plans. You can get details on any specific insurance policy that interests you as well as see their brochure online. Not just that, but the process to buy is very simple. If you have any questions the website offers a 24 x 7 customer support service, where you get a REAL licensed person on the other end and not just a voice recording. There were times when I left a voice message, but the call back in prompt and the information concise. One of their agents actually said she did not know the answer to a question I had, and said she would check with the insurance company and call right back. To my utter amazement she did. This is what I consider good customer service. She answered questions about insurance coverage for my parents, the price of various travel insurance products, those insurance packages that cover dental plans and so on. Needless to say, you know where I’ll go the next time I need to shop around for travel health insurance either for myself or my family.
Besides, I’m an organizational freak, and I like every question answered and every aspect covered before I make my decision. Here are some of the offbeat questions I asked, that might or might not pertain to you.
Ask if you can custom design your own travel health insurance package such as increase/decrease the medical maximum coverage or the deductible.
Can I purchase a policy for my family members visiting the US from overseas even if they do not have a US passport or social security number.
Ask if the flight and transit period is covered ?
Ask if you’re covered for risky sport accidents, like skiing (many insurance companies will not cover what the consider risky sports)
Is the site a secure site? Is it safe to give my credit card information here?
Ask if the insurance plan can be renewed if you extend your stay.
Can you purchase the plan after the journey has started?
These are some of the questions that were of concern to me. Perhaps you will find other issues of specific relevance to you.
