Is it necessary a travel insurance for the United States?
Although travel insurance isn’t a mandatory requirement to enter the United States—unlike the ESTA or the Visa—it’s highly recommended to have one. Actually, it will cost you very little compared to your total travel budget, and in return, you’ll be able to enjoy your trip worry-free, knowing that in this extremely expensive country, you’ll be covered by an insurance company if anything happens to you.
Is the American Healthcare System free?
No, and this is the main reason why you should travel to the United States with health insurance. Although it is a safe country in terms of disease transmission and its medical care is pioneering, you should keep in mind that the American Healthcare System is neither universal nor free.
This means that to receive medical care in the U.S., you must have private health insurance, which they will require you to provide in advance in order to treat you. Otherwise, you will have to pay exorbitant amounts of money and prove that you have the funds to cover the costs.
Here are some examples of approximate healthcare costs in the United States to give you an idea, keeping in mind that they vary by state:
- Ambulance: between $1,500 and $2,500
- Medical visit without diagnostic tests: $300–$600, depending on the specialty
- Hospitalization: $3,000 per day
- Minor surgery (such as appendicitis): $14,000
Other Reasons to Purchase Medical Insurance for the U.S.
Natural Disasters in the United States
In the United States, there are areas at risk of hurricanes and tornadoes during certain months of the year. If you plan to travel to any of these areas during those months, sign up for the Traveler's Registry of your country so that if anything happens, authorities will know you are there at that time.
During this time of year, there may be evacuations and flight cancellations, and traveling by road can be dangerous. In addition, power and water outages are common.
| HURRICANES AND TORNADOES IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
|---|---|---|
| AFFECTED STATES | SEASON | |
| Hurricanes | Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and the Gulf Coast (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama) | June through November (peak season from August through October) |
| Tornadoes | Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Nebraska, Texas, and Oklahoma | April through September (peak season from April through June) |
Adventure Sports in the United States and Accidents
A trip to New York is not the same as a road trip through the national parks on the U.S. Southwest or surfing in California. Every trip has its own unique aspects, but if you plan to go hiking, surfing, or participate in water activities like rafting or kayaking—or any other sport—during your trip, you should not only make sure to have travel insurance, but it should also cover the sports you’ll be doing in case you have an accident. It happened to us while hiking in Canada—we ended up with a sprain!
🚁 Another example: you want to take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. We know that accidents during these types of activities are rare, but they can happen. Fortunately, insurance policies that include coverage for sports activities also cover scenic helicopter tours.
🚗 And finally, if you’re going on a road trip, you’ll need to rent a car in the United States, and in this case, it’s important to be aware of the risk of traffic accidents. We didn’t have any during our five months traveling through the U.S., but we know people who did. Travel insurance will cover medical care if you’re in a car accident, as well as transportation to a hospital.
RENT A CAR IN THE UNITED STATES
The best way to explore the United States is by car, giving you the freedom to travel at your own pace.
🚗 Whether you’re looking for a convertible Mustang, a 4x4, or a regular car, we recommend to book through this car rental search engine
💸 This is where we find the best prices, both on the rental car itself and on full coverage insurance!
Insecurity in U.S. Cities
Mainly due to the problem of addictions in the United States, some neighborhoods in certain U.S. cities can be unsafe. It's not very common, but there can be cases of theft in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Seattle.
For this reason, we recommend that you don't carry large amounts of cash with you if you plan to visit cities, since in the U.S. you can pay for practically everything with a card. We use the Wise card to do this and avoid currency conversion fees.
On the other hand, if you’re traveling with a laptop or any other type of electronic device, we recommend that you purchase medical insurance for the U.S. that covers damage or theft of such items. And above all, if you’re going on a road trip, try to make sure your luggage isn’t visible from the outside, especially if you leave your car parked in a city.
| INSECURITY IN U.S. CITIES | |
|---|---|
| CITY | MOST DANGEROUS AREAS |
| New York | Harlem, the Bronx (Mott Haven and Port Morris), East New York, and Brownsville in Brooklyn, at night. Pickpocketing can also occur in Times Square, Hell's Kitchen, and on Broadway |
| Los Angeles | Eastern part of Downtown Los Angeles and some inner-city neighborhoods in Southcentral |
| San Francisco | Tenderloin, Civic Center, SoMa, and the Mission District. Pickpocketing may occur in tourist areas such as Alamo Square, the Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, Twin Peaks, and Union Square |
| Seattle | Downtown (especially Pioneer Square) |
| Miami | Downtown Miami or parking areas in Miami Beach |
| Washington, D.C. | Northeast, Southeast, the Anacostia neighborhood, and areas near train stations |
| Boston | The neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan |
| Chicago | Southern and western parts of the city |
What Should a Good Travel Medical Insurance for the United States Cover?
When purchasing travel insurance for the United States, the most important thing is to pay close attention to the medical coverage it offers to avoid incurring significant expenses if you have an accident or need medical care. But it’s not enough to just look at the maximum coverage amount; you also need to check what situations are covered, what’s excluded, and how medical expenses are reimbursed.
Here are the types of coverage we consider essential:
💰 Medical expenses
This is the primary coverage and should include, at a minimum, emergency medical care, doctor visits, diagnostic tests, hospitalization, surgery, and treatments resulting from an illness or accident during the trip. Make sure the policy specifically covers hospitalization, surgeries, and medical treatments resulting from an emergency, as these are where costs can be highest.
⚠️ It's important to check the maximum coverage limit, but also to see if there are any deductibles or specific treatments that are excluded.
🚑 Ambulance and Medical transport
This is a type of coverage that can easily go unnoticed, but it’s important to ensure that ambulance service to a medical facility is covered when needed. The cost of an ambulance in the U.S. starts at $1,500 and can be much higher in national parks and sparsely populated areas, where the nearest hospital may be quite a distance away.
🚁 Medical evacuation and Repatriation
Other types of coverage to consider include medical evacuation and medical repatriation. Medical evacuation covers transportation to a medical facility when the location where you are cannot provide the care you need, and coverage typically starts at $25,000 USD. Medical repatriation, on the other hand, involves transportation back to your country of residence and is much more expensive.
💳 Payment of medical expenses
Not all insurance companies operate the same way. In some cases, you’ll have to pay the bill yourself and then request reimbursement from the company, while in others, the insurance company handles payment directly with the medical facility. This is especially important in the United States, where a high medical bill can result in a significant out-of-pocket expense, so we would choose an insurer that pays the facility directly so you don’t have to cover the cost upfront.
What might happen, however, is that you may have to pay for certain medications upfront. In this case, simply keep the prescription, the medical report, and the receipt, and send them to the insurance company for reimbursement.
🦷 Emergency dental care
It's not usually the primary coverage, but it can be very useful if you experience a dental problem during your trip that requires urgent care. It's typically limited to emergency treatments and usually has a coverage limit, so it's a good idea to check the details.
🤒 Pre-existing conditions
The vast majority of insurance companies exclude pre-existing conditions from their coverage, although some make exceptions and cover the first visit. If you have a medical condition, be sure to review this section carefully in case your condition could worsen while you're traveling.
🥾 Included activities
This point is especially important for a trip through the United States, because many itineraries include hiking, water activities, 4x4 or bike tours, and even scuba diving.
It's important to check whether your insurance covers the activities you'll actually be doing. Some insurers offer basic coverage, and you'll need to pay extra if you want additional activities covered, while others include all of them by default.
❌ Trip cancellation and Interruption
This coverage is different from medical coverage and is not typically included by default; instead, you must purchase a specific cancellation insurance separately from your health insurance. This way, you can recover certain non-refundable expenses if you have to cancel or interrupt your trip for one of the reasons covered by the policy.
You need to carefully review which reasons are covered, because it doesn't necessarily mean you can cancel for any reason. Additionally, some insurers have restrictions regarding when you can purchase the policy: some allow you to do so at any time, while others only allow it within the first 7 days after purchasing the trip.
🧳 Luggage and Electronic devices
Luggage coverage typically includes compensation for loss, theft, damage, or delay of luggage, depending on the policy terms. For us, it’s a secondary thing compared to medical coverage, but many policies include it by default, and it can be worthwhile if you’re traveling with valuable luggage.
On the other hand, there's coverage for electronic devices, such as cameras, drones, computers, cell phones, etc. If you plan to bring any of these items on your trip, check to see if the insurance covers them in case of theft or damage, and what the maximum limit is.
✈️ Early return and Travel expenses for a family member
During your trip, you may have to return home unexpectedly—for example, if an immediate family member has fallen ill. The opposite can also happen: a family member may have to travel to where you are because something has happened to you. The vast majority of insurance companies usually cover both situations, but the amount of coverage varies.
How Much Medical Coverage Should You Have for Travel to the United States?
There is no official figure stating that, to travel to the United States, your travel insurance must cover X amount in medical expenses. The amount of coverage varies widely among insurers: it could be $10,000, $50,000, $100,000, $500,000, $1,000,000, $5,000,000 or even $10,000,000. The important thing to understand here is that the higher the coverage limit, the better protected you’ll be in the event of an emergency, hospitalization, or costly treatment.
When it comes to the U.S., we would never choose travel insurance just because it’s the cheapest, without considering the coverage. Although $50,000 might seem like a large amount at first glance, it’s not at all for the United States, and it’s an amount you can spend very quickly in an emergency.
💡 In the United States, the higher the medical coverage, the better. Ideally, your travel insurance should cover at least $1,000,000, though more is even better. Even so, you should always compare other aspects of the policies before making your final choice—not just the medical coverage.
What Types of Coverage Should You Compare When Choosing Travel Insurance for the U.S.?
As we've mentioned, it's not just medical coverage that's important—there are many other factors you should consider when comparing insurance plans from different companies. This table provides a summary of all the types of coverage you should look into and how important they are for a trip to the United States:
| COVERAGE OPTIONS TO COMPARE IN TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR THE U.S. | ||
|---|---|---|
| COVERAGE | TAKE A LOOK TO | IS IT IMPORTANT IN THE U.S.? |
| Medical expenses | Limit | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Hospitalization | If it's included + limit | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Evacuation | If it's included + limit + conditions | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Repatriation | If it's included | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Ambulance | If it's included | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Medications | Limit | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Dental | If it's included + limit | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Luggage | If it's included + limit | ⭐⭐ |
| Cancellation | Covered reasons + amount | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Adventure Sports | If they're included + Which activities | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Delays in public transportation | Delay threshold + amount | ⭐⭐ |
| Electronic Equipment | If it's included + amount | ⭐⭐ |
| Personal Liability | Amount | ⭐⭐⭐ |
What Are the Best Travel Insurance Providers for the United States: A Comparison
And now, let's get down to business. Which insurance company should you choose for a trip to the United States? Let's talk about each one—what policies they offer, their coverage, and their prices.
1. Heymondo
Heymondo is the insurance company we use for practically all of our trips, and we’ve already had to use it in several countries: Vietnam, Laos, Australia, Bolivia, Panama, and Canada. We haven't just had to use it for medical issues (allergies, food poisoning, etc.), but once we had to cut a trip short because a family member had been hospitalized, and another time our transportation was delayed so much that we had to stay an extra night at our destination.
Heymondo has always been very responsive to us and offers direct payment of services to the hospital so you don't have to pay anything in advance. On some occasions, you will have to purchase the medications yourself, but if you keep all the documentation (reports, prescriptions, receipts, etc.), they’ll reimburse you without any issues.
🩺 The medical coverage of Heymondo includes everything you need:
- Medical care
- Medical transportation
- Medical Tests
- Hospitalization
- Treatments and medications
- Surgical Procedures
🏃🏼 If you're interested in adventure sports, some Heymondo's insurance policies cover them and others don't. The basic sports category already covers a wide range of sports that may be useful for travel in the United States, such as hiking at altitudes below 3,000 meters, kayaking, jet skiing, sightseeing helicopter rides, 4x4 off-road tours, snorkeling, surfing, and windsurfing. However, there’s also the Adventure sports add on, which additionally covers rafting, canyoning, scuba diving less than 20 meters deep, kitesurfing, mountain biking, and hiking up to an altitude of 5,000 meters.
📱The Heymondo app is very comprehensive and works great. The best part is that it offers 24/7 medical support via chat, so you can talk to a doctor at any time or even make a video call.
You can also use this same app to call the insurance company from anywhere in the world. To do this, you'll need mobile data—for example, by purchasing an eSIM for the United States—but that way you won't have to spend money on an expensive international call.
👨👩👧👦 As an added benefit, Heymondo offers additional discounts to families with three or more members and to groups. These discounts can be as high as 15%, so they really make a difference in the final price.
ℹ️ It's also important to know that you can purchase an insurance with Heymondo even after you've already started your trip, but in that case, there's a 72-hour waiting period before you can use it.
🤗 In this table , you can see all the travel insurance plans Heymondo offers for the United States and their main coverage options. The price is calculated based on a 15-day trip to the U.S. and our 5% discount is already included in the price:
| HEYMONDO'S TRAVEL INSURANCES FOR THE U.S. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| HEYMONDO TOP | HEYMONDO PREMIUM | HEYMONDO MEDICAL | |
| Price with our discount | $87.65 ➡️ Take it out here | $112.05 ➡️ Take it out here | $80.13 ➡️ Take it out here |
| Medical expenses | $5.000.000 | $10.000.000 | $10.000.000 |
| Emergency dental expenses | $300 | $500 | $500 |
| Repatriation and early return | Included | Included | Included |
| Theft and material damage to luggage | $1,700 | $2,500 | - |
| Delayed baggage delivery | $300 | $500 | - |
| Trip cancellation | $3,500 | $7,000 | - |
| Travel delay do to transport | $450 | $1,500 | - |
| Missed connecting flight | $300 | $1,000 | - |
| Adventure sports | Optional | Optional | - |
| Electronic equipment | Optional | Optional | - |
| Search and rescue | - | $10,000 | - |
| Natural disaster | $1,250 | $1,250 | - |
| Travel expenses for a family member | Included | Included | - |
| Personal liability | $60.000 | $60.000 | - |
| Age | >90 days and <69 years | >90 days and <69 years | >90 days and <69 years |
2. Iati
Iati is one of the best-known insurance companies, with a long history in the industry. It offers various insurance policies with different levels of coverage, and none of them require you to pay upfront to receive medical care abroad.
💊 The medical coverage of Iati insurances includes the following:
- Care provided by emergency medical teams
- Medical tests
- Hospitalizations, treatments, and surgical procedures
- Medical transportation
- Provision of medications during hospitalization or reimbursement of costs for injuries or illnesses that do not require hospitalization
🏄🏼 Not all insurance policies cover sports activities. Those that do offer includes sports such as biking, canoeing, hiking, kayaking, jet skiing, paddleboarding, helicopter sightseeing tours, 4x4 tours, hiking, snorkeling, surfing, windsurfing, trekking (up to 3,000 m), scuba diving (less than 20 m), and any other similar activities. For trekking at higher altitudes, rafting, whitewater rafting, kitesurfing, or ATV rides, only Iati’s most comprehensive insurance plan allows you to add this premium coverage.
👍🏼 One advantage is that Iati does cover medical care for pre-existing conditions, but only in emergencies and only for the cost of the first visit. It also offers special insurance plans for families that may be more affordable.
📱 The Iati app also lets you manage everything through it and features a 24/7 medical chat service that includes pediatrics, gynecology, and psychology. 🐶 Plus, unlike other insurance companies, it also offers veterinary advice if you're traveling with a pet.
🤗 In this table, you can see all the travel insurance policies Iati offers for the United States and their main coverage options. The price is calculated based on a 15-day trip to the U.S. and our 5% discount is already included (everything is in Euros):
| IATI'S TRAVEL INSURANCES FOR THE U.S. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATI BASIC | IATI STANDARD | IATI STAR | |
| Price with our discount | €52.91 ➡️ Take it out here | €66.84 ➡️ Take it out here | €110.82 ➡️ Take it out here |
| Medical expenses | €50,000 | €300,000 | €1,000,000 |
| Emergency dental expenses | €100 | €350 | €500 |
| Repatriation and early return | Included | Included | Included |
| Theft and damage to luggage | €500 | €1,000 | €2,500 |
| Delay in baggage delivery | €90 | €120 | €300 |
| Cancellation | Optional | Optional | €2,000 |
| Delay in departure of transport | - | €180 | €300 |
| Missing connections in transportation | - | - | €350 |
| Adventure sports | - | - | Included |
| Electronic equipment | - | - | - |
| Public Liability | €30,000 | €60,000 | €60,000 |
| Age | <75 years old | <75 years old | <75 years old |
3. Intermundial
Intermundial, unlike the rest, is an insurance company in its own and does not work with third parties or act as an intermediary. We have purchased coverage from Intermundial for a few trips where, in terms of price and coverage, it was better than Heymondo, but we have never had to use their services. Even so, we know from friends that they respond just as well to any emergency, and with them, you won’t have to pay for medical care upfront either.
😷 The medical coverage of Intermundial includes:
- Care provided by emergency medical teams and specialists
- Additional medical tests
- Hospitalizations, treatments, and surgical procedures
- Pharmacy expenses incurred during hospitalization, or reimbursement of those costs, for injuries or illnesses that do not require hospitalization
- Medical transportation
🥾 As for sports activities, all of their insurance policies cover them as long as they are not the main purpose of the trip. These include running, kayaking, hiking at altitudes below 5,000 meters, scuba diving below 30 meters, snorkeling, surfing, helicopter tours, biking, zip-lining, and any activity with a similar level of risk. If you’re traveling to the United States and the main purpose of your trip is a sports activity (e.g., a scuba diving trip in Florida), then you should purchase Totalsports insurance.
👍🏼One advantage of Intermundial is that it offers the option to cancel your insurance at no cost within the first 14 days after purchase or to change your travel dates at no cost if your trip hasn't started yet. You can also purchase insurance from them while you’re already traveling, but there’s a 72-hour waiting period.
📱 The Intermundial app also lets you contact the insurance company directly through it without having to make an international call, and it offers 24/7 medical assistance, either via chat or video call.
🤗 Intermundial offers only one kind of travel insurance, in this table you can see its main coverages and the price (everything in Euros) assuming a 15-day trip to the U.S.. Please note that our 10% discount is already included in the price, to have it you have to use the code TRIPTOUSA.
| INTERMUNDIAL TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR THE U.S. | |
|---|---|
| GO WORLD INTERMUNDIAL | |
| Price with our discount | €86.90 ➡️ Take it out here |
| Medical expenses | €500,000 |
| Repatriation and Early Return | Unlimited |
| Theft and material damage to luggage | €2,500 |
| Delayed baggage delivery | €360 |
| Trip cancellation | Up to €6,000 |
| Lost of booked services | Up to €500 |
| Lost of connection flights | Up to €800 |
| Expenses due to flight delay | Up to €350 |
| Adventure Sports | Included |
| Electronic equipment | Not included |
| Public Liability | €65,000 |
| Age | Any age, but those over 68 pay more |
What Is the Best Travel Insurance for the U.S.: A Quick Comparison
Now that we've introduced you to all the insurance plans offered by each company, here's a table that lets you quickly compare the best travel insurance to the United States from each company.
💡 The best insurance taking into account the medical coverage and the price is Heymondo TOP, which covers $5,000,000. In case you want more, Heymondo PREMIUM offers $10,000,000.
| BEST TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR THE U.S. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| HEYMONDO TOP | IATI STAR | GO WORLD INTERMUNDIAL | |
| Price | $87.65➡️ Take it out here | €110.82 ➡️ Take it out here | €86.90 ➡️ Take it out here |
| Medical expenses | $5.000.000 | €1,000,000 | €500,000 |
| Emergency dental expenses | $300 | €500 | - |
| Repatriation and early return | Included | Included | Included |
| Theft and material damage to luggage | $1,700 | €2,500 | €2,500 |
| Delayed baggage delivery | $300 | €300 | €360 |
| Trip cancellation | $3,500 | €2,000 | €6,000 |
| Delay in departure of transport | $450 | €300 | €350 |
| Expenses due to missed connections | $300 | €350 | €800 |
| Adventure sports | Optional | Included | Included |
| Electronic equipment | Optional | - | - |
| Personal Liability | $60,000 | €60,000 | €65,000 |
| Age | >90 days and <69 years | <79 years old | Any age, but those over 68 pay more |
What Is the Best Medical Insurance for the U.S. Based on the Type of Trip
Another way to choose insurance is to consider the type of trip you’ll be taking, since spending a few days in a city is not the same as spending several weeks on a road trip that may include sports activities.
- 🗽 Travel insurance for a trip to New York ➡️ For a city trip, we chose the Heymondo Top, which also covers helicopter sightseeing tours (in case you decide to try this activity).
- 🥾 Travel insurance for a road trip through the U.S. visiting national parks ➡️ On a trip that includes visits to national parks, you’ll need insurance with good sports coverage, since you’ll likely be hiking and perhaps participating in other activities. The best choice is Heymondo Premium, adding the sports coverage.
- 🌊 Travel insurance for a trip to the U.S. that includes scuba diving ➡️ If you plan to go scuba diving in California, Florida, or Hawaii, it’s worth getting insurance that already covers this sport. The best choice is Heymondo Top, adding the sports coverage.
- 🏃🏼 Travel insurance for a trip to the U.S. with adventure activities ➡️ If you're the type who likes to stay active and your trip will focus heavily on sports and activities like hiking, kayaking, rafting, surfing, etc., go with Heymondo Premium, adding the sports coverage.
- 👨👩👧👦 Travel insurance for a family trip to the United States ➡️ Choose Heymondo Top—not only does it offer excellent coverage, but it also includes additional discounts for families.
- 👴🏼 Travel insurance for a trip to the U.S. for people over 70 ➡️ Go with Iati Star for people under 79, which cover the first visit due to an emergency complication from a pre-existing condition. Another option is Go World Intermundial, which offers less coverage but has no age limit.
FAQS About Health Insurance to Travel to the United States
Is it mandatory to purchase travel insurance for the United States?
No, travel insurance is not required to enter the United States, but it is highly recommended given the country's high healthcare costs.
How much does travel insurance for the United States cost?
For a hypothetical 15-day trip through the United States, the approximate cost ranges from $53 to $112 per person with excellent coverage.
What is the recommended minimum medical coverage for insurance in the United States?
There’s no definitive answer to this question—the more medical coverage you choose, the better, since this will give you more peace of mind in the event of potential problems or accidents in the United States. We’d feel more at ease traveling with coverage starting at $1,000,000.
Does travel insurance cover an accidents with a rental cars?
Yes, damage caused by a traffic accident involving a rental car is covered for the insured individuals, but not for third parties or damage to the vehicle, provided that the driver has a valid driver's license.
Does travel insurance for the U.S. cover lost or damaged luggage?
Yes, almost all the travel insurance policies cover loss and damage to luggage, although the coverage amount varies depending on the type of policy you purchase.
Is travel insurance for the USA necessary if I have a credit card or private health insurance?
Many credit cards and almost all private health insurance providers offer coverage abroad, but the limits are usually low and fall far short of what is needed in the United States. It’s a good idea to review the terms and compare options.
We hope you've found useful this comparison between travel insurances for the United States!
