Best Travel Insurance for Parents Visiting the USA- Facts No One Tells You

Last Updated on April 20, 2020 by Michael J. Branco

The US has some of the best colleges and universities in the world. Along with that privilege is the high-paying professions a graduate from a premier college can ever hope for. This is why well-off parents from various developing countries send their kids to seize such an opportunity. However, due to the distance, parents can only visit their kids every once in a while. That said, if you’re a parent planning to visit your child in the US, getting travel insurance would be highly recommended. But what exactly is the best travel insurance for parents visiting the USA? Let’s find out.

First Things First

Before anything else, you should first know what travel insurance is and how it works. In that way, you as a visiting parent can decide which company offers the right travel insurance plan for your situation. It is tough to find out the best travel insurance for parents.

Travel insurance is intended to cover unexpected losses that can be incurred during travel either domestically or internationally. The indicated losses can range from minor incidents such as delayed suitcase to major incidents like a medical emergency or a last-minute cancellation.

It works the same way as the common types of insurance work. It needs to be purchased beforehand, and if something happens that is covered by the insurance plan, you are required to secure documentation for filing your claims within the allowed period. When the claim is approved, you can get your compensation as reimbursement or grant through direct deposit or check.

Travel insurance has two types: limited or comprehensive. Limited travel insurance offers a single coverage only such as trip cancellation plan wherein it works if a trip is canceled and not on medical emergencies. Comprehensive travel insurance includes all coverage but with a higher cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

As a visiting parent, what type of insurance should I look for?

It will depend on your age and health. Usually, if your kid is a college student or a working professional, it is assumed that you are on the bracket considered as “middle-aged’. As such, illnesses and other medical emergencies are likely to occur. Therefore, to ensure better preparation, it is recommended to avail of a comprehensive insurance plan with coverage on the acute onset of pre-existing conditions.

Is it okay if both parents are included in a single application or if different plans are purchased for each of them?

It is recommended to purchase separate insurance plans for each of the visiting parents instead of including them on a single application. There is no price difference and there is better control if either one of them has to cancel or extend the insurance policy. To find the best travel insurance for parents, read this guide carefully.

At what value should be chosen for the parent’s travel insurance?

Generally, the higher the policy, the better. It will depend on the parents’ ages, health status, and the activities they wish to conduct. A policy of $100,000 is usually the ideal maximum.

If the parents are beyond 70 years old but not reaching 80, most policies offer coverage for only a maximum of $50,000. If the parents are 80 years old or beyond, there are even more restrictions imposed on the policy for the maximum amount covered.

Best Travel Insurance Companies

According to the US Tourism Statistics, there are around 79.6 million international visitors annually, and a portion of them are parents of individuals studying and/or working in the USA. In order to ease the burden of figuring out what is the best travel insurance that your parents can avail of, here is the list of the best insurance providers and what can they offer to each of their clients:

1. Atlas America

Atlas America offers comprehensive insurance plans to foreign citizens traveling to the US. This also provides visitors a limited coverage on “acute onset of pre-existing conditions”. This plan is extendable and cancelable with coverage ranging from 5 days to 364 days.

Within the PPO network, after a deductible is made, the plan pays 100 percent up to the policy maximum. Outside of the network, the plan pays 100 percent up to the policy maximum. A $15 co-pay, which is non-deductible, is applicable for walk-in clinics and urgent care within the US.

Policy Overview:

Plan Administrator Company	Tokyo Marine HCC – MIS Group
Carrier Underwriter	Lloyd’s of London
PPO Network	UnitedHealthcare
Plan Type	Comprehensive Coverage Plan with percentage-based coverage
AM Best Rating	An (excellent)
Payment of Benefits	The plan pays up to the 100 percent of the policy maximum
Available Deductibles	Choose from: $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000 per annual or period of policy
Available Coverage	Choose from: $50,000 $100,000 $250,000 $500,000 $1,000,000 $2,000,000   For ages 70-79: Maximum coverage is limited to $150,000
Restrictions	New York Maryland Washington Canada Australia Cuba Iran North Korea

2. Patriot America Plus

Patriot America Plus insurance offers visitors a limited coverage on “acute onset of pre-existing conditions”. This also provides a comprehensive insurance plan for foreign citizens traveling to the US.

Within the PPO network, after a deductible is made, the plan pays 100 percent up to the policy maximum. Outside the network, the plan pays 80 percent on the first $5,000 then pays 100 percent up to the policy maximum. A $25 co-pay is applicable for urgent care and a $15 co-pay is applicable for walk-in clinics within the US.

Policy Overview:

Plan Administrator Company	IMG
Carrier/ Underwriter	Sirius International
PPO Network	UnitedHealthcare
Plan Type	Comprehensive Coverage Plan that covers a certain percentage of medical costs
AM Best Rating	An (excellent)
Payment of Benefits	For in-network The plan pays up to 100 percent of the policy maximum for in-network.   For out-of-network Plan pays 80 percent of the policy for the first $5,000 and then 100 percent thereafter
Available Deductibles	Choose from: $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500
Available Coverage	Choose from: $0 $100 $250 $500 $1,000 $2,500   The co-pay is waived if the chosen deductible is $0.
Restrictions	Botswana The Gambia Ghana Niger Nigeria Sierra Leone

3. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive

Safe Travels USA Comprehensive offers comprehensive insurance plans to foreign citizens who are traveling to the US. This also provides visitors a limited coverage on “acute onset of pre-existing conditions”.

Within the PPO network, after a deductible is made, the plan pays 100 percent up to the policy maximum. Outside the network, the plan pays 80 percent on the first $5,000 then pays 100 percent up to the policy maximum. A $30 co-pay is applicable for urgent care.

Policy Overview:

Plan Administrator Company	Trawick International
Carrier/ Underwriter	GBG Insurance Limited
PPO Network	PPO Network
Plan Type	Comprehensive Coverage Plan that covers up to a certain percentage of medical costs
AM Best Rating	B+
Payment of Benefits	For in-network The plan pays up to the 100 percent of the policy maximum for in-network.   For out-of-network The plan pays 80 percent of the policy for the first $5,000 and then 100 percent thereafter
Available Deductibles	Choose from: $0, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 for each member per period of certificate   For ages 65 and beyond with  policy maximum of $100,000: $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000
Available Coverage	Choose from: $50,000 $100,000 $250,000 $500,000 $1,000,000   For ages 65-70: $50,000 $100,000   For ages 80-89: $50,000
Restrictions	Nigeria Antartica

4. CoverAmerica – Gold

CoverAmerica – Gold offers visitors limited coverage on “acute onset of pre-existing conditions”. This also provides comprehensive insurance to foreign citizens traveling to the US.

Within the PPO network, after a deductible is made, the plan pays 100 percent up to the policy maximum. A $25 co-pay is applicable to urgent care for a $50,000 policy maximum and $20 co-pay for $100,000 policy maximum or even higher.

Policy Overview:

Plan Administrator Company	Seven Corners
Carrier/ Underwriter	C&F Crum & Forster
PPO Network	PHCS
Plan Type	Comprehensive Coverage Plan with percentage-based coverage
AM Best Rating	An (excellent)
Payment of Benefits	The plan pays up to 100 percent of the policy maximum
Available Deductibles	Choose from: $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000   For ages 70-79: $1,000, $2,500, $5,000
Available Coverage	Choose from: $50,000 $100,000 $250,000 $500,000 $1,000,000   For ages 70-79: Limited to $50,000 $100,000   For ages 80 and above: No coverage available
Restrictions	Gambia Ghana Iran Kosovo Nigeria Sierra Leone Syria

5. Liaison Travel Choice

Liaison Travel Choice offers a comprehensive insurance plan for foreign citizens traveling to the US. This also provides visitors a limited coverage on “acute onset of pre-existing conditions”.

Within the PPO network, after a deductible is made, the plan pays 90 percent up to the policy maximum. Outside the network, the plan pays 80 percent on the first $5,000 then pays 100 percent up to the policy maximum. The plan pays for urgent care up to the policy maximum. It is one of the best travel insurance for parents in among all plans.

Policy Overview:

Plan Administrator Company	Seven Corners
Carrier/ Underwriter	Lloyd’s of London and Tramont Insurance Company
PPO Network	UnitedHealthcare
Plan Type	Comprehensive Coverage Plan with percentage-based coverage
AM Best Rating	An (excellent)
Payment of Benefits	For in-network Plan pays up to the 90 percent of the policy for the first $5,000 and then 100 percent thereafter   For out-of-network The plan pays 80 percent of the policy for the first $5,000 and then 100 percent thereafter
Available Deductibles	Choose from: $0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500
Available Coverage	Choose from: $50,000 $100,000 $500,000 $1,000,000 $2,000,000 $5,000,000   For ages 80 and above: Limited to $15,000
Restrictions	New York Maryland Washington Colorado South Dakota Australia Switzerland Iran Syria United States Virgin Islands The Gambia Ghana Nigeria Sierra Leone

6. Choice America

ChoiceAmerica insurance offers a limited insurance plan to foreign citizens traveling to the US. After a deductible is made, the plan pays a fixed amount basing on the benefits table that is pre-defined for each kind of treatment or service.

Policy Overview:

Plan Administrator Company	IMG
Carrier/ Underwriter	Sirius International
PPO Network	First Health Network
Plan Type	Limited Coverage Plan that pays by a fixed pre-defined benefit table
AM Best Rating	An (excellent)
Payment of Benefits	For in-network The plan pays up to the 90 percent of the policy for the first $5,000 and then 100 percent thereafter   For out-of-network The plan pays 80 percent of the policy for the first $5,000 and then 100 percent thereafter
Available Deductibles	Choose from: $0, $50, $100
Available Coverage	Choose from: $50,000 $100,000 $150,000
Restrictions	Maryland Botswana The Gambia Ghana Niger Nigeria Sierra Leone

Conclusion

To secure the best travel insurance for parents who are visiting the US, you have to take into consideration their current age and health status. If you believe they’re unfit to travel, you can visit them. If they don’t have any underlying medical conditions, then getting the best travel insurance for parents visiting the USA is recommended.