The H1N1 pandemic has been spreading across the globe and there are fears of its impact in the coming months being more severe. It is prudent to take all precautions while traveling. Travelers to the higly impacted countries are strongly recommended to purchase visitor medical insurance.

There have been several queries regarding insurance coverage for the Swine (H1N1) flu for travelers. American Visitor Insurance which offers insurance for visitors to USA and Canada offers plans that will cover the Swine Flu, however the visitor health insurance plan should be effective before the visitor is infected by the flu.

If you are visiting the USA or having visitors come to visit you in the US, you need to think of health coverage here. You need to consider the following - Would the health insurance plan cover your health care costs, should the visitor be severly injured in an accident would it provide medical evacuation to an appropriate hospital, can you depend on this insurance in the event of an prolonged illness of the visitor ?

Understandably medical catastrophes are not the uppermost on ones mind while traveling, however it is important to consider visitor medical insurance as ignoring it is very risky. When you travel, you usually leave your regular health insurance plan behind. At American visitor insurance, we offer international medical travel insurance to visitors coming inbound to the USA as well as expatriate policies — health insurance that covers US citizens and non US citizens when they are traveling outside their home country.

The visitor insurance plan do not require medical tests before purchase, and are guaranteed for all travelers. The visitors insurance plans will however not cover the folowing -
(a) Preventive care - Expenses incurred for treatment to prevent an ailment, such as getting a health checkup
(b) Pre-existing ailment - Health care costs for ailments that the visitor suffers from prior to purchase of the insurance. Whether an ailment is pre-existing or not is determined by the doctor who treats the patient.
(c) Illegal acts - Medical costs incurred while involved in any illegal activity is not covered
(d) Dangerous sports - Most visitor insurance plans do not cover dangerous sport, however you can purchase an additional rider if you want coverage for a particular sport

Typical visitor insurance plans offer the following coverage

Hospital services.
Physician fees
Prescription medicines.
Diagnostics, MRI’s and X-rays.
Outpatient services.
Local ambulance transportation in the event of a medical emergency.
Medical evacuation.
Repatriation of mortal remains.

To find out about the different visitor insurance plans available, you can call us at 877-340-7910 or use the compare tool on our website at American Visitor Insurance. We work will most of the insurers who offer visitor insurance and therefore offer the widest range of products. The price or premium for the plan will depend on the age of the traveler as well the type of coverage being offered.

Here at American Visitor Insurance we field lots of questions from our customers who are looking for insurance particularly for visitors traveling to the US from abroad. One question we often get is: What is the difference between fixed and comprehensive benefit policies? If you use our visitors insurance compare facility on our website, you will see that fixed policies are cheaper (the difference in price increases as the age of the insured increases) than the comprehensive policies. So does it follow that the comprehensive policies are better? Well, not always. Let me give you a run-down of pros and cons of each choice.

Fixed benefit policies are called fixed because they have set caps on each medical expense. For example, they may pay $3,300 for a surgery. If a surgery is required, and it costs $10,000, a fixed benefit policy will only pay what is listed for that benefit, in this case $3,300 (after you have met the deductible). This means that you would have to pay any excess of their fixed amount. Comprehensive policies, on the other hand, do not have individual caps for each medical amount and will pay for a covered medical expense up to the maximum amount chosen (after the deductible and coinsurance are met).

So, are there any pros to the fixed benefit policies? Of course, there are several. Firstly, the price of the premium is much lower due to the lower liability of the insurance companies have since they have limits on what they pay out for each medical expense. Also, they also tend to have lower deductibles (although they are often on a per injury or sickness basis) and they do not care which doctor or hospital you go to. Moreover, they begin to pay their benefits after the deductible for a covered medical expense is met (no coinsurance to pay). With some policies, the maximum coverage is (like the deductible) also on a per injury or sickness basis, which may make you feel more secure in your choice of maximum coverage. One option (Inbound USA) has also added a pre-existing condition rider that will cover a set amount in case of heart attack or stroke, which may be of interest to some of our customers; this option does cost more, but you can decline it.

The cons are that in a more severe illness or accident, they are unlikely to cover all medical costs incurred and it will be difficult, if not impossible, to figure out how much you may have to pay since there is the uncertainty in cost associated with what type of medical attention will be required.

That is where the comprehensive policies can give you more peace of mind. With the comprehensive policies, you can easily figure out what your “worst case scenario” of medical payment will be (just add the deductible to the proportion of the coinsurance amount that you must pay). For example, if you choose a policy with a $250 deductible which has an 80% coinsurance on the next $5,000, then the most you will have to pay is $1,250 since that will satisfy the deductible and your coinsurance amount up to the maximum of the policy. You can then choose a deductible amount and coinsurance with which you are comfortable in the event of an emergency.

So consider your options carefully and feel free to call us if you have any further questions. The only other suggestion I always give my clients who are considering a fixed benefit policy is that choose the highest maximum that you feel you can afford. As the policy maximum increases, so do all the caps on medical expenses. So, for example, at the $50,000 max level, the surgery benefit may be $3,300, but at the $100,000 level, the cap is set at $5,500. In this way, you can still save money on the premium of the policy while having more peace of mind that, should your loved one need to use the visitors insurance, the insurance company will pay a greater portion of the bill.

We at American Visitor Insurance wish you and your visitors happy and healthy voyages wherever their travels may take you!

Visitors Insurance is medical insurance that covers a persons health and accident related expenses when he or she is traveling outside of his/her country. Visitors insurance can be bought even after the start of a journey, however it is recommended to purchase visitors health insurance as they start their journey till they return, this will provide insurance coverage while they travel as well. Short term visitor insurance protects travelers from exorbitant health care costs by providing coverage for injuries sustained in an accident and for illnesses that are not connected to pre-existing conditions. A good visitors insurance policy will cover a person outside of his home country no matter where in the world he may be.

Purchasing Visitors insurance may be done via the Internet on www.americanvisitorinsurance.com. Short term visitors insurance policies usually do not even require medical exams or records. One only needs to provide a passport number, travel details, and use a valid credit card to be able to purchase a visitors insurance policy.

Getting good visitors insurance policy is so very convenient via the internet, it is strongly recommended that all international travelers buy good visitors insurance before they leave home. Visitors insurance gets you peace of mind and medical care if you need it when you are traveling in unfamiliar surroundings.

My parents who live in India are planning a trip to the US later this year. They are both in good health with no problems but I still want a medical policy that will cover them in case of an emergency or even if they have a cold or cough. Because they are older I am aware that a mild problem can become complicated if not treated immediately. I searched the internet and found this website: American visitor insuance
The website provided me with a really easy to use search engine that helped me find many different policies that fit both my requirements and my budget. Typically the plan cost (or premium) will depend on the traveler’s age, the maximum coverage requested, the deductible selected and the type of coverage (Fixed versus Comprehensive). There are many plans with various maximum coverage limits for medical expenses ranging from $25,000 to $1,000,000 and deductibles ranging from $0 to $2500. And the best part is you can buy these policies online with the help of a well qualified insurance agent. The agent was able to answer all the questions I had about co-insurance, deductibles, etc. I was very confused about what to buy because my parents arrive on the same date but leave separately. My mother intends to stay an additional month. The agent advised me to buy separate policies for my parents as it would be much simpler for me to track payments, claims, etc.

There are mainly two types of visitors insurance plans available for visitors traveling overseas for a short time. The two types are (a) Fixed benefits or scheduled benefits plan and (b) Comprehensive plans. These plans are offered by reputed insurers, and quite often a single insurer will offer both types of plans, thus giving the customer a wider choice of plans. The main differences between the two types of insurance are

(a) Price
The fixed benefits plans are significantly cheaper than the comprehensive plans. The price difference will depend on the age of the travelers. While the difference in price will be less for younger travelers, the price variation is significant for older travelers. After the age of 50, the fixed benefits plans are usually about half the price of comprehensive plans.

(b) Coverage
The fixed benefits plans have very clearly defined coverages for different ailments. Irrespective of the maximum medical coverage of the fixed benefits plan, this plan will have specific sub-limits within the maximum coverage. For example you can purchase a fixed benefits plan for $50,000/- , with a limit of $3000/- for surgery. Should the traveler have a surgery while insured, and the surgery bill is $10,000/-, the traveler will be responsible for payments greater than the $3000/- limit of the plan. As opposed to this, in a comprehensive plan, the entire surgery bill will be covered after paying the co-insurance component.

In brief, the fixed benefits plans are more affordable when compared to comprehensive plans, however the coverages are also significantly different. Comprehensive plans are definitely recommended for younger travelers given that the price difference is not that significant to justify the lesser coverage. For older travelers, the customer has to make a decision between the lower priced plan with limited coverage with a more expensive plan but with greater coverage.

Before you embark on your journey to America be fully informed about visitor’s insurance so that you have a stress-free journey

Purchasing Insurance. The quickest and easiest way to purchase Visitor’s insurance is on the internet, however do ensure that you have done your research and have compared plans before purchasing. Every insurance policy is different, read the details and the fine print. If you are expecting visitors from overseas, it is completely legal and quite the norm to purchase visitor’s insurance for them in their absence. Remember that while you can purchase visitor’s insurance during a trip, it is recommended that you purchase it prior to the actual start of the journey.

Long term versus Short- term Coverage. Visitor’s insurance can be bought to cover short periods of just a few days up to longer durations of years. You can also purchase visitor’s insurance for just a part of a trip, but it is not recommended to do so as accidents and emergencies are generally unplanned and can occur at any point during the travel. It is important to assess what works best for you as you want to receive the appropriate amount of coverage that is most cost-effective.

When you have visitors coming to America or Canada, it is strongly recommended that you purchase visitor medical insurance. Health care costs are very high in these countries and you do not want to visit a hospital here without medical insurance. Visitor medical insurance are offered by different companies. We have developed a facility where you can compare visitor medical insurance plans of the different insurers based on the price (premiums), as well as coverage details, provider network, rating of companies …

Always be aware of potentially hazardous weather conditions and other crises/pandemics that may impact your travel plans. The Atlantic hurricane season is coming up (June through November) and this can effect travel plans in numerous ways from airline cancellation to destroyed luggage to devastation of destination. While insurance is always recommended, this is a particularly important time to have visitor’s insurance if you are planning to travel to or through the Atlantic.

Be organized and prepared. Bring copies of your insurance card in case it gets lost or stolen. Do not discard any receipts or paper work relating to your visitors insurance. If you have a renewal plan, be sure to renew the insurance policy on time.

There are some factors that you should consider while purchasing visitor insurance

Comprehensive plans and Fixed Coverage plans.
A comprehensive plan is more expensive when compared to fixed benefit plans, however there is no limit on benefits based upon the type of medical expense. Benefits for covered medical expenses go all the way up to the plan maximum (less deductible and co-insurance). 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 up to the plan maximum. However with a fixed plan, there is a lower premium, but the insurance company has limits on specific medical expensese and only pays a pre-determined amount for each particular medical expense offered in the plan. Comprehensive plans also include travel-related coverage for things such as trip cancellations or loss of baggage, while fixed plans do not.

Cancellation refunds and renewal options.
Some insurance plans may offer refunds for cancellations on a pro-rate basis, while others do not. If you are unsure of the duration of ones stay, it is prudent to purchase a plan with a renewal policy.

Coverage limitations.
Try not to travel under conditions of injury or illness and if you have to, ensure that you take the necessary medications. Be aware that medical expenses related to health problems acquired before the start of your journey will not be covered by your traveler’s insurance. Be safe and protect yourself. Most U.S. visitor’s health insurance plans do not cover pregnancy or costs relating to sexually transmitted diseases. U.S.
visitor’s insurance also does not cover services relating to participation in illegal acts, riots or civil disobedience.

Are your parents or in-laws planning on visiting you and your family for some time this year? Don’t run the risk of ending up with a costly medical bill to deal with. Be sure you get visitor medical insurance for their stay. We offer many options for visitors to the US and Canada. To compare policies and rates available, use our tool to compare visitor medical insurance plans. Our policies are valid outside their home country, so you should purchase the visitor insurance from the day they leave to the date they return. If one parent may leave earlier than the other, be sure to purchase separate policies since you cannot cancel a person off of one policy (you’d have to buy a new policy). This will not cost you any extra and may give you more options if one parent is in a different decade than another (one is 59, the other 62).

Finally, if the return to their home country is not fixed, buy less insurance than you might need. It is cheaper to renew a policy than to cancel part of a policy. Cancellation may not even be an option if you have used it and are subject to fees higher than those charged to renew. Call one of our friendly associates for quotes and advice today at 1-877-340-7910! They can steer you through all the options so you find a choice that you are comfortable with.

During the last couple of weeks, there have been several queries about coverage for Swine (H1N1) flu under the visitors insurance plan offered on American visitor insurance . The simple and direct answer to this question is that the Visitor medical insurance plans will cover Swine Flu as long as the insurance plan is effective before the sickness occurred.