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Impact of Obamacare on visitors to the US and US Expatriates

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Obamacare - Do visitors need to satisfy Affordable Care Act (ACA)?

ObamaCare also popularly known as Affordable Care Act (ACA) is health care reform law in US to increase the accessibility and affordability to health care for US citizens and US residents, this is however not applicable to tourists, visitors or students in the United States. The individual mandate of the Obamacare makes it mandatory for US residents to have PPACA compliant health insurance. This has however been repealed by the Trump administration. As of January 1st 2019, it is not mandatory anymore to have PPACA compliant insurance.

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Millions of people in the US are uninsured and run into huge debt while paying medical bills which tend to be very costly and almost impossible to pay back completely. PPACA is designed to decrease healthcare spending by making health care affordable and accessible to people of United States.

Are visitors to US eligible for this Obama Care? No. This facility is not available for visitors to the US no matter if their family members be it sons or daughters or parents are US citizens.

As long as they are short term visitors to US they have to pay their medical bills on their own during their visit in the United States. For this reason we have a number of short term travel insurance/health insurance plans available for visitors to US. These visitor medical insurance plans are very important for visitors to US since health care in the US is very expensive. Essentially, the changes made by Obama Care have no effect on visitors to US as they are not US citizens or US permanent residents.

Visitors to the US who are US citizens living abroad or expatriates who are considering international health insurance plans, might have some questions such as:

  • Does this plan meet the minimum essential coverage of ACA?
    The answer to the this question is "No. Most of these short term visitor health insurance plans do not meet ACA compliance benchmark."
  • Do I need a plan that is ACA compliant?
    The answer to the second question is little complicated. The US government understands that it is hard to manage all international plans. They are making accommodations for expatriates who are planning to move abroad or live outside the US for more than 330 days in a year.

Can a non US citizen get Obamacare?

Here are very few ways a non-US citizen can get Obamacare. They cannot purchase Obamacare without a social security number. Students can purchase ACA-compliant plans through their institutions and employees can purchase ACA-compliant plans from their workplace to cover themselves and their dependents. However, tourists and other short-term visitors are not eligible to purchase US domestic plans, but they can purchase visitor medical insurance plans available on our website.

Best Travel insurance with Pre-existing Conditions Coverage

Pre-existing condition is a medical ailment that existed before the start of the travel insurance policy. Acute onset of a pre-existing condition is a sudden relapse of the pre-existing condition without advance warning which requires medical attention within 24 hours. As of a few years ago, companies now exclude chronic illnesses from this "acute onset" coverage which has deep impacts to people purchasing travel health insurance, particularly people with these conditions and older travelers.

Travelers with pre-existing conditions always find it hard to buy travel health insurance. There are various conditions that are considered as pre-existing diseases but some of common ailments in this category 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 most insurance providers only provide coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions which excludes chronic illnesses, like cancer, diabetes, and heart conditions. With the pre-existing condition there is a "look back" period of 60-180 days to determine the claim.

Some insurance providers offer travel insurance for acute onset of pre-existing conditions with fixed or limited coverage which may be suitable for people without chronic illnesses, like food allergies and certain asthma conditions. The Safe Travels USA, Safe Travels USA Cost Saver, and Safe Travels USA Comprehensive all offer $1000 coverage for acute onset of 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 full 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 full pre-existing conditions plans offered by INF, use this link: INF Premier & INF Elite best travel insurance for pre-existing conditions.

Different types of US Visitors insurance

Fixed Benefit travel insurance

A fixed benefit travel insurance plan is the cheapest travel insurance plan option. Fixed benefit travel insurance is cheap because it has a fixed limit of coverage for different medical benefits.
Fixed benefit travel insurance plans work well in case of small ailments but can be inadequate in the event of a serious medical ailment or hospitalisation.

Comprehensive travel insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance plans provide exhaustive coverage for health expenses up to the policy medical maximum amount. In contrast to fixed benefit plans there are no limits for each benefit. Comprehensive insurance is more expensive when compared to fixed benefit plans but provides significantly better coverage in case of a medical emergency or hospitalisation.

Steps to buy
US visitor travel insurance online

 Step 1: Finding the available US travel insurance plans

Complete the travel insurance quote request form by providing details of the traveller and insurance requirements.

Compare the price and the benefits of the different travel insurance options to identify what fits your needs best.

Purchase the plan that fits your needs and budget best by using a credit card and completing the online application.

Review the travel insurance documents received by email closely for coverage details and relevant contact numbers

Step by step travel insurance

Factors that determine the cost of US travel insurance plans

Age of the traveler

The cost of travel insurance is directly proportional to the age of the traveler. The older the traveler and greater will be the cost of the visitors health insurance.

Type of travel insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance which provide exhaustive coverage are more expensive than fixed benefit travel insurance.

Medical maximum coverage and deductible options

The price of visitors medical insurance is directly dependant on the maximum medical coverage and inversely proportional to the deductible of the plan chosen.

Region of coverage

Travel insurance depends on the coverage region. The cost for visitor health insurance for the United States is most expensive.

Duration of travel insurance

The longer the duration of visitor medical insurance required, the higher will be the cost.

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Travel insurance for foreigners in USA

Even as most countries have opened their borders again for international tourists, the threat of the Covid19 with the sub variants like Delta, Omicron, BA.5, BQ.1.1 and BF.7 has continued to spread across the globe. Although the Omicron and other sub-variants are known for their immune evasion capacity, thanks to increased vaccination it has resulted in less hospitalization. However, the Covid situation is made even more complicated with influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which are also spreading earlier and faster than usual in the US.

Travel Insurance with covid coverage for visiting USA

Given the pandemic, international travelers are understandably more concerned about safety while traveling. There is now an increased demand to buy the best travel insurance. Most US travel insurance providers now include coverage for Covid19 just like any other illness.

To protect the trip it is advisable to get travel medical insurance with wide benefits like, trip cancellation, cancel for any reason, quarantine coverage, travel delay or interruption, baggage or personal belongings loss, medical expenses of COVID19, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation etc...

At American visitor insurance travelers can choose from a wide range of choices that cater to different travel and medical needs. Travelers can compare and include the benefits according to their specific requirement. Feel free to give us a call or email us and one of our customer support licensed agents will be able to help you.

Cheap Covid travel insurance for visiting USA

Trawick International insurance

Trawick International offers visitor medical insurance for coronavirus with their Safe Travels USA Insurance. The Safe Travels USA Comprehensive plan is ideal for travelers with pre-existing medical conditions even for travelers older than 70 years. Travelers can compare Safe Travels USA Covid19 travel insurance plans and buy it online to get coverage as early as the following day. Travelers can also download a visa letter which indicates that Safe travels USA visitors insurance covers covid19 illness.

International Medical Group (IMG) insurance for Covid19

International Medical Group (IMG) travel insurance offers coronavirus insurance for USA with the Patriot America Plus and Patriot Platinum insurance plans. The Patriot America Plus Insurance and Patriot America Platinum insurance include COVID coverage like any other illness up to the policy maximum.

Global Underwriters US visitor insurance

Diplomat America travel insurance by Global Underwriters offers coverage for covid19 as a new sickness. It is available for Non-US citizens or residents traveling to the US. Diplomat Long term Covid19 medical insurance must be bought for a minimum of 3 months and has a plan maximum options of $500,000 and $1,000,000 for medical expenses. You can compare Diplomat insurance for visitors to USA.

Seven Corners visitors medical insurance

Travel Medical Plus Insurance offered by Seven Corners includes health insurance treatment benefit for COVID19 (the disease); SARS-Cov-2 (the virus); and any mutation or variation of SARS-CoV-2.

Please know we are here to help you make the best, informed decision to get coverage even for COVID19! Let us know how we can assist you. Feel free to contact us by email or phone at any time.

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