The United States is a paradise for cheap things.
Electronics are more affordable than in Brazil, as are makeup, branded clothes, cosmetics, sports equipment, household items and even fast food!
Something that doesn't come at a good price, however, is healthcare services. In fact the values are so absurd, which is estimated that in this area the country spends almost twice as much per person as other developed countries. And it's not because Americans go to more doctors' offices and hospitals (in fact, research shows that they spend less time in these places than residents of other parts of the world), but because anything related to health is almost prohibitively expensive.
The value of services does not change for tourists who are just visiting the country, which is why I always recommend that my readers buy one travel insurance for the United States. In addition to medical care, there are numerous other advantages of hiring this type of service.
In this post, I will explain better how the Travel insurance, why it is so important in the United States and what is the best insurance for those who are going to spend time in the country.
How travel insurance works
Travel insurance serves to help the traveler in times of emergency. Depending on the coverage, it can be triggered either by medical problems or in situations such as lost luggage, delayed or canceled flights or even if it is necessary to cancel the adventure completely.
If you become ill while traveling, for example, just contact the insurance company through the communication channels provided in your policy, and explain your circumstances. She will then indicate the nearest service location, so you can go there.
In the past, most companies worked with a reimbursement system, where the customer needed to pay all expenses themselves, and receive the money back some time later. Nowadays, the most popular insurance companies resolve financial issues directly with the medical institutions with which they have agreements, so you don't have to take a penny out of your own pocket if you go to one of these places.
This way, when you arrive at the service location, it is likely that you will only have to fill out a registration form and be seen, without having to worry about money (as long as your treatment is within the coverage value of your policy).
It is important to carefully check what is (and what is not) covered by your contract.. It is often necessary to take out special insurance to cover accidents caused by extreme sports, pre-existing illnesses or pregnancy. I explained a little more about the types of insurance and their coverage in this post.
Is travel insurance for the United States mandatory?
No, it is not mandatory to take out travel insurance to visit the United States for tourism. For other types of visa, the ideal is to consult the American embassy website.
Even not being necessary to enter the country, It is still highly recommended that you take out insurance, even if your trip is just a few days. As I already explained in the introduction to this post, in the United States, basically does not exist public healthcare system, and any service in this area can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.
There is also no way to know exactly as the service will cost in advance. As there is no agency that regulates prices in the country, states and establishments have the right to decide on their own. In most locations, customers are charged for each item used, even the packet of gauze or disposable needles.
How much do healthcare services cost in the United States?
As I explained, there is no standard value for health services. Cost Helper Health has a price estimate for the main medical situations, and I used the available data, along with others obtained from various articles, to put together the table below.
| Service | Price (without insurance) |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | Between US$400 and US$600. Pig iron |
| Visit to the emergency room | Starts at US$150 (but can scale to much more depending on the emergency). Pig iron |
| Points | From US$200. Pig iron |
| Broken arm | Around US$2500. From US$15000 if you need surgery. Pig iron |
| Urinary tract infection | Just under $300 for medication if it's simple. US$20000 or more if you require hospitalization. Pig iron |
| A day in the hospital | Around US$1800. Source |
These values are just a base. When doing more detailed searches, I found cases like that of man who received three stitches when he cut himself trying to peel an avocado and had to pay a bill of US$3,355.96.
It is also worth noting that the day at the hospital is only for hospitalization, not including medications or procedures. This True Cost of Healthcare post shows three examples of hospital bills, with the price for two days of service reaching more than US$20.000!
With insurance with good coverage, you can avoid paying all those dollars if any emergency happens on your trip.
What is the best travel insurance for the United States?
The two most important factors when choosing travel insurance for the United States are: the value of hospital medical coverage, and whether the insurer settles the financial issues directly with the institutions involved, without you having to pay your own money and then request reimbursement.
The ideal coverage amount depends on how many days you will stay in the country, and other factors such as age and whether you are pregnant, for example. Considering the prices I showed in the post, it is recommended that you choose plans around US$50.000 for more coverage, for trips lasting a few weeks. This way, you probably won't need to shell out hundreds of dollars even in the most critical situations.
In general, the higher the coverage amount, the more expensive the insurance. One way to get around this problem is to opt for policies with franchise, where you need to pay a certain amount each time you contact the company. If the total expenses are greater than the deductible, the insurance company covers the remaining costs.
Most insurance companies have a network of partner establishments, where the financial part is resolved directly between the companies. Therefore, there are countless options on the market to choose from within this category. My favorites, which have travel insurance for the United States at excellent prices, are Travel Ace and Assist Card. Links to Seguros Promo are affiliate links.