Travel medical cover · United States
Visitor & Immigrant Insurance
Visitor insurance is short-term travel medical insurance bought by people travelling to the United States who are not covered by a US health plan. It pays for new illness or injury during the trip — hospital, doctor, emergency evacuation — up to a chosen policy maximum, after a deductible. It is not US health insurance and does not cover routine care.
Regulatory facts here come from the Code of Federal Regulations, CMS and HealthCare.gov. We name plans and brands, but we cite neither them nor the comparison sites that sell them.
Last reviewed August 1, 2026
In this section
- By visa and situation
- Plan reviews
- Head-to-head comparisons
- Tools and price data
Where to go next
Four ways into the visitor and immigrant coverage guides.
By visa and situation
Wave 1Coverage changes with your status. Parents visiting, green-card holders and seniors, F-1/OPT students, J-1, H-1B gaps and K-1 fiancé(e)s.
Read the guidePlan reviews
Independent breakdowns of the eight plans most often shortlisted for US visitors — limits, deductibles, exclusions, and who each one actually suits.
Read the guideHead-to-head comparisons
Side-by-side answers to the choices buyers get stuck on: two plans, two marketplaces, or two coverage structures.
Read the guideTools and price data
Estimate what coverage should cost, work out the policy maximum that fits your trip, and see our 2026 price index.
Read the guideHow visitor insurance works
Plans come in two shapes. A comprehensive plan pays a percentage of the actual charges once you have met the deductible. A fixed-benefit plan pays a set dollar amount per service no matter what the bill says — cheaper up front, and the difference that catches people out on a large hospital claim.
Three numbers define any plan: the policy maximum, the deductible — usually applied per injury or illness rather than per policy period — and the coinsurance split. A PPO network matters too, because it decides whether the provider bills the insurer directly or you pay and file a claim yourself.
Is visitor insurance required to enter the United States?
There is no insurance condition attached to a B-1 or B-2 visitor visa. The one nonimmigrant category with a federal minimum is the J-1 exchange visitor programme: under 22 CFR 62.14, coverage must provide at least $100,000 in medical benefits per accident or illness, $25,000 for repatriation of remains, and $50,000 for medical evacuation, with a deductible no higher than $500 and coinsurance capped at 25%.
The requirement extends to accompanying spouses and dependents, and wilfully failing to maintain it is grounds for programme termination.
Source: 22 CFR 62.14 (eCFR)
What these plans do not cover
Visitor plans are built for the unexpected. Routine check-ups, preventive care and elective treatment are generally excluded, and pre-existing conditions are covered only where a plan includes an acute-onset benefit — a sudden, unexpected flare-up requiring immediate care, not ongoing management of a known condition.
That distinction decides most declined claims, so it is worth reading before the policy maximum.
FAQ
Common questions
Short answers here, sourced pages in the Answers Library.
Browse the Answers LibraryIs visitor insurance required to enter the United States?
No general entry rule requires travellers to the US to hold medical insurance, and there is no insurance condition attached to a B-1 or B-2 visitor visa. The one nonimmigrant category with a federal minimum is the J-1 exchange visitor programme, where sponsors must require coverage under 22 CFR 62.14.
Source: 22 CFR 62.14 (eCFR)
What insurance must J-1 exchange visitors have?
Under 22 CFR 62.14 the minimum is medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness, $25,000 for repatriation of remains, $50,000 for medical evacuation to the home country, and a deductible no higher than $500 per accident or illness. Coinsurance may not exceed 25%.
Source: 22 CFR 62.14 (eCFR)
Can a visitor buy US health insurance instead?
Generally no. To enrol through the Health Insurance Marketplace you must live in the United States and be a US citizen, national, or lawfully present non-citizen — and HealthCare.gov defines living in the US as being a US resident for tax purposes. Someone visiting temporarily does not meet that test.
Source: HealthCare.gov
What happens if a visitor needs a hospital and has no insurance?
Under EMTALA, Medicare-participating hospitals offering emergency services must give a medical screening examination and stabilising treatment regardless of ability to pay. That is an emergency obligation, not coverage — the patient still receives the bill, and non-emergency care is not included.
Source: CMS — EMTALA
Can a green card holder over 65 get Medicare straight away?
Not immediately. A lawfully admitted permanent resident must have resided in the United States for five continuous years before the month of application to qualify for Medicare. Many new green card holders bridge that gap with private coverage until the residency requirement is met.
Source: CMS — Medicare Parts A & B
Written for the traveller, not the seller.
Every source Google cites for this category sells the product. We cite the regulation instead — and say plainly what these plans leave out.
- Independent — we don't sell insurance
- No forms, no sales calls
- Sourced from NAIC & state DOIs