How to choose the right travel insurance for the USA?
Given the high cost of health care in the USA, it’s very important to consider travel insurance for your trip, so you’ll be covered for overseas medical and hospital expenses should you fall ill. When it comes more generally to choosing a travel insurance policy, the cheapest option is not always the best, so it’s important to buy the cover that suits your particular needs, as well as what you plan to do on your trip.
For example, when comparing travel insurance with Canstar, you can search for policies that cover you for travel to the United States of America and Hawaii, and see the limits that each policy provides for overseas medical and hospital cover, as well as cancellation and lost luggage – policies with higher limits for cancellation and lost luggage may be more expensive, but may also provide more peace of mind, depending on how much you have paid for your trip.
You can further filter your results to show policies that cover for a range of options that may be applicable to your trip. For example, if you plan on doing certain types of water sports in Hawaii, rock climbing in Yosemite or snow sports in Colorado, cover for these things may not be included in a standard policy and may need to be added as an extra cover.
What does USA travel insurance cover?
The list of things generally covered by travel insurance policies for the USA includes:
Medical or dental emergency
Hospital admission, emergency care and medical evacuation.
Lost or stolen luggage, passport or other items
Replacing luggage and travel documents is the most common claim for travel insurance.
Cancelling your trip unexpectedly
Cancellation due to illness, accident, holiday leave being revoked or a natural disaster at home or at your intended destination.
Legal liability
If you break a local law and need a lawyer e.g if you injure someone or are held accountable for damaged property.
Optional extras
Some policies offer a variety of useful extras depending on which one you get, such as rental vehicle excesses, cover for kennels and catteries for your pets at home, and even cover if you suffer a loss of income or a permanent disability while overseas.
Repatriation
If tragedy strikes while you are away, repatriation covers the cost of flying your body and belongings back home to Australia. Some policies also include a separate sum for funeral expenses.