USA Travel - Why travel insurance is important
A well-known fact is that medical costs in the United States are much more expensive than most countries. This is because medical drugs, supplies, and possibly salaries of medical workers are relatively higher among developed countries worldwide. Healthcare costs in the U.S. are among the highest in the world in all categories.
We do not expect to get sick during our travel in the states, but unfortunate events can happen. If you are a Filipino, most likely you do not have any insurance coverage to cover expenses if you need medical attention while you are in the US.
Getting travel insurance is a cost-effective way to protect you against unfortunate events while traveling, especially in the United States.
Is travel insurance mandatory for USA trips?
Entering the borders of the United States does not require travel insurance. Unlike traveling to the Schengen area in Europe, where Filipinos are required before you get a visa, insurance is not required to travel to USA.
However, if you do not have health insurance in the US, you may want to consider getting travel insurance if you intend to visit, for your own financial protection in case you get sick or get into an accident.
How much is the sufficient insurance coverage?
For USA travel, our recommendation is get travel insurance with at least Php 1,000,000 (or US$ 20,000) medical expense coverage.
How much is travel insurance for USA trips?
The cost of travel insurance is determined through a variety of factors. This includes the age of traveler, the duration of coverage and the benefit limits. Destination can also influence the premium.
Below are cost estimates of travel insurance, depending on the duration of travel. This includes COVID-19 medical coverage:
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- 2 weeks: starts at Php 1,300
- 1 month: starts at Php 2,500
- 2 months: starts at Php 4,500
- 3 months: starts at Php 6,700
- 4 months: starts at Php 8,600
- 5 months: starts at Php 10,700
- 6 months: starts at Php 12,600
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Cost indicated is per person. Estimates of premiums above assume the traveler is below 75 years old.
If you wish to know the exact cost and interested in further details, you may Contact Us or send a message through Facebook.
Other travel insurance coverages included.
Besides medical coverage, a typical travel insurance policy also include the following benefits:
- Accidental Death & Disablement
- Travel delays
- Baggage delay
- Baggage loss
- Personal Liability
- Emergency Assistance
- Medical Evacuation & Repatriation
Our recommended insurance for United States travel for 2024:
- Starr Travel Insurance (TraveLead)
- Starr-Assist Card
- Pioneer Travel Insurance
Why we believe Starr Travel Insurance is best for USA trips
Starr, which is also the parent company of Assist Card, has a wide presence globally, especially in the USA. Its global headquarters is located in New York City. It also has regional offices in key US cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas.
Also, Starr has been rated A (Excellent) by AM Best, a credit rating agency that focuses on the insurance industry. This means Starr is financially strong and is more than capable of paying its obligations to its policyholders.
In addition, Starr is closely affiliated with Assist Card, a reputable & experienced travel assistance company with wide reach within the Americas. Having a Starr or Assist Card travel insurance policy gives you access to the Assist Card network, which can act as your travel concierge wherever you are in the United States of America. In this way, you can focus on enjoying your USA travel to the fullest, knowing that there is a company that can assist you in case of unfortunate events, especially emergencies that may happen during the course of your travel.
Why we included Pioneer Insurance as one of our recommended plans
Like Starr, you have the option to include COVID-19 coverage, with additional premiums. Addionally, the third party emergency assistance provider of Pioneer is AIG, which is an american insurer.
Know how much travel insurance costs for your USA trip. Get for a quote:
Send your travel details through our Contact Us page or chat with us through our Facebook page.
Remembering travels during the pandemic
Traveling to the US during the COVID-19 pandemic
This no longer apply today since travel is back but years ago, in the midst of the the COVID-19 pandemic, before leaving the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration requires each traveler to have travel insurance with COVID-19 medical coverage. This is true if you are traveling on a tourist visa, which will signify that your travel is non-essential. This is in addition to the many required documents needed in preparation for a US trip.
More than travel insurance being a requirement by the Philippine government for outbound non-essential travel, it can protect you from expensive medical costs while traveling in the US, which can cost thousands or even millions of pesos, depending on the seriousness of your illness or injury.
COVID-19 travel medical insurance coverage was a requirement by the PH government
Most travel insurance plans available in the Philippines cover medical expenses while traveling outside the country but some travel insurance plans do not automatically provide COVID-19 coverage. You may need to request for it with additional premium.
During this time, insurance with COVID-19 coverage are limited. The clients of travelinsurance.com.ph usually purchase the following plans for their USA travel, in which the COVID-19 medical cover can be added to the policy:
- Starr TraveLead Essential
- Starr TraveLead Extra
- Assist Card AC 35
- Assist Card AC 60
During this time, when the risks of COVID-19 are yet to be explored, only Starr and Assist Card provide COVID-19 coverage for their travel insurance products.
For Starr and Assist Card travel insurance plans, maximum limit for COVID-19 medical expenses up to Php 1,000,000, Php 2,500,000, or US$ 50,000, depending on which TraveLead or Assist Card plan is selected.
How to get travel insurance
For questions and quote requests about these travel insurance plans, please send us a message through our Contact Us form or send us a message through Facebook.
Kindly provide your name, age, destination and duration of travel and we will get back to you with your travel insurance options as soon as possible.
