Visitor insurance can minimize the financial risks associated with any unforeseen medical emergency during travel as well as the trip duration. Besides being “the” most important purchase after you buy your flight tickets to your intended destination, it is also the most necessary purchase. It should be understood that selection of right visitor insurance plan is very important,otherwise at the time of need it is like having no visitor insurance.Tips Before You Purchase Visitors Insurance

Visitor insurance as the name suggests is meant to provide protection and benefits to international visitors. The costs especially medical expenses can be overwhelming in countries like USA, therefore before buying visitors insurance, following tips should be kept in mind:

1. Cheapest insurance is not the best option: The price or the cost is the first thing that comes in our minds when we set out to buy anything, including visitors insurance. How much premium has to be paid should not help you decide the plan. The cost of premium to be paid for an insurance policy is calculated based on the traveler’s age, travel duration, deductible, policy maximum and the type of insurance plan.
2. Understanding the insurance policy: In order to avoid any surprises, before you choose an insurance plan, it is very important to understand the contents of the policy. You should thoroughly understand what coverage the policy offers and what is excluded. This helps save you from any future financial shock. It is noted that often travelers just concern themselves with what is included in the policy and they ignore the exclusions. We recommend that as a traveler and a prospective buyer of a visitor insurance plan, you should know beforehand about the benefits and exclusions in your insurance plan.
3. Coverage of acute onset of pre-existing conditions: There are a few plans that provide coverage for the acute onset of pre-existing conditions. If this is one of the requirements given your medical history, make sure to discuss it with your insurance agent. Inform him that you would require coverage for the acute onset of these pre-existing conditions too so that he can suggest you the appropriate plans. We have noted that an average traveler (especially, parent) is 50+ of age and may have pre-existing conditions of some sort, and it is quite possible that they are not aware of this. In such cases, prevention is the best remedy and one must opt for a plan that offers coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions.
4. Policy Renewability option: Before you purchase any visitor insurance plan, it is always recommended to have sort of flexibility. It may be possible that as a visitor, your travel plans may change and you would want to extend your stay in the foreign country. Choosing a plan that provides for renewability is always a safe choice. Most of the plans offer renewal options through phone and email.
5. Policy Cancellation option: It is advisable to choose a plan that offers cancellation option. Sometimes due to unavoidable reasons, the trip may be cut-short. In such cases, a traveler would want to get the due amount refunded. Therefore, a plan that provides for cancellation option is a safe choice.
6. Correct Start & End Date of Insurance Plan: While deciding the duration for the visitor insurance, two things must be kept in mind:
   1. The format of date entry: Date is entered differently in different countries. For example, in the USA, the format is MM/DD/YYYY whereas in India, it is entered in the format- DD/MM/YYYY. To avoid any mistake as to when the insurance plan comes in action and when it ends, while filling the insurance application forms, the date format must be taken care of.
   2. Time difference in country of departure & arrival: There is a difference in time zones between India and USA. Taking care of the time zone ensures that the traveler is covered during the travel too.

The Right time to purchase the plan: Waiting till the last day/moment to buy a visitor insurance plan is not the right strategy. There are advantages associated with buying the plan well in advance. It not only offers peace of mind that you are covered adequately, it often spares you from the last moment panic. We highly recommend that visitor insurance should be purchased at least 5 days before the travel date.

Correct Information on the Application forms: Passport is the most important document for an international traveler. While providing information on insurance application forms, this information should match with what is provided on one’s passport. Often people have different information at different places/forms (actual name may be different from what is recorded on passport, discrepancies in date of birth etc.). Any difference in information may create problems during claim settlement process and cause unnecessary delay. Therefore, we recommend that only the correct information and the one provided on your passport should be given on insurance forms and elsewhere.

Travel Agents Vs. Insurance Agents: It should be definitely kept in mind that travel agents are not insurance agents. It is often found that travel agents whom you buy your travel tickets from, offer visitor insurance plan too. These plans may look cheaper but at the same time, would not provide you with enough benefits so as to cover you in a foreign land like the USA where the medical expenses can go outrageously high. Therefore, insurance plan (meant to safeguard you from medical expenses) must not be bought from travel agents. Insurance agents are licensed and have specialized training for insurance products.

Purchase from India Vs. United States: An eternal question it is, whether to buy visitor insurance from India or from USA! If a visitor is coming to the USA, then most likely the medical emergency will happen in USA. In this case, if the insurance company is also located in USA, it becomes easier for the traveler in the claim process. But if the insurance is bought from a non-USA based insurance company, as a traveler you would miss out on ease of customer service, better insurance plans, zero time difference and outpatient benefits. As one of the largest visitor insurance broker in the United States and having provided quality protection to hundreds of travelers, MCIS recommends that insurance plan should be purchased from a USA-based trusted insurance agent or website.

How can we help?

MultiChoice Insurance Services (MCIS) has been since many years, offering world class plans for visitor insurance. Our specialized and trained insurance professionals assist you in making the right decision regarding visitor insurance purchase. With years of experience, we identify and understand your specific needs and problems, and come up with a plan that covers you just perfect. If you have questions regarding cost vs. benefits, or unable to understand the exclusions/inclusions of a plan or need general advice on which plan to buy for your traveler parent/relative/family (who may have issues like pre-existing conditions), we are just a phone call (+1 855-444-6247 or +1 510-353-1180) away, 7 days a week,. Alternately, you can email us at contact@multichoiceinsurance.com

Category: Visitor Insurance

June 10, 2015 at 11:22 AM