It doesn’t matter if you travel to the USA as a visitor or expatriate, in both cases you need to know how much insurance coverage to purchase. То answer this question, you’ll need to learn what health care expenses in the US are. However, it is hard to say, because there is no standard system to determine charges for specific medical service. Pricing varies across the country due to medical facilities, regional cost difference in labor, procedures, type of illnesses or injuries, medications, specialists’ fees, etc. Regardless of the medical service, patients are usually hit with high fees.
Here are two examples of medical costs according to healthcare.gov:
- Fixing a broken leg can cost up to $7,500
- The average cost of a 3-day hospital stay is around $30,000
While the United States healthcare system is excellent, it still is very complex, facing extremely high medical costs, which continually rise. Whether your trip to America is for a short or extended period, travelling with a travel medical insurance is the wisest decision you can make if you don’t want to end up bankrupt.
DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF COVERAGE
Here are several factors that will help you determine the amount of medical coverage you will need:
- Medical costs in the USA. The cost of healthcare impacts the cost of your insurance.
- Your age. The older you are, the more healthcare you require. So rates go up.
- Trip duration.
- Participation in high risk activities, sports. Your lifestyle has to be taken into account.
- Consider how much you can pay.
If some circumstances require that you stay in the U.S. for medical treatment, then you will have to consider maximum coverage amounts.
Depending on the factors listed above, the monthly charge usually starts from $3 per month for a limited plan to $12,000 for a comprehensive plan. The daily rate differs from plan to plan, so be sure not to just compare prices, but to compare coverage.
THE COSTS OF EMERGENCY CARE
People are concerned about the costs of a visit to the emergency room. It is no surprise since ER visits in the U.S. are extremely expensive. For uninsured patients, a visit to an emergency room typically costs from $150-$3,000 or more, depending on treatment and medical tests.
A team of researchers checked medical bills representing more than 8, 303 emergency room visits.
What they found is shocking:
- Huge difference in prices. Bills for sprained ankles ranged from $ 4 to $ 24,110;
- Extremely high prices. The average ER visit costs 40 % more than a month’s rent.
Researchers have chosen the 10 most common conditions for the visits to the emergency rooms from the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey. According to this survey, a headache treatment could range from $ 15 to $ 17,797. This means many patients pay a lot less or a lot more than that. Also, doctors may charge additional fees for their work, which adds hundreds or thousands of dollars to the final cost. Additionally, an ambulance ride, depending on the location and the services, can cost from $ 400 – $ 1,200 or more.
This is why it is essential to have a Travel Medical Insurance. First, because the costs for an individual with insurance are 3 times less expensive than receiving the same treatment, from the same doctor for an uninsured person. And second, for the reason that your insurance will provide you with the best medical facility.
If you have any questions concerning policy costs and you need some additional information or you want to be assisted in the application process, please do not hesitate to contact us.