Visitor Insurance for Parents Visiting the U.S.

Who needs visitor insurance?

Visitor insurance is mainly for parents, relatives and friends staying in the U.S. for a short time. It helps pay medical costs from an accidental injury or a sudden illness during the trip. HealthCare.gov gives an example: a 3-day hospital stay costs about $30,000 on average.^[1] HealthCare.gov uses this example to show the risk of medical bills and does not say which year it comes from, so it is not today's price at any particular hospital, and it is not a forecast of your parents' bill.^[1]

There is no single price for a doctor visit, an ER visit or a hospital stay that applies to everyone. The actual cost depends on the illness, the tests, the treatment and the provider. This page does not list doctor or ER prices that have not been verified. When you compare plans, look at which costs are eligible for payment and how much your family would still pay.^[2][3]

If your parents already have health insurance where they live, public or private, ask before they leave whether it pays for medical care in the U.S. and how claims work. Having insurance at home does not by itself mean they are covered during the visit.^[7]

Should you buy before the trip or after arrival?

Choose a plan before departure if you can, and make sure the start date matches the trip. The payment date and the date coverage starts may differ; go by the purchase confirmation.^[7]

Some plans let travelers who have already arrived buy coverage for the rest of the trip, but not every plan accepts a purchase after arrival. An illness or injury that started before coverage took effect usually cannot be paid by buying insurance afterward; it is still judged under the pre-existing condition and other terms.^[7]

How long can coverage last? Can it be extended?

There is no one coverage period for all visitor plans. As a public example, one visitor plan's benefit summary lists coverage from 5 days up to 2 years (including renewals).^[2] That is the rule for that plan only; it does not apply to other products, and not every applicant can buy the full period.

Some plans allow an extension or renewal, but extending the original policy, renewing, and reapplying can be handled differently. Public plan information shows that renewing or reapplying may require meeting the deductible again, and reapplying may apply the pre-existing condition rules again.^[3] Don't wait until a policy has ended, or until your parents already feel unwell, and then assume the next policy will pay.

Get a quote ↗Opens Dongni's quote page on BrokersNexus (English); enter ages and trip dates for instant quotes; you can buy online.

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Fixed benefit vs. comprehensive plans

The main difference between visitor plans is how they pay. A plan's type only helps you sort plans; what actually decides the payment is the schedule of benefits and the insurance contract.^[2][3]

The last row is a way to think about the two payment methods, not a statement that one type fits every family. Compare live quotes for the same ages, trip and coverage. Actual coverage and prices are subject to the insurer's policy terms and quotes.^[2][3][6]

What does visitor insurance usually not cover?

A common mistake is to look only at the premium or the overall maximum and skip the item limits, deductible, copays, network rules and exclusions.^[2][3][6] The overall maximum is the upper limit on what the insurer may pay, not a cap on what your family pays out of pocket; excluded costs and amounts above a limit may still be yours.^[2][3]

Typical visitor medical plans are not built to cover routine checkups, preventive care, routine dental care or everyday medication for chronic conditions. Public contracts show exclusions for physical exams, vaccines and routine dental care, along with pre-existing condition limits.^[4][5] Some plans give limited coverage for a dental accident or certain sudden tooth pain; a "dental" line in the benefits does not mean cleanings, fillings or every toothache will be paid.^[2][3][5]

Does it cover pre-existing conditions?

There are two separate questions: can your parents buy the plan, and will this particular treatment be paid. Having a chronic condition does not rule out every visitor plan, but ordinary travel medical plans usually do not fully cover pre-existing conditions. Some plans offer broader pre-existing condition coverage; read those specific terms rather than going by the product name.^[7][8]

"Acute onset of a pre-existing condition" usually means a sudden, unexpected flare-up or recurrence that develops quickly and needs urgent treatment. Public policy terms show that conditions that are chronic, congenital or that gradually get worse may be left out of this definition.^[4][5] So no one can promise that a sudden problem from high blood pressure or diabetes will be paid, and it should not be read as covering routine follow-up visits or long-term prescriptions.^[4][5]

Check for age limits, a time limit for getting treatment after the flare-up, a separate payment cap, and exclusions for chronic conditions, complications, treatment that was already scheduled, or travel to the U.S. in order to get treatment.^[4][5] A condition that was never formally diagnosed is not automatically excluded from the definition either: a contract may count a condition that existed before coverage started, even if it was not yet diagnosed.^[4][5]

When you ask about a plan, list your parents' existing conditions, current medications and recent treatment, and ask the agent or insurer to point to the matching clause in the contract. Actual coverage and prices are subject to the insurer's policy terms and quotes.

How much does it cost for parents over 70 or 80?

There is no single price for parents over 70 or 80. Premiums usually depend on age at purchase, the number of days covered, whether the U.S. is included, the coverage maximum, the deductible and any add-on benefits.^[6] With other things equal, a longer coverage period or a higher maximum usually costs more. A higher deductible may lower the premium, but it also raises the amount you pay first when eligible medical costs come up.^[6]

So don't judge the cost by one daily rate. Compare plans using your parents' actual ages, their arrival and departure dates, the same coverage maximum and deductible, and then check the limits on chronic conditions.^[4][6]

Some plans still accept applicants age 80 and over, but with a much lower coverage maximum. One plan's public terms allow $50,000 or $100,000 for ages 65 to 79 and only $10,000 at age 80 or older, and its acute-onset benefit for pre-existing conditions requires the insured to be under 80.^[4] Age rules differ by plan, so check the age table before you buy.

This page does not publish a standard price, and it does not treat an advertised starting price for a certain age or trip as a price every visitor can get. Quotes are based on age, coverage maximum and number of days; contact Dongni for one. Actual coverage and prices are subject to the insurer's policy terms and quotes.

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How do claims work?

Seeing a doctor in the U.S.

In a medical emergency, get care right away; insurers also say to seek appropriate care first in an emergency.^[8] If it is not an emergency, call the service number on the insurance card, or use the plan's provider search to find an in-network clinic, urgent care center or hospital, and ask the service staff to help you find the right place.^[7]

Before the visit, ask the provider whether they accept this specific plan and can bill the insurer directly. Show the insurance card at check-in and keep the policy number and start date handy. A doctor who "takes insurance" does not necessarily take your parents' visitor plan.^[7]

A hospital stay, surgery or some tests may need advance notice or precertification (pre-authorization). What is required, and how to notify the insurer after an emergency, depends on your own contract; some plans have no such requirement.^[7][8]

Do you pay first and get reimbursed?

It can go either way: the provider bills the insurer directly, or the patient pays and then files for reimbursement. Direct billing depends on the plan and the provider. Even with direct billing, the deductible, copays and costs the plan doesn't cover may still be yours.^[7][9]

Keep the following and send what the insurer asks for:^[5][9]

• The insurance card, policy number and purchase confirmation.
• The claim form, plus the date of treatment, when symptoms started, and relevant medical history.
• An itemized bill from the hospital or clinic, not just the total paid.
• Receipts or proof of payment, and the medical report with the diagnosis.
• For prescription costs, the prescription and the pharmacy's itemized receipt; send any extra documents the insurer requests.

The deadline to file a claim and the rules for missing documents depend on the contract; there is no one number of days for every plan. A hospital accepting the insurance card, completing precertification, or billing the insurer first does not guarantee full payment; the insurer still checks whether each cost meets the policy terms.^[7][8][9]

Parents with a green card: visitor insurance or ACA?

They are different things. This page is about travel and visitor medical insurance for a stay in the U.S. It is not ACA-compliant Marketplace coverage and cannot replace ACA coverage someone needs; a visitor plan called "comprehensive" is not a promise of ACA compliance either.^[8]

Eligibility for Obamacare (the ACA Marketplace) depends on living in the U.S., having a qualifying immigration status, and other requirements. Holding a visa or living with an adult child does not by itself make a short-term visitor eligible; it is also not accurate to say no visitor can ever apply.^[10]

Short-term medical insurance (in Chinese), or short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI), is mainly used to bridge a temporary gap in coverage, and it usually does not have all the federal consumer protections of ACA coverage.^[11] Both are "short," but that does not mean STLDI and visitor insurance cover the same people or follow the same rules.

If your parents have a green card and plan to live in the U.S., look again at coverage for residents instead of shopping as short-term visitors:

• Obamacare (ACA): Green card holders can buy Obamacare, and starting in 2027 a green card is still one of the statuses that can get a federal subsidy; how much depends on income and tax filing.^[12] Moving to the U.S. from another country is one of the reasons for a Special Enrollment Period, and people who lived abroad at some point in the 60 days before the move do not need to show prior coverage.^[13] Usually you need to apply within 60 days after moving, and the start date depends on when you apply and pick a plan, so apply soon after arriving.^[13]
• Job-based coverage: If they have a job, ask how long after starting work the coverage begins.
• The gap in between: New immigrant medical plans are temporary plans for people who have just immigrated or just got a green card. They are bought by the day to cover the time between arrival and the start of long-term coverage, and are quoted by age, coverage maximum, deductible and number of days. Some insurers restrict residents of certain states; the quote shows whether a plan is available for the state of your mailing address. These plans usually do not cover pre-existing conditions, or cover only an acute onset as written in the terms. They are not ACA-compliant coverage and cannot replace long-term health insurance. Some people use short-term medical insurance for the gap instead, but some states don't sell it.
• Parents 65 or older with a new green card: Those without a U.S. work record who would pay for Medicare themselves generally must live in the U.S. continuously for 5 years as a green card holder before they can apply.^[14] People who would pay for Medicare themselves can buy Obamacare first and sign up for Medicare after the 5 years.^[15] Medicaid has its own 5-year waiting period rule, which is separate.^[12]

Dongni helps with Obamacare (ACA) enrollment in Mandarin, Cantonese and English: see Chinese-speaking health insurance agent. Immigration status and subsidy details (in Chinese): 绿卡、H1B、F1、工卡能买奥巴马医保吗.

Get a quote ↗Opens Dongni's page on BrokersNexus (English) about medical insurance for green card holders visiting the U.S.; call for a quote.

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Related pages

• Chinese version of this page: 父母来美探亲保险怎么买
• Student insurance (in Chinese): health insurance for F-1, J-1 and OPT students in the U.S.
• Travel insurance for trips abroad (in Chinese): for travel from the U.S., trips home, and Schengen visa applications.
• Short-term medical insurance (in Chinese)
• Chinese-speaking health insurance agent for Obamacare (ACA)

Licensed and verifiable

• Licensed insurance agent Dongni Chen, NPN 20635222.
• California license #4277633. Texas license #3102037. Licensed in 28 states.
• More about Dongni: About Dongni Chen (in Chinese).

Contact Dongni

Call (213) 322-8909, add WeChat 咚咚在美国（Anny） by QR code, or email dongnichen001@gmail.com. Mandarin, Cantonese or English is fine.

Send Dongni your parents' ages, arrival and return dates, health history and current medications, and she will go through the plans with you item by item. Actual coverage and prices are subject to the insurer's policy terms and quotes.

Also: 中文版 · All states