^{Updated Wednesday, May 3, 2023}

With vaccinations and boosters for COVID-19 now common worldwide and loosened international travel restrictions, many people are considering inviting their parents or in-laws to visit the USA from countries like India or China, as they have not seen them since before the pandemic started in early 2020. And with the US dropping all coronavirus entry restrictions on May 11, 2023, many people are looking for visitors insurance, and wonder how the coronavirus is covered in visitors insurance. 

Does visitors insurance provide coronavirus coverage? 

Yes, there are many visitors insurance plans that can provide coverage for coronavirus or COVID-19, just like any other new sickness that occurs after the effective date of the policy. Once you put in your information for a quote, make sure to click on ‘Narrow Search’ and check the box ‘COVID-19 coverage’. 

Alternatively, you can get quotes from the COVID-19 travel medical insurance page and the results will only show the plans that have COVID-19 coverage. 

What exactly is covered for COVID in visitors insurance for USA? 

If you contract coronavirus or COVID-19 after the effective date of the policy, medically necessary testing as well as treatment (including hospitalization and ICU charges) can be covered. 

It is important to understand what exactly is covered in the visitors insurance plan you are purchasing. Some people simply claim that they bought the insurance that covers COVID, and therefore, expect every single thing they can imagine remotely related to COVID-19 to be covered, but that is never the case. 

Is the COVID testing prior to travel or after arriving in the US covered? 

No. Travel-related testing, whether it is before traveling to the USA or after arriving in the USA is not covered. 

Why is government-mandated COVID testing for travel not covered in visitors insurance? 

The United States government stopped requiring mandatory COVID-19 testing for international visitors in June, 2022. But even if that were not the case and testing was still required, it would not be considered medically necessary for a sickness that occurs after the effective date of the policy. Just like you are paying out of your pocket for other travel necessities such as a passport, visitors visa and airline ticket, you should also consider any travel-related testing expenses as part of your travel expenses. 

I am not getting COVID-19 testing voluntarily, as the airline requires it. Why doesn’t the visitors insurance cover it? 

The answer to this is the same as the previous answer. Being required to do something does not make it medically necessary. 

Can I just visit the Walgreens or CVS and get the COVID-19 testing done with visitors insurance? 

COVID-19 testing can be covered in certain visitors insurance plans only when it is medically necessary, and the physician orders it based on your specific symptoms. Therefore, you can’t just walk into any pharmacy or clinic and expect that COVID-19 testing would be covered. 

When such places ask for insurance, you should state that you have no insurance and proceed accordingly. Even if they say that ‘it is free with insurance’, they really mean that it is free with ACA-compliant long-term domestic health insurance that can fully cover COVID-19 testing under wider circumstances. Visitors insurance is not applicable in this situation.  

Under what other circumstances is COVID-19 testing not covered? 

Unless it is medically necessary when you contract COVID-19 after the effective date of the policy, COVID-19 testing is not covered, for any reason including, but not limited to: 

• You just want to make sure that you are fine after traveling by airplane to the USA
• You think you may have been exposed to COVID-19 but you have no symptoms 
• You want to avoid quarantine upon reaching your destination or back home 
• You just want to feel comfortable that you don’t have coronavirus
• You are planning to travel within the USA and would like to get periodic testing done 
• Any government-mandated testing requirements in order to enter a country as part of your international trip.

Is the coronavirus vaccine covered in visitors medical insurance? 

No. That is excluded. 

Is a COVID-19 booster shot covered in visitors insurance for USA? 

No. That is excluded. 

Is there quarantine coverage available for visitors to USA? 

No. Currently, quarantine coverage is not available in any visitors insurance plans for the USA. 

There are no quarantine coverage visitors insurance requirements by the US government. Therefore, if you need to quarantine, you will have to pay out of your pocket. 

Would my claim for coronavirus be denied simply because I have pre-existing conditions? 

There is no truth to that. 

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If I am fully vaccinated, why should I consider buying visitors insurance? 

Even fully vaccinated people can get COVID-19. 

But coronavirus coverage is not the only reason people should purchase visitors insurance. More importantly, even though coronavirus may still be on everyone’s mind when visiting the USA, that is not the only problem you should be considering. Visitors can still suffer any new medical conditions, injuries or accidents while on their trip. People bought visitors insurance all the time before the pandemic. Those reasons are still present today. Healthcare is very expensive in the US, and a simple visit to the emergency room may cost thousands of dollars. It is simply not possible for most people to pay for healthcare out of their pocket without proper visitors insurance. Therefore, even fully vaccinated visitors are still strongly encouraged to purchase visitors insurance. 

Is there any discount in visitors insurance for people that are fully vaccinated for coronavirus? 

No. 

What if I have received a booster shot as well? Is there any discount for visitors insurance then?

No.

What if travel restrictions are put in place again and I don’t want to travel or can’t travel? Would visitors insurance cover that? 

There is no such coverage in visitors insurance. 

If you are not traveling to the US, you can request the cancellation of your visitors insurance before the effective date of the policy through MyAccount and get full refund in most plans. 

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