Travel Insurance for a Trip to the USA and Beyond - What You Need to Know

In one of my previous articles, I explained in detail why travel insurance is so important. Now, I would like to focus on a slightly different issue that people often overlook - traveling to the USA requires a different approach than, for example, traveling to the Czech Republic or Italy. The United States is known worldwide for its very expensive healthcare. A few days in the hospital can cost a fortune, and the European Health Insurance Card (which, by the way, does not work there) or small insurance policies won't even cover the ambulance ride, let alone medical treatment in the USA.

This article is not meant to scare you or discourage you from traveling to the United States, but to make you aware of how important it is to ensure proper protection during your trip and full coverage of medical costs in case of an accident or illness.

Why Is Travel Insurance to the USA and Other Distant Countries So Important?

Of course, insurance for EVERY trip should be our priority, even to neighboring countries. It usually doesn't cost much, especially for shorter trips, and can really save us or our wallet. Medical expense insurance is useful regardless of the stay, and liability insurance during the trip can be crucial if we want to, for example, ski or engage in other activities.

In this article, however, we will focus on distant countries, particularly the USA. Why specifically? Because the cost of medical treatment in the USA can bankrupt anyone. And I'm not even talking about serious accidents. Often even the cost of medical transport or a simple doctor's visit can be very high, especially when we convert zlotys to dollars. The USA is a country without state-funded and free healthcare. The European Health Insurance Card won't help either. Just type "cost of medical treatment in the USA" or "medical bill in the USA" into Google to see a lot of news where compatriots couldn't return to the country due to medical treatment in the USA.

Am I writing this to scare you? Absolutely not. I want to make you aware that you only need to buy travel insurance for a few dozen/hundred zlotys, and you can travel across the ocean with peace of mind. Such policies are really not expensive, and the insurance amount can be a million, even five million zlotys, which covers illnesses, hospitalization, and more. It's worth remembering this when traveling to countries such as Thailand, China, and others, and services like assistance can only help us - but more on that later.

Example?

A two-week trip for a 32-year-old person without high-risk sports with the following sums:

• 1,000,000 PLN for medical expenses
• 1,000,000 PLN for personal liability
• 60,000 PLN for accident consequences
• Assistance
• Medical transport
• 10,000 PLN for travel luggage

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The premium is only 724 PLN for the Allianz My Trip product. Considering that an ambulance ride can cost several thousand dollars, it's a small expense, right?

What Does Travel Insurance Cover?

Let's take a closer look at what almost every travel insurance includes. Differences between insurance companies can result from the general terms and conditions of insurance, exclusions, or what is automatically covered and what is not (for example, in Generali, accidents after alcohol consumption are covered, and you will receive compensation).

The most popular benefits include:

• Medical and hospitalization costs - the most important benefit, covering most expenses after an accident or in case of sudden illness. This includes not only serious cases but even going to the pharmacy for medicine; just keep the receipt and you can claim a refund. If someone is often ill, it is definitely worth collecting all receipts and confirmations.
• Personal liability - this protects us from financial losses in case we harm someone. This can be property or the health of a third party - costs in case of claims will be covered by the policy.
• Assistance - all kinds of help, often overlooked but very useful. This includes a helpline, help in organizing various services (e.g., emergency transport, hotel, doctor, etc.), and many other services. If we are abroad and do not fully know the language (especially in countries like China, Thailand, etc.), such help can be a salvation.
• Accident consequences - an addition to most travel insurance policies, guaranteeing compensation in case of health damage after an accident. It can be treated as an additional cash injection and usually does not drastically affect the cost of insurance.
• Luggage - insurance for luggage during the trip in case of theft or destruction (here I recommend carefully checking the general terms and conditions because for some damages, e.g., caused by airlines, the insurance company may not want to be responsible).
• Finally, it's worth mentioning trip cancellation costs. I specifically describe this as a separate paragraph because such insurance has many conditions. It must be purchased practically immediately after buying the tickets and only protects us if an accident, illness, or other unforeseen events such as the death of a family member prevent us from traveling. However, it will not cover trip costs in case of, for example, trip cancellation by the travel agency, missing the plane, oversleeping, canceling "just because," and others.

As I mentioned, some insurance companies also have other additional benefits, but the main risks that interest you are the ones I listed, ensuring medical assistance doesn't leave you broke.

Example Situations on a Trip to the USA

Insurance is best illustrated with examples, so let's discuss the adventures of the Kowalski family on a trip to the United States.

While walking through one of the beautiful parks, Mr. Kowalski was bitten by a rattlesnake. An ambulance was called, and after arriving at the hospital, antivenom was administered. Mr. Kowalski stayed for three days for observation and received a bill for everything. If the bill was very large, settlement would occur cashlessly between the hospital and the insurance company - Mr. Kowalski can continue traveling peacefully.

Mrs. Kowalski, while riding a bike in Central Park, hit a pedestrian. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken arm - luckily, Mrs. Kowalski has personal liability insurance, and bike riding is not an extreme sport, so any claims will be covered by the policy.

The Kowalskis' child suffers from asthma, and unfortunately, the change in air and climate exacerbated the symptoms. Since they purchased Allianz My Trip insurance, which covers the exacerbation of chronic diseases as standard, all costs will be covered by the policy.

Situations can be really varied and unforeseen, which is why I always recommend not saving a few zlotys on a worse policy.

What to Know When Traveling to the USA?

When traveling to the USA, besides insurance, it's worth remembering a few important things:

1. First and foremost, you must have a visa and all valid documents, including medical ones. Control, whether at the airport or later, is very sensitive to the correctness of documents, and the lack of one stamp can make you stuck at the airport.
2. Remember that it is a slightly different "culture" than ours. Starting with healthcare in the USA, different food (also remember this at the airport, as you may have trouble entering the USA with packed items).
3. The USA is a vast country, and we often tend to overestimate our capabilities. Remember this when refueling your vehicle. It is also worth taking care of all additional assistance insurance when moving by vehicle, as travel insurance does not cover such risks.
4. The USA is safe, but it is worth keeping all documents, having spare financial resources, and simply being well-prepared for the trip. After all, you will be very far from home.
5. And finally - have fun and make the most of it!

There are particular cases where it is essential to look closely at our policy and possibly extend travel insurance to the necessary scope, which you will learn about in the following paragraphs.

Chronic Disease - How Does It Affect Travel Insurance?

A chronic disease is the first aspect that needs careful consideration before the trip, as it is usually not covered by basic insurance. What exactly does it mean?

According to the general terms and conditions (OWU), a chronic disease is a disease diagnosed before the insurance contract was concluded, lasting for months or years (also with periods of exacerbation or remission). Chronic diseases also include cancer.

This means, simply put, that if your disease exacerbates and you need treatment or hospitalization, the insurance may not cover it. And again, I must emphasize the word "may" - because some insurances include this in the package, like the Allianz My Trip product mentioned earlier.

Traveling for Work - What Needs to Be Included in the Contract?

Another "type" of trip includes all our travels where we will be performing professional work. Here again, it is essential to note that some insurances may standardly cover professional work (although there will be a restriction on the type of work, as not all risky jobs can be covered). The necessary documents confirming the possibility of performing this work are also crucial - in the case of a trip to the USA, besides the appropriate visa, it will also be a contract with our employer/contractor.

In the case of policies where this is not included as standard, the policy must be appropriately extended, which will naturally affect the cost of insurance.

Traveling to the USA and Extreme Sports - Treatment Costs After an Accident

Regarding sports, it is worth pausing for a longer time because we often do not know where the line between amateur sports, professional, extreme, and so on lies. Let's use the general terms and conditions (OWU) again - I found the relevant records to save you the search. If you don't want to go through the entire list, skip to the next paragraph.

Recreational sports:

Sports activities, including amateur practicing of the following sports:

Aerobics, badminton, curling, fitness, frisbee, golf, field hockey, indoor skydiving (flight in an aerodynamic tunnel), go-karting or quad riding, motorcycling on paved roads, water skiing, jet skiing or other objects pulled by vehicles intended for moving on water, scooter riding, rollerblading, roller skiing, cycling or roller-skating, Segway riding, off-road driving, yoga, jogging, kayaking, athletics, sightseeing flights – as a passenger, walking, scuba diving up to 30 meters below sea level, paintball, basketball, football, handball, volleyball, swimming, sailing or motor boating on inland waters, sailing or motor boating within 20 nautical miles from the shore, kayaking, rafting or rafting on inland waters, motorboating on inland roads, pumpabike, cruise ship cruises, historical reconstructions, ringo, safari without hunting, skateboarding, snorkeling, softball, squash, stepping, stretching, surfing, dancing, table tennis or tennis, trekking (hiking) on trails without the use of specialized safety equipment (ropes, crampons, ice axe, harness) up to a height of 5,500 meters above sea level, fishing, windsurfing, climbing in a rope park, zorbing.

High-risk and winter sports:

Sports activities, including amateur practicing of the following sports: ballooning, baseball, long-distance running, orienteering, riding and driving animals – except for a one-time ride on a horse, donkey, elephant, or camel as part of a tourist attraction, downhill biking, flyboarding, American football, acrobatic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics or sports gymnastics, heliboarding, heliskiing, hockey, roller hockey, underwater hockey, hydrospeed, motorcycling or car racing on a closed race track, enduro cycling, mountain biking, mountain kayaking, canyoning, kettlebell lifting, kite-skiing, kite-snowboarding, kite-surfing, mountain and road cycling, cricket, hang gliding, archery, figure skating and speed skating, motocross, motor and car terrain rallies, motorized hang gliding, hunting, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing on marked trails, off-piste skiing (free skiing), scuba diving deeper than 30 meters below sea level, paragliding, parasailing, sailing or motorboating more than 20 nautical miles from the shore, weightlifting, polo, hunting with firearms or pneumatic weapons, dog sledding, rafting, historical reenactment with the use of black powder weapons, rugby, sandboarding, sledding, diving, bungee jumping, ski jumping, slackline, snowboarding on marked trails, off-piste snowboarding (free snowboarding), parachuting, speedway, speleology, sports using vehicles designed for snow or ice, combat sports, shooting, fencing, gliding, trekking with the use of safety equipment (ropes, crampons, ice axe, harness), trekking on via ferrata trails, triathlon, wakeboarding, wingfoil, rowing, alpine skating, indoor climbing, ice and high mountain climbing, bouldering, expeditions to places characterized by extreme climatic or natural conditions (polar regions, jungles, glaciers, deserts), rope descents.

A lot, right? Nevertheless, analyzing all this is crucial to simply choose the right insurance for the USA (and beyond) and have protection in any situation.

Exclusions and Special Provisions - Where to Find Them?

Here I want to draw attention to how various exclusions are recorded. Most general terms and conditions (OWU) cover at least several dozen pages, so sometimes it is worth using so-called Product Cards. These are documents introduced some time ago that briefly describe each benefit. For example, when you see "What is not covered," one of the insurances will be:

The list of items not covered by insurance depends on the selected scope of insurance and is described in the General Terms and Conditions of Insurance, in particular:

• Diagnosed diseases for which there were medical contraindications to travel that the Insured knew about.
• Treatment costs by a family member who is a doctor or the Insured.
• Diagnostics and treatment not included in the scope of immediate, necessary medical assistance.
• Exacerbation of complications of chronic diseases unless the protection in this scope has been extended for an additional premium.
• Fines and financial penalties imposed as sanctions that are not direct compensation for bodily injury or material damage, contractual penalties, court fines, administrative penalties, taxes.
• Vehicles without required licenses or not allowed on the road.

It is worth carefully checking the provisions of each benefit and being 100% sure that the insurance will work.

How to Buy Insurance That Covers Costs in Case of Damage?

How to choose the best insurance for a trip to the USA and beyond?

If you have a chronic illness, check if such diseases are covered as standard or need to be extended, and if so, what is considered a chronic disease.

Planning to practice a sport? Check if it is covered by an additional clause of high-risk sports.

If a question pops into your head, "what if," it is an excellent opportunity to ask an advisor or check in the general terms and conditions if such an event is covered by insurance. A calmer mind means better holidays.

Focus on coverage, not price. A trip to the USA is undoubtedly expensive, but those few hundred zlotys won't be an additional significant burden. And it may save you in many situations.

If you are looking for good insurance, want to learn more about the possibilities, or have questions, contact me - I will help you with all my experience.