Visitor Medical Insurance plans are available for visitors who visit the US. There are several plans one can choose from. You cannot compare two plans solely on cost; there are different features in visitor health insurance plans that make each plan different. You must understand the plan details before you purchase a plan.

1. Comprehensive plans and Fixed benefit plans: This is a big difference between plans. Comprehensive plans are more expensive than the fixed benefit plans. Comprehensive plans provide coverage up to the policy maximum. For expenses up to the plan limit out of pocket expenses are capped to the deductible and the co insurance. Fixed benefit plans have certain pre set maximum that will be paid for each eligible expense. A policy that offers a total $100,000 benefit may have a limit of $2000 for surgery, $500 for x rays, lab work etc.

2. Co insurance: Co insurance can be defined as a preset proportional sharing of expenses between the insured and the insurance company. Plans have different co insurance percentages. Some may require little or no co insurance and some may require a high proportional payment. For example in a 70/30 co insurance rate plan, the insured must pay 30% of the eligible expenses and the insurance company pays 70%.

3. Deductible: It is the amount that must be paid by the insured before the insurance company pays for any covered service. Once the deductible is met the insurance will cover eligible expenses. The higher the deductible, lower the premium.

4. Pre existing conditions: While coverage is usually not available for pre existing conditions, it is still prudent to find out how pre existing conditions are defined by the insurance company. Some plans will exclude coverage only for those conditions that the insured knew about and was receiving treatment before the start date of the insurance. Some others may exclude all those conditions that may have begun before the start of the plan even if the person had no knowledge of the condition.

5. Plan Limit: The price of a plan also depends on the maximum amount the plan will pay for all claims for the insured. A plan that offers maximum 50K coverage will be cheaper than one that offers 100K coverage. Some plans may offer per incident/per injury maximum and some offer a maximum coverage for the entire policy period.

Talk to your visitor travel health insurance specialist for more tips and advice on selecting the right plan for you. Compare prices for plans that offer the same level of benefits. Do not end up without health insurance.