Where can I purchase health insurance for an elderly relative (80+) visiting the US?
Does anyone know how to, or have experience of, obtaining health insurance for elderly visitors to the US?
A relative who is over 80 may be visiting from Ukraine (most likely a tourist visa, so not more than about 3 months).
My understanding is that for people over 80, any coverage will be limited and harder to obtain. For example VisitorsCoverage covers a maximum of $50-70K. I am very much worried that in case of something happening, the medical bills may easily exceed that (this is the US we're talking about...).
I know WorldNomads appears to be a popular and trusted option. However I tried to get a quote online and their age limit is 66.
Lastly, if someone knows helpful resources where I can research this further (beyond the state dept.), that would be great.
Best Answer
Brokers and members of Lloyd's of London pride themselves on insuring anything insurable (so not normally against events that have already occurred). They have for example insured Jimmy Durante's nose, Keith Richards' fingers and Holly Madison's breasts.
So if every other avenue turns out to be a dead end, contact an insurance broker and it is very likely that something suitable could be arranged, for a fee.
Selecting your own insurance company may however be cheaper. The UK consumer magazine Which? undertook a survey (based on April 2016 premia, an update is due in November 2016) and they include many companies prepared to provide travel insurance cover that (a) includes USA and (b) provides for "at least £2 million of medical cover for Europe and £5 million worldwide". Since Which? has separately categorised trips of up to 24 days I presume "annual trip" may allow longer than 24 days at a time, but that should definitely be checked as many policies will not cover a long but single trip.
Some of the above cover individuals aged over 80 years, of which some cover those over 85 years. I am not sure how nationality may affect coverage/premia but recognise that at least one of the insurers is part of a group that claims "We are a global insurance company with presence in 49 countries across all the five continents".
It happens I have also seen the site (with a .co.uk domain) for AllClear Travel Insurance which mentions "Medical travel insurance with a Big Tick Any condition. Any age. Any Destination." and "AllClear is the specialist medical travel insurance provider for travellers who have difficulty getting cover elsewhere".
Travel. SE is not here to give specific recommendations and I do not endorse any of the above (nor have I any connections with any except that I myself am covered by one of the companies mentioned by Which?). However it does seem possible to obtain the coverage you seek. A good price would require shopping around, which we are not here to do for you.
Pictures about "Where can I purchase health insurance for an elderly relative (80+) visiting the US?"
Can you get health insurance as a visitors in USA?
Can a tourist get health insurance in USA ? Yes, tourists can and should buy visitor visa medical insurance for USA. Given the high cost of healthcare in the US, it is very risky to travel to the US without the best health insurance for foreigners.Which insurance provides medical coverage to elderly citizen in us?
Kotak Health Care plan is a suitable plan for senior citizens up to the age of 65 years as it offers comprehensive coverage and comes with lifetime renewability. It also offers an annual health check-up facility for free.What travel insurance is best for seniors?
Top Insurers- Travel Guard Travel Insurance. In addition to offering standard cancellation coverage, this company features plans that cover preexisting conditions and full medical expenses. ...
- Travelsafe Travel Insurance. ...
- Allianz Travel Insurance.
Is healthcare free in USA for senior citizens?
The government pays for 65 percent of the elderly's medical expenses. Medical expenses for the elderly more than double between the ages of 70 and 90. The average amount spent on medical care for an American in his or her 90s exceeds $25,000 annually, a cost based primarily on nursing home costs.Health Insurance Options for Immigrants
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Answer 2
Some time ago I asked a very similar question - about an elderly relative visiting me in UK from Georgia. This question is here - Travel insurance for elderly visitor from Georgia to UK .
I ended up buying the insurance from the company I mentioned in my question - http://www.imgeurope.co.uk - the quote was reasonable and they didn't mind the age. They do offer coverage for citizens/residents of any country visiting any other country.
EDIT: I just went through the quote process on imgeurope - putting random details for a 80-year old citizen of Ukrain living in Ukraine, travelling to USA for 3 month. The good news is that they do offer a cover. The not-so-good news is that the amount of cover isn't that great, although probably acceptable.
The was I'm reading it, you get up to US $10,000 per incident, with optional up to $200,000 cover for major accident, plus repatriation expenses and such.
The other not-so-good news is that it's rather expensive. Depending on the deductible, the premium runs from about $1,000 for the 3 months with $2,500 deductible to almost $2,000 with a $0 deductible.
Feel free to browse for yourself - you don't need to enter any personal information to get the basic quote, only the age, gender and the relevant countries.
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