Visitors Medical Insurance – Should You Buy Visitors Insurance from India

If you or your family members are traveling to the United States from India, one thing on your checklist should be visitors insurance. Medical costs in the U.S. are extremely high without insurance coverage, and a short-term visitors insurance plan can help protect you from a huge financial burden in the event that you or your family requires medical attention while in the U.S.

When deciding on visitors insurance, you may wonder whether it is better to buy your visitors insurance from India or from the United States. There are multiple advantages to buying your visitors insurance from the U.S. rather than India. Here are some of the key reasons why a U.S. travel insurance plan is often the preferred choice:

• Indian visitors’ insurance companies may not give a traveler an ID or proof of insurance. Thus, if you are traveling in the U.S., the doctor and/or hospital may not recognize the insurance and you’ll have to pay for 100% of the costs of your medical care and file a claim for reimbursement. This can be time-consuming and will require a lump sum payment up front.
• Indian visitors’ insurance company claims processing is often handled in India, which means there may be delays and administrative hassles when contacting the insurance company from the U.S.
• Indian visitors’ insurance companies do not offer a wide choice of types or plans. Most Indian insurance companies offer only limited coverage plans, which is why the cost is so low, while U.S. insurance companies offer many types of plans with many coverage choices.
• Most Indian visitors insurance companies do not have dedicated customer support teams available 24/7 to answer a traveler’s needs and their support hours may not coincide with U.S. time zones.

Are Indian Visitors Insurance Companies Reliable?

When it comes to Indian insurance regulations, travelers rights are often not protected and reliability can be an issue. If you need to file a complaint, you’ll have to file it in India and it is unclear whether your complaint will be well received or responded to. U.S. insurance companies are regulated by established U.S. insurance industry regulations, protecting the rights of the insured.

Most India insurance companies are relatively new and do not have the long history of service that U.S. insurance companies do. Additionally, most Indian visitors insurance plans are not renewable or cancellable. The ability to renew your plan can be important if you want to extend your stay while in the U.S. Many visitors insurance plans in the United States are renewable – you can always check which ones are renewable US visitor visa plans. Not being able to cancel a plan can also be a problem if you feel you purchased the wrong type of coverage or your travel plans change. Talk to your insurance specialist from VisitorsCoverage to know your options.

While Indian insurance policies do appear to cost less at first glance, in comparing them to U.S. plans, you will find a great deal more is offered with the U.S. based plans. U.S. based plans are more prevalently recognized in the U.S. and abroad, offer much better coverage, and are more trustworthy and reputable. For more information on American visitors insurance plans, refer to our article Why Buy American Visitors Insurance.