Travel insurance USA: real quotes from $41.68 a week and the medical limit you actually need

Travel insurance for the USA is the one policy we tell every traveler not to skip: a US hospital bed costs $3,297 a day on average, real plans start at $41.68 a week, and the five plans open to travelers from outside Europe all pay the hospital directly so you pay nothing up front.

Updated September 3, 2026. Every price on this page is a real HelloSafe quote computed that day, in US dollars, for a traveler who lives outside the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and Australia. Residents of those countries are shown their own local plans in our comparison tool, so their prices will differ. Coverage limits are converted from each plan's own currency at HelloSafe's live exchange rate and rounded.

Three numbers frame the decision. American community hospitals spent $3,297 per inpatient day in 2024, $4,201 in New York State and $4,744 in California. A medical evacuation runs from $25,000 within North America to more than $250,000 for remote locations, according to the CDC Yellow Book 2026. And after your 66th birthday, only one of the five plans we can sell you for the United States is still on the shelf.

So the ranking below is not about the cheapest sticker price. It weighs the medical limit for the US zone, whether the insurer pays the hospital directly, the deductible, the age cap and the pre-existing-condition wording, all read in the binding policy documents. If you are comparing several destinations, start from our travel insurance hub; if you only need the short version, WorldSecure Platinum at $135.19 for two weeks is our pick for most travelers under 65.

Right now, travel insurance for the USA should cover three risks flagged by HelloSafe's daily destination scan of August 28, 2026: an active wildfire (orange alert), permanently very high medical costs (yellow) and late-summer thunderstorms that disrupt flights (yellow).

The same scan sets the coverage floors we use to rank plans for the United States. They are deliberately high, because the two worst-case bills here, a long hospital stay and a medically escorted long-haul flight home, are among the most expensive in the world.

The best travel insurance for the USA for most travelers from outside Europe is WorldSecure Platinum: $135.19 for two weeks, a medical limit of about $570,000 for the United States, direct hospital billing, about $5.1 million of personal liability and baggage coverage of about $2,300. Go Explore + matches the medical limit with no deductible, and World Travel is the only plan still sold after 65.

Recommended for youA. FruchardCo-Founder & Travel Insurance Expert

Why these five plans, in this order

You get a hospital that is paid directly by the insurer, a medical limit above half a million dollars and liability coverage sized for American courts, for about the price of two restaurant dinners in Manhattan: that is what WorldSecure Platinum delivers at $135.19 for 14 days, and it carries the largest cancellation line of the five (up to about $10,000), baggage at about $2,300 and a Risk Sports option for about $6 more. It stops at 65, and from 56 the US trip is capped at three months. Go Explore + comes second: same medical limit of about $570,000, no deductible at all, coverage up to 36 months and free teleconsultation, but baggage of only about $570 and no cancellation. World Travel is third on price, first on limit: about $800,000 of medical coverage confirmed in its policy for the USA and Canada, a flat $199.03 whether you are 34 or 80, and the only door still open after 65; its $57 deductible and a very broad pre-existing-condition exclusion keep it off the top spot. Go Explore ($109.53, about $280,000) and WorldSecure Basic ($76.41, under-40s only) are honest budget options for a short city break, not for a road trip with a family.

Antoine Fruchard, Co-Founder & Travel Insurance Expert at HelloSafe

Travel insurance for the USA costs from $41.68 for a solo traveler on a one-week trip to $577.06 for a family of four on the highest-priced plan, with a median of $109.53 for the solo traveler and $270.36 for the family. The table gives the cheapest, median and highest real quote we captured for five profiles.

Two profiles did not make the table. A 20-year-old on a 12-month study stay gets a single plan, World Student, at $671.90 for the year with about $570,000 of medical coverage (see the student travel insurance page). A traveler who selects extreme sports for a mountain trip gets no plan at all from this set.

Travel insurance for the USA needs a medical limit of $1,000,000 because American hospitals bill by the day at rates no other country matches: $3,297 per inpatient day on average in 2024, $4,201 in New York and $4,744 in California, before the cost of the flight home.

Two things soften the picture, and neither removes the need for coverage. Under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), every Medicare-participating hospital with an emergency department, which is nearly all of them, must give you a medical screening examination and stabilizing treatment regardless of your ability to pay. That guarantees the first hours, not the bill that follows, and it says nothing about the surgery, the ward days or the rehabilitation that come after stabilization. The second is that your home country's public scheme or reciprocal card is worthless in the United States, whichever country you live in.

Against that backdrop our destination data sets the floor at $1,000,000. None of the five plans we can sell to a traveler from outside Europe reaches it: World Travel comes closest at about $800,000, WorldSecure Platinum and Go Explore + carry about $570,000, Go Explore about $280,000 and WorldSecure Basic about $340,000. That gap is why we rank the medical limit before price, why we treat the two sub-$350,000 plans as short-city-break options, and why the repatriation line matters so much: all five pay the medical repatriation at actual cost, with no ceiling, which caps the second-largest bill of a US hospitalization. To see how US hospital prices compare with the rest of the world, our hospital bed cost map puts them on one chart.

With travel insurance for the USA, direct billing means the insurer's assistance company confirms coverage to the hospital's admissions desk and pays the hospital itself, so you never pay the bill up front; all five plans on this page include it, but every one of them makes it conditional on a call to the assistance line at the time of the event.

1. Call the assistance number on your certificate as soon as you are admitted, or have someone call for you: every policy we read makes payment conditional on this call.
2. The admissions desk checks your coverage with the assistance company by phone or through its portal; this is the payment guarantee US hospitals ask for before non-emergency care.
3. The insurer pays the hospital directly for the stay, typically once the hospitalization exceeds 24 hours.
4. Doctor visits, pharmacy and other non-hospital costs are reimbursed against receipts after your return, minus any deductible.

The contracts differ in the detail. Go Explore + advances 100% of hospital costs for stays over 24 hours, after Mutuaide Assistance has checked your rights on that first call, and applies no deductible on the two packages sold here. World Travel pays the hospital directly through its admissions-desk procedure once the assistance company has accepted the case, then applies a deductible of $57 per claim, and reimburses non-hospital costs only after you are home. WorldSecure Platinum arranges direct payment for stays over 24 hours through its Medical Assistance Department, reachable around the clock, and its medical advisor, not you, decides on repatriation together with the treating physician.

The conditions of travel insurance for the USA that decide a claim are the medical limit for the US zone, the deductible, the age cap at subscription, the pre-existing-condition wording and the sports list; the table below reads them off the five policies, in US dollars.

• ✓
  Medical limit for the US zone, not the worldwide headline: two of the five policies quote a higher limit for the USA and Canada than their summary sheet shows; the table uses the US-zone figure confirmed in the wording.
• ✓
  Direct billing with a 24/7 assistance line: all five include it; check the number is on your certificate before departure.
• ✓
  Repatriation at actual cost: all five pay the medical flight home without a ceiling, the guarantee that matters most after the hospital bill.
• ✓
  Age cap at the date you buy: 39 for WorldSecure Basic, 65 for three plans, 84 for World Travel; a 66-year-old has exactly one option.
• ✓
  Deductible: $57 per claim on World Travel, none on the Go Explore packages sold here, none stated for medical costs on WorldSecure Platinum.

• ✕
  Pre-existing conditions: World Travel excludes pre-existing illnesses whether diagnosed, known, treated or not; WorldSecure Platinum excludes pre-existing and chronic diseases; Go Explore + excludes only conditions that led to a hospital stay in the 6 months before departure.
• ✕
  Pregnancy past a cut-off: complications are covered only up to week 28 on WorldSecure Platinum and week 36 on Go Explore + and World Travel; routine maternity care is never covered.
• ✕
  Risky sports without the option: scuba with tanks, off-piste skiing, mountaineering and rafting are excluded on Go Explore +; World Travel even excludes trekking and rock climbing; WorldSecure Platinum covers them only with its Risk Sports option.
• ✕
  Cancellation as a standalone need: three plans have no cancellation line at all, and none of the five is returned when the option is selected for this traveler profile.
• ✕
  Care you did not call in: a hospital stay not reported to the assistance line loses direct billing and can be reduced to reimbursement within limits.

If you travel with a stabilized condition, read the wording on pre-existing condition travel insurance first: the three exclusions above are not interchangeable, and Go Explore + is the only one of the five that tolerates a diagnosed but non-hospitalized condition. Expecting mothers should check the week cut-offs on our pregnancy travel insurance page before choosing.

No, neither the ESTA nor a B-2 tourist visa requires travel insurance for the USA: the ESTA is a $40.27 electronic entry authorization for Visa Waiver Program nationals, and it carries no medical coverage of any kind.

The fee moved from $21 to $40 on September 30, 2025 (CBP fee change) and was adjusted for inflation to $40.27 on January 1, 2026 (Federal Register); apply only on the official ESTA site, never through a reseller. Travelers who need a visa (B-1/B-2) are not asked for an insurance certificate at the consulate either. That absence of a rule is one reason travel insurance for USA trips gets skipped, and why the first hospital day, at $3,297 on average, is then paid out of pocket.

Two categories do face a legal minimum. Exchange visitors on a J-1 visa must hold coverage of at least $100,000 per accident or illness, $50,000 for medical evacuation and $25,000 for repatriation of remains, with a deductible of no more than $500 (22 CFR 62.14); the World Student plan we quoted at $671.90 for a year clears those thresholds with about $570,000 of medical coverage. F-1 students are bound by their university's own insurance rules, which often require a US-based plan or a documented waiver.

Travel insurance for the USA costs between $41.68 and $144.26 for one week at age 34, between $76.41 and $199.03 for two weeks, and $333.41 to $595.10 for a 90-day stay, real HelloSafe quotes of September 3, 2026 for a traveler living outside Europe. Whatever you call it, travel insurance to America is priced by three drivers: your age, the length of the trip and the options you add.

• Age: at 34 you have five plans from $76.41 for two weeks; at 60 four plans from $134.91; at 65 four plans from $199.03; at 70, 75 or 80 a single plan, World Travel, still at $199.03, because its price does not change with age.
• Duration: for the same 34-year-old, 7 days cost $41.68 to $144.26, 30 days $152.81 to $265.95, 60 days $222.27 to $399.40 and 90 days $333.41 to $595.10.
• Options: the Risk Sports option on WorldSecure Platinum adds $6.13 to a 14-day trip ($141.32 instead of $135.19); an annual plan costs $734.68 with Go Explore or $1,052.59 with Go Explore +.

Cheap travel insurance to USA destinations does exist, with one caveat: WorldSecure Basic at $41.68 a week is sold to under-40s only and stops at about $340,000 of medical coverage, roughly 100 average hospital days. For a two-week trip, the $59 difference between it and WorldSecure Platinum buys about $230,000 more medical coverage, nearly double the baggage limit and a cancellation line. Our travel insurance cost guide explains how these prices compare with other destinations.

The right travel insurance for the USA depends on where you go, how long you stay and how old you are: a New York city break, a Florida trip in hurricane season, a senior road trip and a year on campus do not point to the same plan.

Travel insurance New York: the city-break case

Travel insurance for a New York city break is first a medical question: the state's hospitals cost $4,201 per inpatient day, above the national average. For a week under 40, WorldSecure Basic at $41.68 is the floor; WorldSecure Platinum at $67.59 adds a $570,000 limit, $2,300 of baggage coverage for a city where theft claims are common, and personal liability of about $5.1 million.

Florida and the Gulf coast in hurricane season

From June 1 to November 30, a non-refundable Florida booking is exposed to a weather cancellation no plan in this set will refund: none of the five is sold with the cancellation option to a traveler from outside Europe, and only WorldSecure Platinum and World Travel list a cancellation line at all. Buy the medical coverage here and treat cancellation separately, as our cancellation insurance page explains.

Over 65

At 65, four plans are still quoted, from $199.03 for two weeks with World Travel; at 66, only World Travel remains, at the same $199.03 and with the highest medical limit of the set, about $800,000. Its price is flat from 34 to 80, which makes it the most senior-friendly plan we sell for the United States, provided you accept its $57 deductible and its strict pre-existing-condition exclusion. Our senior travel insurance page covers the age question across destinations.

Family with children

For two adults and two children aged 5 on a one-week trip, WorldSecure Platinum at $270.36 covers each of the four with about $570,000 of medical coverage, direct billing and a cancellation line; the same family pays $166.70 on WorldSecure Basic (about $340,000 each) and $577.06 on World Travel. See the family travel insurance guide for the child-specific clauses to check.

Backpacker and multi-country itinerary

A 25-year-old spending a month across the USA, Mexico, Thailand and Australia is accepted by all five plans, from $152.81 with WorldSecure Basic to $265.95 with WorldSecure Platinum; the median quote is $201.70. Check the baggage limit against your camera and laptop: about $280 on Go Explore, about $2,300 on WorldSecure Platinum.

Long stay and remote work

For 90 days in the USA, Thailand and Brazil at 30, four plans are quoted, from $333.41 to $595.10 with a median of $516.28; Go Explore + is the one built for very long stays, with coverage that can be extended up to 36 months. A full year in the United States alone costs $734.68 with Go Explore or $1,052.59 with Go Explore +.

Student on a J-1 or F-1 visa

A 20-year-old on a 12-month study or internship stay is quoted a single plan, World Student, at $671.90 for the year, with about $570,000 of medical coverage, direct billing and about $5.1 million of liability; it clears the J-1 federal minimums with room to spare. Our student travel insurance page details the certificate universities ask for.

• Is travel insurance mandatory for the USA?

  No. Neither the ESTA nor a tourist visa requires travel insurance for the USA. Only J-1 exchange visitors face a federal minimum ($100,000 medical, $50,000 evacuation, $25,000 repatriation of remains). The absence of a rule does not change the bill: $3,297 per hospital day on average in 2024.

• Does the ESTA include any medical insurance?

  No. The ESTA is a $40.27 electronic travel authorization for Visa Waiver Program nationals; it covers no medical, repatriation or cancellation cost. Buy travel insurance separately, before departure.

• How much medical coverage do I need for the USA?

  HelloSafe’s destination data recommends a $1,000,000 floor. The plans available to a traveler from outside Europe carry about $280,000 to $800,000; choose the highest limit you can afford and make sure repatriation is paid at actual cost, as all five plans on this page do.

• What is the cheapest travel insurance for the USA?

  WorldSecure Basic at $41.68 for one week ($76.41 for two weeks) for a 34-year-old living outside Europe, real quote of September 3, 2026. It is sold to under-40s only and its medical limit is about $340,000. For $59 more over two weeks, WorldSecure Platinum raises the limit to about $570,000.

• Can I get travel insurance for the USA if I am over 70?

  Yes, with one plan: World Travel, quoted at $199.03 for two weeks whether you are 34 or 80, with about $800,000 of medical coverage for the USA and Canada and direct hospital billing. Its pre-existing-condition exclusion is strict, so declare nothing you cannot document as stable.

• Are pre-existing conditions covered by travel insurance for the USA?

  Mostly not. World Travel excludes pre-existing illnesses whether diagnosed or not, WorldSecure Platinum excludes pre-existing and chronic diseases, and Go Explore + excludes only conditions that caused a hospital stay in the 6 months before departure. Read the wording before you rely on any of them.

• Does travel insurance for the USA cover hurricanes and wildfires?

  Trip interruption and medical care during a storm or wildfire are covered like any other event. Cancellation before departure is the gap: none of the five plans for travelers from outside Europe is sold with the cancellation option, and only WorldSecure Platinum and World Travel list a cancellation line (up to about $10,000 and about $1,700).

• Are skiing, surfing and hiking covered in the USA?

  On-piste skiing, surfing and hiking below 2,500 m are covered by WorldSecure Platinum and Go Explore + without an option. Scuba with tanks, off-piste skiing and mountaineering need the WorldSecure Platinum Risk Sports option ($6.13 more for 14 days); World Travel excludes trekking and rock climbing outright.

• Will the hospital treat me if I have no insurance?

  An emergency department must screen and stabilize you regardless of your ability to pay under the federal EMTALA rule. Everything after stabilization is billed to you, at $3,297 per inpatient day on average, and non-emergency care usually requires a payment guarantee first.

• Is my credit card's travel insurance enough for the USA?

  Rarely. Card coverage depends on your issuer and country, usually applies only if the trip was paid with the card, and typically carries a medical limit far below a US hospital stay, few cancellation reasons and no direct billing. Check your card’s certificate against the limits on this page before relying on it.