The United States is one of the countries in which Russian citizens need a visa to enter. Contrary to the common misconception, its receipt is not affected in any way by the presence or absence of a potential guest of the country of health insurance - the registration of a medical policy is purely advisory in nature.
General information
There are two main options for issuing a medical policy - in the United States itself, or even at the stage of preparing for a trip - in Russia, and there are a number of nuances that relate to both methods of registration. In terms of money, the registration of basic insurance - from 50 thousand dollars - in Russia will cost much less than a similar operation, but already in the United States, while it will take much longer to obtain insurance in the United States. Everyone chooses the insurance option for themselves, although it should be borne in mind that insurance directly in the United States can help to avoid some possible incidents during the trip.
In the event that Russia was chosen as the country of registration, another extremely acute issue arises - the issue of accreditation. Does the selected insurance company provide the best insurance program for the States, and does it work with an assistant company in that country? If so, which one? The quality and speed of possible service will depend on these two points, if, nevertheless, it becomes necessary to use insurance or - as it is customary to say now - an insured event occurs.
The last point is especially worth emphasizing - an assistance or an assistant company. It is she who will play the role of a liaison between the hospital and the insured person or any other institution and the insured person. That is, it is on her competence that the life and health of a person will depend, and not on the company that issued the policy itself. That is why you need to be extremely careful when choosing a place to arrange insurance and also be interested in who exactly the provider company works with, since problems usually do not arise in relation to the United States - the service of local companies is stable, although it costs more, which cannot be said about Russian assistants.
Another interesting point is the possibility of terminating the contract. Usually, such a service is already included in the package provided by American companies, but is not mandatory for Russian ones. That is, if the insured person has already deposited money, but suddenly decided to terminate the contract, material losses will not always be compensated. Why is this so? In the modern market for such services in the United States, there is significant competition, but at the same time there is an unspoken rule - you cannot put direct pressure on the client, and therefore he should always have the right to turn to another company without incurring significant losses. Usually, the client is given up to a month to make such a decision - it depends on the state in which the insurance is issued.
When choosing the most suitable insurance option, it is necessary to take into account a rather impressive number of factors: the trip is of an isolated nature (for example, a tourist trip) or such trips will occur on a regular basis; whether the trip involves engaging in extreme sports or other activities associated with health hazards; are there any chronic diseases that may dictate the need for hospitalization, and so on. That is why the selected insurance company must provide as much detailed information as possible about the specifics of the planned trip.
Medical services in the USA
The health care system in the United States is considered to be one of the best in the world and is represented by various structures at three independent levels: family medicine, hospital care, and community hospitals. At the same time, private individuals and various legal institutions also work alongside government organizations. But wherever the patient turns, the quality comes at a price.
The United States health care system is also considered one of the most expensive in the world. Rates range from a few hundred dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. At the same time, a banal visit to a doctor due to the most common cold can cost about $ 300, what then can we say about more complex operations or long-term medical interventions? That is, without insurance - and one in six people living in the United States today cannot afford it - the costs of possible medical services can be colossal.
Why you might need insurance
It should be understood that insurance is not limited to the immediate provision of medical assistance if necessary - the assistant company in most cases provides comprehensive information that can help a person in any extreme situations that may arise. And we are not even talking about accidents, for example, getting into a car accident or getting injured during a banal robbery, which can also happen, despite the seeming impossibility of such a situation.
Each region of the United States has its own specifics, which is not surprising. In the west, natural disasters such as tornadoes are possible, in Hawaii, you will not surprise anyone with devastating tsunamis, and in California, earthquakes periodically occur, which do not always end with only broken dishes. In such cases, insurance begins to work. And this applies not so much to stopping the consequences, but also to theoretical help that can save lives. The assistant company, in the event a guest of the country gets into a similar situation, is obliged to provide information that will help to leave the risk zone or minimize possible damage.
A similar situation is repeated with respect to the characteristics of the flora or fauna of each separate region of the country. For example, the country's northern states and Alaska top the list of regions with impressive populations of large carnivorous animals such as wolves or grizzlies. Of course, it is not typical for their behavior to attack people, however, the situation is not always in favor of the latter. An animal that accidentally wanders into an urban area does not always behave adequately and typically.
Ordinary everyday activities can also pose a hazard. Most people travel to the United States on vacation, which most often takes place in the beach areas. But do not forget about the environmental problems that the United States is experiencing due to its industrial profile. We are talking about the pollution of some waters with oil and the possible health risks for people who swim in such waters. These are, first of all, states such as Louisiana or Florida, the latter being a rather popular tourist destination.
What insurance can cover
The insurance was originally intended to protect a person from additional financial burdens in unforeseen circumstances, therefore, most insurance covers expenses such as calling an ambulance or a doctor, providing first aid in case of an accident or other similar situation, outpatient treatment of a patient or staying in a hospital. transportation of the patient to a medical facility; in some cases, the cost of medications prescribed by the doctor is also reimbursed. Sometimes the situation develops in a very unfavorable way and it is also better to be prepared for this: the insurance covers the transportation of the insured person back to the territory of Russia for medical reasons; in the event of the death of the insured person, his body will also be delivered to the country of residence.
When drawing up an insurance policy, you should pay attention to some additional points, for example, legal services. In the light of recent events, air travel insurance and assistance to victims of terrorist attacks are also relevant.In each specific case, there are additional risks, some of which can be foreseen: active rest or active sports, during which injuries are possible; control of some means of transportation - for example, a motorcycle. Insurance for emergency dentistry will also be useful, since a trip to a dentist in the USA without insurance can cost a colossal amount, which certainly will not fit into a perfectly balanced and rather limited budget.
Some circumstances are not included in the possible insurance at all. Usually, this includes those diseases or injuries that were received by a person before the actual insurance was issued. The same applies to the presence of psychological pathologies in a person, as well as injuries that can be obtained due to these pathologies or in the event of their exacerbation. A separate category includes diseases that can be sexually transmitted.
Main types of health insurance in the USA
At this point, it makes sense to talk about the three main types of health insurance available in the United States: Basic or basic health insurance is directly related to the reimbursement of funds spent on appointments with medical specialists, possible surgical interventions (low complexity), anesthesia during treatment, or just a consultation. In this case, not the entire amount is compensated, but only three quarters of what will be spent.
Hospital insurance is the main one and covers hospital costs only within the established limits, and these limits apply not only to the purely financial side - the amount of funds that will be compensated, but also the length of stay in a medical institution. As a rule, this framework is limited to a two-week hospital stay, with compensation for eighty percent of the funds spent.
There is also general health insurance, which will cost more than the two above, but at the same time it will guarantee one hundred percent compensation of funds even in the event of a serious and really long illness. At the same time, there are different options for issuing such insurance. The contract can be drawn up in such a way that either the insured person himself or his relatives, in the event of the death of the latter, will receive compensation in full. On the other hand, you can apply for a "cut" version of general health insurance and independently determine the minimum threshold that will be paid by the insured person personally.
Do not assume that the firms providing such services do not have their own benefit at all. Quite often, contracts are drawn up in such a way that the insurance begins to operate only if a person applies to the exact medical institution that was prescribed in the terms of the contract, or exactly to the specialist whose name was indicated in the papers signed by the insured person. Otherwise, the insurance company will not reimburse a single cent of the amount spent on treatment.
There are also so-called additional types of insurance. Among them, for the guests of the country, the following options may be of greatest interest: hospital compensation insurance, which is designed for a certain period of time, namely for two months, while covering most of the possible hospital costs; insurance against a specific disease, which is designed for those people who know about their possible predisposition to specific types of diseases or about hereditary pathologies; long-term insurance, which is worth taking out if, already at the stage of preparation for a trip to the United States, the need for long-term and thorough treatment is no longer in doubt.
Insurance programs
There are currently three types of insurance programs in the United States. The "minimum" program is considered the basic one. Its main advantage is its relatively low cost with a fairly democratic list of insured events with which it works. This list includes not only the provision of first aid, both in the event of an exacerbation of a chronic disease, and in relation to possible accidents, but also transport services - transportation to the homeland of the person himself or his body, if the situation turns out to be very unfavorable.
A more complete list of risks is presented by the "economy" program. Of particular interest may be such an item as the possibility of a third party visiting the United States in a number of pre-agreed operations, as well as the possibility of receiving compensation if the return home becomes unplanned, that is, if the trip has to be suddenly interrupted.
The "classic" program is considered optimal for those visiting the United States as part of a tourist trip, which is a combined and in some respects extended version of the two above. These "extensions" include, for example, compensation for the cost of legal services or the costs associated with the car of the insured person.
How to act if an insured event occurs
The main thing that should be remembered if an insured event has occurred is that in no case should you contact any institution before directly coordinating your own actions with the assistant company. In this case, help will of course be provided, but the cost of this assistance will not be reimbursed!
Thus, the first step should be precisely contacting the assistant company and providing it with as much information as possible about what exactly happened.
In addition to a phone call, it is recommended to duplicate your appeal in writing to the email address that was indicated in the policy, of course, if there is such a possibility. It is worth making sure that the following information has been correctly indicated: the full name of the insured person, the policy number, the exact name of the insurance company, the most accurate data on the location (this is especially important in case of an accident somewhere outside the city or within the city, that does not always save the situation, since few people can quickly navigate in an unfamiliar place), as well as contact information that will allow an employee of the assistant company to contact the applicant at any time. You should also not neglect information about possible medical contraindications or allergic reactions to certain types of drugs - this information can cost your life!
After processing the current request, the assistant company will be able to provide the most complete information about which medical institution it is worth contacting, and in some cases to which specialist - some contracts imply the fulfillment of this condition. In the event that a medical facility is too far away, an assistant company will help with choosing a means of transportation, but all receipts or receipts that confirm the use of a particular mode of transport must be kept, otherwise this amount will not be reimbursed again.
Once in the medical institution itself, it is better to avoid paying for services or medicines, unless this was previously agreed with the assistant company, in the event that the purchase, for example, of certain medicines will be necessary, it is necessary to keep receipts or any other documents that can later confirm these costs.
