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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: There is a big difference in how the benefits are paid between both these plans. The prices also vary widely. Fixed benefit plans guarantee a certain amount for each eligible expense. This amount may not cover the actual expense. The insured will pay the difference between the amount paid by the insurance and the actual expense. Comprehensive plans have less uncertainty built into them. They provide coverage up to the maximum plan limit for covered expenses. Apart from the usual deductible and co insurance the insured will not have to pay anything extra.

2. Co insurance: It is the percentage of the covered medical expense that the insured must pay. For example if the plan has an 80/20 co insurance rate, the insurance plan pays 80% of the eligible expenses and the rest is paid by the insured. Premiums can vary widely depending on the co insurance of the plan. Sometimes the co insurance applies only up to a certain pre defined cumulative medical expense amount. Beyond that amount eligible expenses are covered 100%.

3. Deductible: This is the out pocket costs for the insured before the insurance benefits are available. The deductible amount is chosen by the insured while buying the plan. Choose a high deductible if you want lower plan costs and a lower deductible if you want to keep out of pocket costs for medical expenses lower.

4. Coverage for pre existing conditions: Pre existing conditions are usually not covered by visitor medical insurance plans. Pre existing conditions are defined differently by each insurance company. For the plan you are looking to purchase make sure you understand how they are defined. In some cases the definition includes only those medical conditions that the insured was aware of prior to the start of the plan and was receiving treatment or medication. Some other plans may have a broader classification to include all conditions that manifested prior to the start of the plan even if the insured was not aware of their existence.

5. Maximum coverage amount: This is also called policy maximum. It is the maximum amount the insurance company will pay for all the claims during the time period. A higher plan limit will have higher premiums.

You must shop around and compare prices for a visitor medical plan. Make sure you are not comparing apples and oranges. Talk to a professional with experience with visitor medical plans to get the coverage you need.