No one wants to imagine something terrible happening on vacation — but you also don’t want to be unprepared if disaster strikes. From lost luggage to medical emergencies, lots of things can go wrong (and cost you a lot of money) while traveling.
This is where travel insurance comes in handy. This type of insurance covers unexpected events like trip cancellations, medical emergencies, or lost baggage.
If you are on the hunt for travel insurance, a third-party marketplace like VisitorsCoverage can make it easier to compare your options (and you have plenty of options). You can receive travel insurance quotes, compare plans, and buy a policy in just a few minutes.
Quick Facts: VisitorsCoverage
- It's an insurance broker, not an insurer, and allows you to compare quotes in one place.
- Wide range of options, including niche insurance for things like adventure sports and pre-existing conditions, as well as for immigrants and visitors to the U.S.
- Travelers in 176 countries can find coverage.
- You will file claims with the travel insurance provider you choose, not VisitorsCoverage.
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Overview of VisitorsCoverage Insurance
VisitorsCoverage acts as an insurance broker for different travel insurance providers. This makes it easy for you to get quotes from a variety of insurers all in one place.
VisitorsCoverage says they have connected over one million customers in 176 countries with travel insurance plans. They advertise a 98% customer satisfaction rating and have strong TrustPilot reviews.
Pros
- Available to U.S. and non-U.S. citizens
- Works with reliable insurance partners
- Serves a wide variety of countries
Cons
- Limited prescription drug coverage
- So many options can be overwhelming
- Is a third-party site, not an actual travel insurance provider
VisitorsCoverage Insurance Products
Because VisitorsCoverage works with so many different travel insurance providers, you can find a lot of different coverage types.
- Trip insurance: This is for U.S. residents and provides financial protection for travel-related incidents like emergency medical evacuations, trip cancellations or interruptions, or lost or delayed baggage.
- Cancel-for-any-reason insurance: Afraid you might need to cancel your trip? You can recoup prepaid travel expenses with this policy. (Available to U.S. residents only.)
- AD&D insurance: For travelers and their families in the event of death or dismemberment.
- Pre-existing condition insurance: Travelers with pre-existing conditions may need special coverage.
- Medical evacuation insurance: If you incur expenses related to an immediate evacuation.
- Group travel insurance: For groups of five or more travelers.
There are also policies specific to where you’re traveling and why you’re traveling. For example, destination-based policy options include:
- Europe/Schengen insurance: For when you travel to one or more of the 27 European countries that make up the Schengen Area.
- Multi-trip insurance: To insure multiple trips at once.
- Cruise insurance: For protection during cruise travel.
- Worldwide health insurance: Medical coverage for expats or nomads living outside of their home country for an extended period.
Travel purpose-based policy options include:
- Business travel insurance: For business travelers who need medical coverage.
- Missionary insurance: If you need insurance when working as a missionary anywhere around the world.
- International student health insurance: If you’re studying abroad, this coverage can help in case of medical events.
- Adventure sports insurance: For trips that include risky activities not covered by typical travel policies, like mountain biking, bungee jumping, skydiving, and scuba diving.
- Kidnapping and ransom insurance: For financial protection and negotiation support if you travel to kidnap-prone areas or are a high-profile figure.
VisitorsCoverage also offers visitors insurance for people coming to the U.S. These insurance options include:
- Green Card insurance: Medical coverage for U.S. Green Card holders who spend half their time in another country and are currently visiting the U.S. for a short period.
- Immigrant insurance: For immigrants to the U.S. who have not yet established permanent residency to obtain domestic health insurance.
- Visitors insurance: For foreign short-term visitors to the U.S.
- OPT student health insurance: Coverage for students visiting the U.S. on an Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa.
- J1 visa insurance: This policy protects travelers like students, au-pairs, and exchange visitors.
Requesting Quotes
To request quotes with VisitorsCoverage, all you have to do is choose the policy type you desire and select a travel destination.
After that, you will give some detailed information about you and any fellow travelers you want to insure, as well as your trip plans (like how much you spent on non-refundable bookings).
Finally, you will choose the dates you need coverage for and then you will receive a range of quotes to sift through.
Buying a Plan
Once you are ready to buy an insurance plan, you need to have the following information ready to go:
- Names of travelers
- Dates of birth
- Home addresses
- Coverage duration
- Valid credit card
You can buy the plan directly through VisitorsCoverage, which acts as the intermediary between you and the insurer.
How to File a Claim
Ideally, nothing will go wrong on your trip and you won’t ever have to file a claim.
But if you do need to, it’s important to remember VisitorsCoverage isn’t the actual insurance company. This means your claims are processed by the provider rather than by VisitorsCoverage.
That said, the VisitorsCoverage customer service team can help you out if you run into any issues. You can access customer support through the VisitorsCoverage website and the team will help you figure out which documents you need to file your claim. They can also reach out to the provider on your behalf.
If your claim is delayed or denied, VisitorsCoverage can follow up with the provider for you or explain to you why your claim was denied. They can also help you appeal to the provider if you disagree with the decision.
Note that all travel insurance providers have their own unique claims processes. Before you decide to buy a policy, it can be a good idea to learn more about how the company processes claims so you aren’t hit with any surprises in the future.
READ MORE: Flight Delay Compensation: What You’re Entitled to and How to Get it
What We Like About VisitorsCoverage
VisitorsCoverage has a lot of insurance options, for pretty much every travel circumstance you can think of. We like that it doesn’t only cover U.S. travelers going abroad, but can also help visitors coming here, like students and foreign workers.
We also like that it’s fast and easy to use — just input a few details about your destination and how much you paid for your trip, and you’ll be given a ton of options in just a few seconds.
Finally, we like that even though it’s a third-party provider, the team at VisitorsCoverage will help you through the claims process. They’ll even help you file an appeal if you’re denied and disagree with the decision.
What We Dislike About VisitorsCoverage
The downside of VisitorsCoverage is that your claim isn’t filed directly with them, but with the insurance provider you choose. Remember, VisitorsCoverage is a marketplace, not a provider.
This means that the decision whether to approve or deny a claim will be made by the provider — and each provider has their own process for reviewing claims.
While VisitorsCoverage can help you navigate the claims process, you may still need to do some additional research to make sure the insurer you go with has good customer service and makes it easy to file a claim.
Who Should Use VisitorsCoverage?
If you want to compare a handful of different quotes from travel insurance companies, you can likely benefit from using VisitorsCoverage.
This tool can help streamline your research — making it faster to search for the right insurance provider while helping you save money, since you can compare so many different quotes at once.
Who Shouldn’t Use VisitorsCoverage?
If you want to do very thorough research, you may want to skip using VisitorsCoverage. The platform doesn’t connect you with every single travel insurance company on the market.
You also may have had a good experience with a specific travel insurance provider in the past that you want to use and may not feel the need to compare costs.
Before buying travel insurance, check what type of insurance coverage your credit card offers. If you have a good travel credit card, you may have pretty robust coverage from the credit card issuer — as long as you booked your trip using the card.
However, you may still want to supplement this coverage with an independent policy if you aren’t confident your credit card policy covers your bases.
Alternatives to VisitorsCoverage
You have several other online travel insurance brokers you can choose to work with aside from VisitorsCoverage. Here’s how they compare.
VisitorsCoverage vs. InsureMyTrip
Both VisitorsCoverage and InsureMyTrip function in the same way and both offer a lowest-price guarantee. They both also make it easy to shop for insurance coverage based on your specific travel destination,
InsureMyTrip offers a smaller amount of plan options, but they do have the main plan types that most travelers are looking for. VisitorsCoverage is the better fit for very niche coverage like insurance for immigrants, Green Card holders, or other visitors to the U.S.
VisitorsCoverage vs. SquareMouth
SquareMouth is another comparison site that lets you browse rates from several insurance companies.
Their three-step process requires entering in a bit of info about yourself and your trip and then you can review your quotes from there.
One benefit of going with SquareMouth is they have a “zero-complaint guarantee.” Like VisitorsCoverage, they can also mediate with the travel insurance provider on your behalf if something goes wrong.
VisitorsCoverage vs. Insubuy
Insubuy is perhaps the most comparable to VisitorsCoverage, as it’s a marketplace offering visitors insurance for people coming to the U.S., as well as travel insurance for U.S.-based travelers.
There is a wide range of options on Insubuy, including new immigrants, temporary workers, fiancés, and exchange visitors. Like VisitorsCoverage, they also offer extremely niche insurance options, like kidnap and ransom insurance and hazardous sports insurance.
The pricing is comparable and the claims process is the same — with both companies, you’ll need to go to the insurer rather than through the marketplace if you need to file a claim.
FAQs
Is VisitorsCoverage legit?
Yes, VisitorsCoverage is a legitimate travel insurance marketplace, and all plans offered on the website are legally licensed in every U.S. state.
The company says they only work with insurers that have a strong reputation, and most of the insurers on VisitorsCoverage are members of the Better Business Bureau.
Is visitor insurance mandatory to come to the U.S.?
No, a visitor does not need to have insurance to visit the U.S., although it is a good idea. If someone is coming for a long time, such as to study or to work with a Green Card, their regular travel insurance may not cover them.
The VisitorsCoverage marketplace includes insurance policies for niche circumstances that may not be available from all insurers.
The Bottom Line
It’s a good idea to always have travel insurance when you travel. If your credit card doesn’t offer it or only has limited coverage, see what else is out there. Sites like VisitorsCoverage let you compare multiple quotes at once, although if you already know of an insurer you like, you don’t necessarily have to shop around.
Travel is already expensive. But if something goes wrong and you’re not insured, you could be out a lot more money than just your plane ticket.
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During college, Jacqueline DeMarco interned at a retirement plan advisory firm and was tasked with creating a presentation on the importance of financial wellness. During her research into how money can affect our health, relationships, and careers, Jacqueline realized just how important financial education is. Today, Jacqueline has worked with more than two dozen financial brands and publications, including LendingTree, Capital One, Charles Schwab, Credit Karma, Chime, Bankrate, Investopedia, SoFi, and Northwestern Mutual, giving readers insight into complex topics that they likely didn’t learn in school.