Whether you're planning to explore Hawaii, show your family the Grand Canyon, or road trip down Route 66, you'll need to buy travel insurance.
Medical care in the US is expensive and Australia doesn't have a reciprocal agreement like we do with some other countries.
Some travel insurance policies also offer cover for if your travel is interrupted by civil unrest, a natural disaster, losing your passport and credit cards. Another benefit included in most policies is help paying car insurance excess or legal liability if you're involved in a prang.
We take you through how to choose a policy that could prevent your magical Disneyland holiday turning into a travel nightmare.
On this page:
- Do you need travel insurance for the US?
- How much does travel insurance for the US cost?
- Cheapest travel insurance for the US
- Best value travel insurance for the US
Do you need travel insurance for the US?
Travel insurance is essential for Australians travelling to the United States. It's best to buy your insurance at the same time as you book your trip so you'll be covered if you have to cancel for some reason before you go.
Medical costs in the US
Despite our countries' close relationship, there is no reciprocal healthcare agreement between Australia and the US.
Medical care in the States is expensive. If you need it, you could end up paying thousands of dollars, even for a minor issue. Payment may be required upfront for medical assistance, or you may be asked to show proof of insurance or your ability to pay before receiving treatment.
If you have a pre-existing condition, read the fine print of your policy to make sure you understand if you're covered in the event you need medical treatment for that condition while in the US.
Minor conditions are often covered if you haven't required treatment in the previous 12 months, but some insurers will only cover pre-existing conditions for an extra fee and pending a medical assessment. For these reasons, it's vital to read your PDS before taking out a policy.
Travel insurance policies also tend to cover personal liability and sometimes legal expenses, which may be useful if you end up being liable for someone else's medical costs.
Hiring a car
What better way to see the US than driving between destinations in a big American car?
Many travel insurance policies cover collision damage excess cover, so you don't need to pay the insurance excess reduction that the car hire company charges.
If the car hire company hits you up for damage, you'll need to pay that to the car hire company, and then claim it back on your travel insurance.
Natural disasters
Due to the large size and diversity of the US landscape, the natural disasters you could face while travelling could vary, from tornadoes to blizzards and more recently, wildfires.
Thankfully, cover for natural disasters is pretty common in travel insurance policies, but it's still important to research possible dangers in the areas you're travelling to, follow government travel warnings, and read your travel insurance product disclosure statement (PDS) to make sure you're covered for medical treatment and travel cancellation for natural disasters.
How much does travel insurance for the US cost?
For a 2-week trip a single person will pay on average about $235, a couple about $445, and a family around $535.
The length of your trip, how comprehensive your cover is, your age, how far in advance you buy your policy and how much excess you're willing to pay will all affect the price of your travel insurance policy.
We looked at more than 400 varied quotes for 14-day holidays, which we used to calculate the estimates above. These are from our database of 30,000-plus quotes for a huge range of scenarios, that help us work out the both the cheapest insurance policies for a US holiday and those that provide the best cover, detailed below.
Cheapest travel insurance for the US
These policies only provide medical cover and cover for medical repatriation. They don't provide cover for things like cancellation costs, lost baggage or missed connections.
Southern Cross Travel Insurance Medical Only – Price score for US travel: 99%
Insure4Less Medical Only – Price score for US travel: 94%
1Cover Medical Only – Price score for US travel: 94%
Best value travel insurance for the US
Exclusively for CHOICE members, we've listed the best value travel insurance policies for travelling to the US.
If you're not yet a member, join CHOICE to see the top-rated policies for travelling to the United States.
Things to keep in mind
- Buy your travel insurance as soon as you start booking your holiday – that way you're covered, even if you have to cancel early.
- If you're going skiing or snowboarding, or doing any other adventure sports, make sure you're covered.
- If you're hiring a car, look at the excess cover for car hire.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
