Health insurance in the United States
Before you leave for the United States, have you considered taking out appropriate health insurance?
Are you planning to relocate, study, do an internship or simply take a vacation in the United States? In all these situations, take out international health insurance for yourself and your loved ones. The United States, with its high medical costs, can pose a significant financial risk in the event of illness or accident. With the right insurance, you can leave with peace of mind, protected against unforeseen financial, medical and legal contingencies. Our health insurance policies specially designed for the USA cover a wide range of expenses, including repatriation, hospital costs, third-party liability and other emergency medical costs.
Student insurance
United States
The insurance that covers your stay for your studies in the United States.
Starting from
27€
- Worldwide coverage
- Maximum age: 35
- Covers emergencies and accidents
- Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
- Up to €250,000 per year
- Standard dental and optical expenses up to €550
- Contraception coverage + vaccines
- Maternity care
- Covers pre-existing conditions
- Repatriation assistance
- Civil liability
- Individual protection
Expatriate insurance
United States
International health insurance to cover your expatriation to the USA.
Starting from
93€
- Worldwide coverage
- Minimum age: 14
- Maximum age: 65
- Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
- Up to €1,500,000 per year
- Maternity coverage up to €4,000
- Coverage of assisted reproduction up to €1,500
- Covers pre-existing conditions
- Coverage of pharmaceutical expenses up to €370
- Optional dental and optical care
- Maternity plus option
- Prevention and well-being as an option
- Optional repatriation assistance
- Optional third-party liability
Travel insurance
United States
Health insurance to cover your trip to the USA.
Starting from
30€
- Worldwide coverage
- Maximum age: 85
- Covers emergencies and accidents
- Up to €500,000 per trip
- Covers loss, theft or destruction of luggage
- Repatriation assistance
- Travel assistance
- Civil liability
Any questions? Need advice?
Information on health insurance in the USA
Political system: Bicameral presidential federal republic
Capital: Washington DC
Surface area: 9,363,123 km²
Population: 329 million
Languages spoken : English, Spanish
Currency: US Dollar
The U.S. healthcare system
The American healthcare system is the most expensive in the world. On average, it accounts for almost 15% of an American household’s budget. A medical consultation can sometimes cost several hundred dollars, and medical operations can cost staggering amounts. Patients often end up paying 6-figure sums to be admitted to hospital. There is no compulsory health insurance in the United States. As a result, many citizens are uninsured and hope never to have to undergo a medical operation.
How does the US healthcare system work?
The U.S. healthcare system is financed by non-mandatory private insurance companies and two main federal programs that target only a portion of the population:
- Medicare, which covers the over-65s and people with specific illnesses. In particular, kidney disease requiring dialysis.
- Medicaid, which covers the poorest 20% of the American population.
The cost of medical care in the United States is extremely high, and a large majority of the population cannot afford it. That’s why, in 2014, Obama introduced the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare or “the Affordable Care Act”, which is a major reform of the American healthcare system. This law requires all citizens to purchase health insurance from a private insurer on the Healthcare.gov website. The government regulates an insurance market and provides financial assistance to enable 32 million Americans to obtain health coverage. A policy based on an egalitarian redistribution of public funding between precarious and healthy populations, to cover as many people as possible.
Are expatriates subject to the Affordable Care Act?
Knowing that expatriate status is very specific and that President Trump has signed an executive order restricting the conditions of application of the Affordable Care Act – ACA.
Expatriates are covered by the ACA if they live in the U.S. for more than 12 months, or if they hold a greencard. They must have health insurance. This doesn’t mean they have to take out local American insurance, as there are many exemptions. Don’t forget to take out health insurance for the USA. If you work for a company with more than 50 employees, you will probably be obliged to take out company medical insurance, which is compulsory for all employees.
How do I consult a general practitioner or specialist in the USA?
Consulting a general practitioner or specialist in the United States is extremely simple. If you benefit from a network of practitioners, as you do with GoldExpat insurance, you can visit our practitioner locator site. Otherwise, there are many applications that put you in touch with medical practitioners based on your geographical location. You will also be given the doctor’s recommendation level if you are unsure.
To see a doctor, you can also book a consultation at a hospital or clinic.
- Consultation with a general practitioner: $120 to $230
- Consultation with a specialist: $300
- Consultation with a pediatrician: $200
- Consultation with a gynecologist: $125
- 325 mg blister pack of tylenol (paracetamol equivalent): $14
- Diabetes-related drugs: $500 to several thousand USD/year
Pediatric service in the United States
The average cost of a visit to a pediatrician if you are not yet insured is about $150. If your child is a newborn and the pediatrician comes to your home frequently to make sure his or her growth is going well, you could be looking at fees of up to $3000 a year.
Paramedical care in the United States
Paramedical care (physiotherapy, chiropody, etc.) in the United States may be covered by private insurance. This is highly recommended, given the high cost of consultations. Booking a consultation with a physiotherapist can be done online. There are many physiotherapists who have websites where you can book a consultation, which can take place in their practice or online.
A consultation with a physiotherapist costs between $75 and $350, and a training session costs $225. GoldExpat insurance allows you to benefit from a medical network in the USA offering reductions of over 50% on this type of expense.
What is the average cost of medical operations in the United States?
- Uncomplicated maternity: $25,000
- Appendicitis surgery: $15,000
- Covid-19 treatment: $73,000
- MRI: $1000 to $5000
- Coronary bypass surgery: $75,000
- Knee replacement: $25,000
- Standard dental examination: $50 to $200
- Dental extraction: $50 to $900
- Dental implant: $1000 to $3000
- Caesarean section: +$15,000
- Cataract surgery: +$3000
- Root canal treatment: $300 to $2000
- Tonsil surgery: $4000 to $8000
- Gallbladder surgery: $10,000
A dental appointment can also be very expensive in the United States. While a simple dental consultation costs $50, a dental extraction costs an average of $280.
How much does hospitalization cost in the United States?
On average, a night in hospital costs at least $10000. However, if your hospitalization requires intensive care, the bill is likely to be much higher. Hospital prices are very high, because insurance companies negotiate individual prices with hospitals. What’s more, insurers don’t offer discounts on drugs. In other countries, on the other hand, organizations negotiate prices with hospitals and drug manufacturers.
- MRI: $1000 to $5000
- Blood tests: $100 to $3000
- X-ray: $150 to $3000
Healthcare networks in the United States
In the United States, private insurance companies dominate the market. Many private insurers have direct partnerships with healthcare networks. Sometimes these insurance companies and healthcare networks are the same entity. California’s “Kaiser Permanente” healthcare network is one of the largest, if not the largest, in the USA, with more than 38 hospitals, over 622 policlinics and other outpatient facilities. The network has over 18,000 doctors and 180,000 employees, including 50,000 nurses. These care networks enable policyholders and insurers to reduce the cost of care if policyholders only consult healthcare staff from the same network.
One criterion for choosing health insurance in the USA is the medical care network with which it is affiliated. Our insurances allow you to benefit from negotiated hospital rates from the best healthcare networks. With our expatriate insurance, you have access to over 690,000 medical practitioners, 6,700 hospitals and 68,000 pharmacies.
The Emergency Department in the United States
If you’re looking to contact the emergency service, be aware that calling an ambulance comes at a price (between $400 and $1200 and $2000 to $200,000 for a rescue helicopter). Ambulances, like most of the American healthcare system, are privately owned, so their service comes at a cost. There are two types of emergency services:
- Urgent Care: emergency service designed to deal with everyday accidents such as sprains, angina, etc. This emergency service is much cheaper than the second.
- Emergency Room: this emergency service is designed to deal with serious accidents and extreme situations where the victim’s life may depend on it. There’s no waiting, but the cost of this emergency service is very high.
- In many cases, you can find a “health center” in the USA through an official website that locates the nearest center so you can be taken care of quickly in the case of “simple”, non-extreme emergencies.
Finally, please note that the emergency number in the United States is 911.
Pregnancy and childbirth in the United States
First of all, the cost of maternity care in the U.S. is extremely high, up to $60000 for the entire maternity ward. You can choose the gynecologist who will accompany you throughout your pregnancy, which will determine which hospital you will be assigned to. When you give birth, you’ll have 3 options: at the hospital, at the “birthing center” where midwives and coaches will accompany you during the birth. Finally, you can decide to give birth at home, with midwives coming to your home.
- Price of an ultrasound scan : $1000
- Price of an MRI : between $1000 and $5000
Do I need health insurance in the United States?
If you are an expatriate, or plan to expatriate to the U.S., take out international health insurance. Medical costs in the United States are exorbitant. Taking out international health insurance means you won’t go broke the first time you need major medical treatment.
What’s more, French social security will only cover you for the first 6 months, or even the first 3 months. Coverage will be at the same level as in France, i.e. much lower than in the United States.
Which health insurance for the United States?
Mondassur recommends that you take out international health insurance as soon as you leave for the United States. We recommendGoldExpat U.S. insurance , which is perfectly suited to your needs:
- It covers 100% of actual hospital costs. You need to be 100% insured, as American medical costs are among the highest in the world.
- Coverage of 90% or 80% of your routine medical expenses, depending on the plan you choose. Like hospitalization costs, it is essential to be covered for routine medical expenses in the United States. A simple consultation with a general practitioner can cost upwards of $200. If you or a member of your family falls ill, these expenses will quickly become a significant cost.
- Third-party liability coverage, meaning that in addition to being insured, you’ll also be covered in the event of unintentional damage to others.
- Repatriation cover ensures that you are covered in the event of repatriation for medical reasons or death in the family. Indeed, the cost of flights to the U.S. is not insignificant, which is why this coverage is necessary.
Finally, don’t waste any time, get a free quote on our website and/or contact us by e-mail or telephone for more precise information depending on your situation.
Find out more about health insurance in the United States
- Visas and Health in the United States
- Travel and Insurance in the United States
- Living in the United States and Expatriate Insurance
- How to study in the USA
- The United States: top destination for learning English
- Travelling to the United States: the compulsory ESTA tax
- Formalities for traveling to the United States
