Safe Travels USA Comprehensive is a travel medical insurance plan for non-U.S. citizens visiting the United States. It offers policy maximums from $20,000 up to $1,000,000, flexible deductibles from $0 to $5,000, and pays 100% of eligible costs up to your selected maximum. Standout benefits include emergency medical evacuation up to $1,000,000, coverage for the acute onset of pre-existing conditions, repatriation, and emergency reunion. Coverage runs from 5 days up to 364 days, and it’s available to travelers up to age 89. Underwritten by Zurich Insurance Europe AG and administered by Trawick International, it’s a reliable, mid-range choice for visitors.
A visit to the United States can turn expensive fast if you get sick or hurt. U.S. healthcare ranks among the priciest in the world, and your home health plan almost never follows you across the border. That leaves visitors exposed to bills that can climb into the tens of thousands of dollars. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive was built to close that gap.
This guide walks you through everything the plan covers, in plain language. You’ll learn who qualifies, how the medical benefits work, which special coverages set it apart, what’s excluded, and the eligibility and extension rules you need to follow. By the end, you’ll know whether this plan fits your trip—and how to compare it in minutes.
What is Safe Travels USA Comprehensive and who is it for?
Safe Travels USA Comprehensive is a travel medical insurance plan designed for non-U.S. citizens who live outside the United States and are traveling to visit the USA. It covers sudden illness and injury during your trip, giving you percentage-based protection up to a maximum you choose.
The plan is underwritten by Zurich Insurance Europe AG (Belgian branch) and administered by Trawick International—a well-established name in visitor coverage. If your itinerary includes other countries alongside the U.S., you must arrive in the United States first before traveling onward.
Who benefits most from this plan
This plan suits a wide range of visitors heading to the U.S.:
- Parents and relatives visiting family in the United States
- Tourists and vacationers wanting protection from surprise medical bills
- Business travelers on short or extended trips
- Longer-stay visitors who need coverage for several months
Because it’s a comprehensive plan, it pays a percentage of your real medical costs up to a high maximum. That structure handles major emergencies far better than budget fixed-benefit plans, which pay only small set amounts per service. If you want to understand that difference before you decide, our guide on the common mistakes when buying visitors insurance is a helpful read.
Eligibility rules: do you qualify?
Before diving into benefits, it’s worth confirming you can actually buy the plan. The eligibility rules are simple, but each one matters.
To qualify, you must:
- Be a non-U.S. citizen residing outside the USA
- Be traveling outside your home country to visit the United States
- Be under age 90 (the plan is not available to anyone age 90 or above)
- Not have resided in the U.S. for more than 365 days before your effective date
If your trip combines the U.S. with other destinations, remember you must enter the United States before traveling elsewhere. This plan is built for temporary visitors, not for people establishing long-term U.S. residency.
Core medical benefits: what the plan pays
The heart of Safe Travels USA Comprehensive is its flexible, percentage-based coverage. You choose your policy maximum and deductible, then the plan pays your covered costs up to that limit.
Policy maximum options
Your policy maximum is the total amount the plan will pay for covered care during your period of insurance. You can select from a wide range:
$20,000, $50,000, $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, or $1,000,000
A higher maximum offers a bigger safety net against a catastrophic bill. If you’re worried about a serious accident or a lengthy hospital stay, leaning toward a higher limit brings real peace of mind.
Deductible options
The deductible is what you pay out of pocket before coverage kicks in. This plan gives you eight levels to choose from:
$0, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000 per period of insurance.
A higher deductible lowers your premium but raises your cost per claim. A lower deductible costs more upfront but cushions you when a bill arrives. Pick the level that matches your budget and how much risk you’re comfortable carrying.
Coinsurance: 100% coverage
Here’s where the plan shines. Coinsurance is 100% up to your selected medical maximum, meaning after you pay your deductible, the plan covers your eligible expenses in full up to your chosen limit. There’s no percentage split leaving you on the hook for a share of every bill.
What’s covered day to day
The plan handles both major and everyday medical needs:
- Inpatient care — hospital room and board up to the average semi-private room rate, with intensive care covered up to three times that rate
- Physician surgical treatment — covered as part of your care
- Outpatient care — physician visits plus diagnostic X-rays and lab work
- Physiotherapy, physical medicine, and chiropractic — limited to $50 per visit, one visit per day, up to a maximum of 10 visits per period of insurance (must be prescribed)
- Urgent care — with a $30 copay (waived if your deductible is $0)
- Prescription drugs — covered up to the plan maximum for limits up to $250,000, or capped at $250,000 for the $500,000 and $1,000,000 limits
One detail to watch: an emergency room visit for sickness that doesn’t result in direct hospital admission carries an additional $200 deductible. Prescription coverage is limited to a 90-day supply and won’t replace lost, stolen, or expired medication.
Acute onset of pre-existing conditions
This is one of the plan’s most important features. Standard travel medical plans usually exclude pre-existing conditions entirely, but Safe Travels USA Comprehensive covers the acute onset—a sudden, unexpected flare-up of a condition you already had.
How the coverage works
An acute onset event is a sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence that’s short in duration, rapidly progressive, and needs urgent care. To qualify:
- The event must occur at least 48 hours after your effective date
- Treatment must be sought within 24 hours of the onset
- The condition must have been stabilized for at least 30 days before your effective date
The coverage limits by age
The amount covered depends on your age:
- Ages up to 64: covered up to $20,000
- Age 65 and older: the acute onset maximum reduces to $10,000
- Depending on the plan terms, coverage may extend up to your purchased medical maximum for younger travelers, with a $35,000 cap for those age 70 and older
Because the rules and limits shift with age, read your policy terms closely. For a fuller picture of how pre-existing coverage works across different plans, see our guide on travel medical insurance for pre-existing conditions.
Special coverages that set the plan apart
Beyond everyday medical care, Safe Travels USA Comprehensive includes several benefits that prove their value in a real crisis. Most require advance approval and coordination by the company, so always call the assistance team before arranging anything.
Emergency medical evacuation up to $1,000,000
Medical evacuation is often the single most expensive event in a health crisis abroad. An air ambulance can easily top $100,000, and long-distance transport climbs higher.
This plan covers emergency medical evacuation 100% up to $1,000,000 per period of insurance. Note that evacuation tied to an acute onset of a pre-existing condition is limited to $25,000. All evacuations require pre-approval and coordination by the company.
Medically necessary repatriation
If you need to be returned home for continued treatment, the plan covers medically necessary repatriation 100% up to $15,000. Like evacuation, this benefit must be arranged and approved in advance.
Return of mortal remains and local burial
In the event of death abroad, the plan covers the return of mortal remains up to $50,000 to your home country. Alternatively, local burial or cremation is covered up to $5,000—but if you choose local burial, the return of mortal remains benefit no longer applies. Both require advance approval.
Emergency reunion
If you’re hospitalized far from loved ones, the emergency reunion benefit covers up to $15,000 per period of insurance. This lets a relative or friend travel to be at your side for a maximum of 10 days, including travel days, subject to prior recommendation and approval by the company.
Coverage duration and extension rules
The plan offers flexible trip lengths to match different visits.
- Minimum: 5 days
- Maximum: 364 days
Need more time while you’re abroad? You can extend your coverage—but a few rules apply:
- Your policy must have been initially purchased for at least 5 days to be eligible
- Extensions can be bought at the current premium rate for a minimum of 5 days, up to a total maximum of 364 days
- There is no grace period
That last point is critical. If your coverage lapses, you can’t simply pick up where you left off. You must reapply, and when you do, your pre-existing condition exclusions, deductible, and coinsurance all start over. Plan your extensions before your current coverage ends to avoid losing the ground you’ve already covered.
Key exclusions you need to know
No travel medical plan covers everything, and understanding the exclusions protects you from a surprise denial at claim time. While your policy document lists the full details, common exclusions on plans like this typically include:
- Pre-existing conditions — except under the acute onset provision described above
- Routine and preventive care — such as physical exams and immunizations
- Elective and cosmetic procedures — non-emergency treatments you choose to have
- Maternity and newborn care — including normal pregnancy and childbirth
- Mental health and substance-related claims — including injuries sustained under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- High-risk and adventure sports — activities the insurer considers dangerous
- Injuries from war, terrorism, or civil unrest
- Care that isn’t medically necessary or that exceeds usual and customary costs
Because the exact wording decides whether a claim is paid, always read the exclusions section of your certificate before you buy. If your trip includes anything adventurous, confirm your specific activity is covered rather than assuming it is.
A quick example: how the plan works
Picture Anita, a 60-year-old visiting her son in the United States. She selects a $500,000 maximum with a $250 deductible.
Midway through her trip, she develops severe chest pain and needs emergency care and a short hospital stay. The bill comes to $45,000. Anita pays her $250 deductible, and because coinsurance is 100% up to her selected maximum, the plan covers the remaining eligible costs in full—well within her $500,000 limit.
Instead of facing a $45,000 debt far from home, Anita’s out-of-pocket cost stays at $250. That’s the power of comprehensive, percentage-based coverage.
Is Safe Travels USA Comprehensive right for you?
This plan is a strong fit if you’re a non-U.S. citizen under age 90 visiting the United States and you want dependable, flexible coverage. Its wide range of maximums and deductibles lets you tailor protection to your budget, while 100% coinsurance and a $1,000,000 evacuation benefit deliver real security when it counts.
Keep these takeaways in mind:
- Choose your maximum and deductible to balance premium against protection.
- Coinsurance is 100% up to your selected maximum after the deductible.
- Acute onset coverage offers limited pre-existing condition protection—check the age-based limits.
- Extend before your coverage lapses, since there’s no grace period.
- Read the exclusions so you know exactly what’s covered.
Compare and get covered before your trip
A medical emergency shouldn’t turn a memorable visit into a financial nightmare. Safe Travels USA Comprehensive gives you flexible, reliable protection—wide-ranging limits, 100% coinsurance, generous evacuation coverage, and acute onset benefits—all wrapped into one visitor-friendly plan.
The best time to lock in coverage is before you depart, while your plans are still coming together. Compare Safe Travels USA Comprehensive alongside other options on Visitors Guru today, review the details against your trip and health, and choose the maximum and deductible that fit you best. Protect your health and your wallet, so you can focus on enjoying your time in the United States.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for Safe Travels USA Comprehensive?
The plan is for non-U.S. citizens residing outside the United States who are traveling to visit the USA. You must be under age 90 and cannot have resided in the U.S. for more than 365 days before your effective date. If combining the U.S. with other countries, you must arrive in the United States first.
How much coverage can I choose?
You can select a policy maximum of $20,000, $50,000, $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, or $1,000,000 per period of insurance. Deductibles range from $0 up to $5,000. Coinsurance is 100% up to your selected maximum, so after your deductible, the plan covers eligible expenses in full up to that limit.
Does the plan cover pre-existing conditions?
It covers the acute onset of a pre-existing condition—a sudden, unexpected flare-up. The event must occur at least 48 hours after your effective date, treatment must be sought within 24 hours, and the condition must have been stable for 30 days beforehand. Limits are $20,000 for ages up to 64 and $10,000 for age 65 and older, with age-based caps applying.
Can I extend my coverage?
Yes, if your policy was initially purchased for at least 5 days. Extensions run from a minimum of 5 days up to a total maximum of 364 days at the current premium rate. There’s no grace period, so if coverage lapses, you must reapply and your deductible, coinsurance, and pre-existing exclusions start over.
What happens if I visit the emergency room for an illness?
An emergency room visit for sickness that doesn’t result in direct hospital admission carries an additional $200 deductible. If the ER visit leads to a hospital admission, that extra deductible doesn’t apply. Urgent care clinic visits have a smaller $30 copay, which is waived if your deductible is $0.