Travel Insurance for the USA: What Families Should Know Before Travelling

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For UK families planning a trip to the United States, travel insurance is not just a useful extra. It is one of the most important parts of the entire trip.

Healthcare in the US is private and extremely expensive compared with the UK or Europe. Even relatively minor medical treatment can cost thousands of US dollars, and hospital care can quickly become far more.

For parents travelling with children, having the right travel insurance is essential. This guide explains what families should realistically expect and how to choose the right policy before visiting the United States.

If you’re still planning the wider trip, our guide to How Much Does 2 Weeks in the USA Cost from the UK? explains what families should realistically budget for flights, accommodation, activities and car hire.

Should Families Visiting the USA Have Travel Insurance?

For most family trips, travel insurance for the United States should be considered essential.

Unlike many European destinations, the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) does not cover medical treatment in the US. Without insurance, travellers must pay the full cost of medical care themselves.

Typical healthcare costs in the United States can include:

• Emergency room visit: $1,000 – $3,000+

• Broken bone treatment: $5,000 – $10,000

• Hospital stays: $10,000+ per day

• Medical evacuation: $50,000+

These numbers explain why insurance providers often treat the United States as a separate, higher-cost region when pricing policies. For families travelling with children, this level of potential cost makes insurance a non-negotiable part of trip planning.

If you're preparing travel documents for a US trip, it’s also worth understanding entry requirements. Our guide to ESTA, Visas & Entry Rules for UK Families Visiting the USA explains what UK travellers need to arrange before departure.

What Parents Should Realistically Expect from Travel Insurance

Not all travel insurance policies are equal, especially for trips to the United States. When choosing a policy, parents should focus on a few key areas of cover.

Emergency Medical Cover

This is the most important part of a US travel insurance policy. Experts generally recommend at least £5 million in medical cover, although many policies offer £10 million or more for US travel.

This cover typically includes:

• emergency hospital treatment

• ambulance services

• specialist care

• emergency repatriation back to the UK

Without sufficient medical cover, families could face very significant bills.

Cancellation and Trip Disruption

Good travel insurance should also cover situations where a trip needs to be cancelled or cut short.

This may include:

• illness before departure

• family emergencies

• airline disruption

• severe weather events

For US trips where flights and accommodation can be expensive, cancellation cover protects the financial investment families have made in their holiday.

If flights are cancelled or significantly delayed, travel insurance can sometimes help cover additional costs such as accommodation or rebooking travel. However, passengers also have specific legal protections depending on the airline and route. Our guide Family Holiday Flight Cancelled? Your Rights, Compensation & How to Handle the Drama explains what families should do and when compensation may apply.

Cover for Activities

Many families visiting the United States include outdoor activities such as:

• hiking

• rafting

• zip lining

• water sports

Standard policies usually cover basic activities, but parents should check whether more adventurous experiences require additional coverage.

This is particularly important for trips that include outdoor adventure. On our own US trips we’ve done activities like rafting and zip lining in the Rockies, which we discuss in Colorado with Kids: Why It’s One of the Best States for Family Adventures.

If you’re planning a self-drive adventure, our guide to Driving in the USA: What Europeans Need to Know Before a Road Trip explains what UK drivers should expect on American roads.

How a School-Age Child Experiences Medical Care Abroad

Parents often focus on the financial risk of medical care in the US, but there is also a practical consideration.

If a child becomes ill or injured abroad, having insurance provides access to:

• hospital treatment without immediate financial concerns

• assistance lines that help coordinate care

• translation and support services if required

This can make a stressful situation far easier to manage. Fortunately, most family trips to the US never need to use their insurance. But when problems do occur, the difference between having cover and not having it can be significant.

We explain more about how the American healthcare system works in How Healthcare Works in America (And Why It Matters for Parents).

What Parents Should Check Before Buying Travel Insurance

When choosing travel insurance for a US trip, parents should carefully review the policy details.

Key things to check include:

Medical cover limits

Look for policies offering at least £5–10 million medical coverage for the USA.

Pre-existing medical conditions

Any existing medical conditions must be declared when purchasing insurance. Failure to declare them may invalidate the policy. We needed to add additional cover for my husband due to a history of kidney stones, as most travel insurance policies treat medical conditions from the previous two years as pre-existing. Given how high medical treatment costs can be in the United States, it felt sensible to declare this and add the extra cover. The additional cost was relatively small, and it provided reassurance that we would be properly covered if anything did happen during the trip.

Activity coverage

Check whether planned activities such as rafting, skiing, or water sports are included.

Excess levels

The excess is the amount you pay towards a claim. Lower excess levels can make claims easier for smaller medical issues.

Why Families Should Buy Insurance Early

Many travellers assume they only need travel insurance just before departure. In reality, buying insurance soon after booking the trip is often the better approach. This is because cancellation cover begins as soon as the policy starts. If illness or another unexpected issue forces a cancellation before the trip, early insurance can protect the cost of flights, hotels, and activities.

My parents were due to travel with us to India at Easter 2025, but unfortunately my stepdad became ill with a severe tooth infection and was unable to fly. Fortunately, many of their hotel bookings could be cancelled, and even their Air India flights turned out to be refundable, which we honestly hadn’t expected. However, there were still a few tours and activities that couldn’t be refunded. This is where their travel insurance really came into its own. The situation was completely unexpected and a reminder that health sometimes has to come first. Having insurance meant that those remaining costs were not completely lost, which provided real peace of mind at a stressful time.

Practical Planning Tip for Families

Many families find it helpful to store copies of key travel documents in one place, including:

• travel insurance policy details

• emergency contact numbers

• passport copies

• booking confirmations

Keeping these accessible on a phone or cloud storage can make dealing with unexpected issues much easier while travelling.

This is particularly helpful during long travel days or road trips, which we discuss in What to Pack for a Family Road Trip in America (From a UK Perspective).

A Travel Insurance Provider We Have Used

When comparing policies for trips to the United States, we have previously used Just Cover Travel for family travel insurance.

They specialise in policies that include high medical coverage, which is particularly important for travel to the US where healthcare costs can be very high. Their policies also allow families to tailor cover depending on the type of trip, whether that involves road trips, theme park visits, or outdoor activities.

One feature many parents find helpful is the ability to declare pre-existing medical conditions during the quote process, which helps ensure the policy remains valid if medical care is needed abroad.

As with any insurance provider, it is important to compare policies carefully and review the cover levels. Families travelling to the United States should prioritise policies that include:

• high medical cover limits

• emergency repatriation

• cancellation protection

• activity cover if planning outdoor experiences

Travel insurance is one area where choosing the right policy matters far more than finding the cheapest option.

Final Planning Insight for Parents

For families visiting the United States, travel insurance is one of the few areas of trip planning where cutting corners can carry real financial risk. The US offers incredible travel experiences, from national parks to theme parks and outdoor adventures. But the cost of medical care means that having the right insurance in place is essential. Choosing a well-structured policy before travelling allows families to focus on enjoying the trip, knowing they are protected if something unexpected happens.

It’s also worth thinking about how you protect your money while travelling. After experiencing card fraud ourselves during a trip, we now take extra precautions, which we explain in Credit Card Safety Abroad: How Mine Was Cloned Without Leaving My Sight (And How We Protect Our Money Now).

If you’re deciding whether the destination works well for children, our guide to Is the USA Good for School-Aged Children? explains why the country can be such a great option for family travel.

FAQ: Travel Insurance for Families Visiting the USA

Do UK families need travel insurance for the USA?

Yes. Travel insurance is strongly recommended for anyone visiting the United States. Medical treatment in the US is private and can be extremely expensive without insurance. Even a short hospital visit can cost thousands of dollars. For families travelling with children, having comprehensive travel insurance with high medical cover is essential.

How much medical cover do you need for travel to the USA?

Most experts recommend travel insurance policies with at least £5 million to £10 million in medical cover when travelling to the United States. Healthcare costs in the US are significantly higher than in most other destinations, so policies with higher medical limits provide better protection.

Does travel insurance cover children?

Yes. Most family travel insurance policies include children under the same policy as parents.

However, parents should still check:

• medical cover limits

• coverage for activities

• policy excess amounts

• any exclusions related to pre-existing conditions

Family policies often represent good value compared with individual policies.

When should you buy travel insurance for a US trip?

Travel insurance should ideally be purchased as soon as flights or accommodation are booked. This ensures cancellation cover is active if unexpected issues arise before the trip, such as illness or travel disruption.

Planning a Family Trip to the USA

If you’re planning a family trip to the United States, we’ve created a collection of practical guides based on our own experiences travelling there with a child. In our USA Travel Hub, you’ll find advice on everything from ESTA requirements and travel insurance to driving, healthcare and managing jet lag with kids, alongside destination guides for places we’ve explored including New York, Colorado, South Dakota and Florida. It’s a useful starting point for parents researching how to plan a smooth and enjoyable family trip to the USA.