CoverAmerica Gold Review – Are Customers Happy? (The Truth)

August 27, 2022

Choosing a travel insurance plan before your trip is confusing – admit it. I mean, look at all the different options out there.

Limited coverage, comprehensive coverage, covering pre-existing conditions, PPO network or otherwise…one is sure to get intimidated by all the options that get thrown at you. But worry not.

Tip: Don't forget insurance. Check out the best plans here.

I’ve been keeping track of some of the best travel insurance plans out there, comparing and recommending them to my friends who are visiting the USA. (Even tips on how to choose a good plan).

Still, many email me or ask in the WhatsApp groups (we have an NRI group) about which plan to go for. Most of the time, they’re looking for a travel insurance plan for their parents or relatives/friends who are visiting the US.

My recommendation to them is to go with Atlas America or Patriot America Plus which is one of the best travel insurance plans for visitors to US.

But one plan, that people want to know the truth about is CoverAmerica Gold. There is way too much information (and misinformation) about it.

Let us find out the truth today.

So, this plan was launched on December 5th, 2017 as an exclusive plan by VisitorsCoverage, a travel insurance company.

I had seen the press release by this company and after reading it, was very impressed. It looked great, and appeared to be the best plan there could have been. I wrote this blog post praising about it.

Until one day I got an email from the company mentioning that there were changes being made to the plan. Here is the email.

So essentially, this plan changed under the hood on two main points.

The underwriters changed to “Crum & Forster” from “Lloyd’s of London”.
Price increased for age groups 50+ (this was the group this plan appealed to)

After a few months, I got another email. Guess what? There were more changes.

Urgent Care Co-pay changed to $25 (from $30) for $50,000 policy maximum.
Border entry protection changed from $400 to $550

This plan was launched as an exclusive plan from VisitorsCoverage in collaboration with SevenCorners.

I checked with SevenCorners and their representative said that they are unsure if this plan still exists. And they recommended another plan, directly from them. Here’s the email.

(Update: This was probably because this plan was not sold through SevenCorners)

At this point, it looks like something is going on with this plan. It sure looked amazing on paper, when it was launched first.

But things have sure changed since. And I read some reviews about CoverAmerica Gold, which were concerning.

And to this day I get emails from folks asking about why I talked so highly about this plan when clearly Patriot America Plus and Atlas America, were better planned.

Look at this thread on Quora, where CoverAmerica Gold and Atlas America are compared.

According to the most upvoted answer on this thread (as of May 2020), here is a good comparison between CoverAmerica Gold and Atlas America.

Here are some of the questions from my readers that got me thinking.

Let’s look at its features.

CoverAmerica Gold Features

Cover America Gold is a comprehensive travel insurance plan for folks visiting USA from their home countries.
It offers coverage from 5 days to 364 days and is renewable or cancellable anytime online.
It offers a very cheap co-pay for emergency consultation – only $25!
It’s best suited for elders traveling to USA, although it’s a good fit for others as well.
Probably the best travel insurance plan that pays 100% coverage after the deductible is satisfied.
Cover America Gold also covers acute onset of pre-existing conditions and offers coverage for seniors up to 79 years old.
Cover America Gold offers coverage for emergency dental treatment and eye exams.
It offers easy and affordable access to urgent care.
Cover America Gold offers probably the widest PPO network.
It covers border entry protection if travelers are denied entry.
It also offers coverage for missed connections (during travel), loss of passport or travel documents, amusement park coverage, and cruise coverage.

Cover America Gold Reviews & Price

On paper, I think it’s a well-balanced plan that offers the best medical coverage (cutting off all the unnecessary frills) with even a good travel insurance coverage (loss of passport etc).

Here is a sample pricing for CoverAmerica Gold.

For a chosen deductible of $250 and a policy limit of $1M, the policy for a 39-year-old person, for six months would cost $462.06.

For Patriot America Plus, the same plan would cost $487. For $25, there’s a huge loss of value and compromise!

So, why not get Patriot America Plus for an extra $25?

Update: May 1st, 2020

I’ve gotten another update that the plan has changed again! 🙄

Here are the details that did change.

– CoverAmerica Gold is now administered by IMG, a reputed company that administers other popular products such as Patriot America Plus. (This is a good move, as IMG is well-reviewed and trusted by users on sites like TrustPilot)

– The new underwriter is Sirius international.

Summary

CoverAmerica Gold is an excellent plan on paper.

But there are also other “super-star” plans offering more benefits and protection than CoverAmerica Gold like Atlas America.

Folks who have bought or considered buying this plan have raised concerns about it. (See screenshots above)

Those considering buying CoverAmerica Gold might want to consider the risks involved in buying such a plan. But then, whichever plan you buy, please read the fine print, like ten times. That’s where the details are.

Here are some of the best alternatives to CoverAmerica Gold.

No. There are better plans out there like Patriot America Plus from the same company IMG that might be better.

CoverAmerica Gold offers urgent care emergency consultation co-pay of just $25.

Traveling Inside the United States

For treatment received within the PPO network: After you pay the deductible, the plan pays 100% to the selected medical maximum.
For Treatment received outside the PPO network: After you pay the deductible, the plan pays 80% of the next $5,000 of eligible expenses, then 100% to the selected medical maximum.

Traveling Outside the United States

After you pay the deductible: the plan pays 100% to the selected medical maximum.

Yes. In this plan, visitors are covered for an eye exam to obtain prescription corrective lenses if they are lost or damaged during their trip.

Yes. But with the conditions mentioned below.

Non-U.S. citizens only.
For those up to age 69, the plan will pay up to the policy maximum chosen, or maximum up to $125,000 if the policy maximum is above $100,000 for eligible medical expenses.
For Cardiac Conditions & Stroke, the plan would cover up to $36,000. For those aged 70 – 79, the plan will pay up to a $30,000-lifetime maximum.
Optional $20,000 can be purchased with an additional premium.
For Cardiac Care & Stroke, the plan covers a maximum of $30,000.
The optional coverage does not add coverage to Cardiac Care & Stroke.
Age 80 and above no coverage.
The acute onset for pre-existing condition coverage starts 48 hours after the policy becomes effective.

Disclaimer: I’m not an insurance agent or in any way qualified to provide legal advice on life insurance. The above review is purely for research purposes and based on information available online. The above review may contain product affiliate links, through which if purchases are made might compensate this website without any additional cost to the buyer.

Got questions about CoverAmerica? Please ask in the comments.

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About the Author

Mani Karthik

Entrepreneur, Mentor & Blogger.
I help business grow & scale. Have helped 15+ companies scale in US, Middle East and India.
I share everything I learned on this blog, so that you benefit. Here’s more about me.

30 responses to “CoverAmerica Gold Review – Are Customers Happy? (The Truth)”

Mani Karthik

Unlikely Nancy.
Nancy

Hi Mani,

Can we buy any of these insurance policies if the visitor is already in the USA?
Mani Karthik

Thanks for sharing your experience Sudheer.
Sudheer

Thanks for the detailed and helpful info Mani. I used visitors coverage in the past and other than the fact that I had a peace of mind that I had insurance for my visiting parents, it didn’t really help when in need. The advertising, jargon and fine print were misleading, and the customer service wasn’t much of help either. Good to see they are changing things faster and hope they are for good.
Pavan

Beware of these scamsters!
Oanh

Thank you Mani! I appreciate your post for international insurance plan.
Vic

Hi Mani

Thank you for the helpful review as I have came across your article as I search for the best possible (and also price friendly) travel insurance for myself (Age 37), my wife (Age 37) and my little girl (Age 3),as we plan to travel to California shortly and have a road trip holiday for 16 days. (SF, LA, Napa, Palm Spring and…of course Disneyland).

My biggest needs would be the medical insurance part (Especially for my little girl) after learning the high medical cost in US in the case of emergency. Could you kindly suggest me a good travel insurance plan for fulfill my need? (As I came across “Cover America Gold” from the search result from “visitorscoverage.com” )

Thank you a million for your suggestion and help.

Looking forward to hear from you at your earliest convenience.

Thank you.
Mani Karthik

Hi Sourish, I wish we all could get that kind of data publicly. If I were you, I’d talk to them directly over the phone and demand the data.
Sourish

Hi Mani,

Can you please provide some statistics on their customer satisfaction, like how many users have actually used (availed medical services) their coverage and how easy or difficult it was to submit the claims and actually to get the claims approved/funded (as mostly I hear complains about insurance companies declining the claims for some or other reason and honestly I have never met anyone who was successful in their claims for visitor insurance)
Mani Karthik

It is a very difficult question to answer Satish. First off, it’s very unfair for me to give a generic statement, like “yes XYZ covers all pre-existing conditions”. It does not work like that. What I’d do if I were in your place is, call up the customer care number, and give an example scenario to figure out how they’d deal in such a situation. It would give me better clarity than me making any assumptions from reading guides. Hope that makes sense.
Satish

Hey Karthik, Thanks for compiling this useful info. My parents & in laws have pre- existing conditions (High blood pressure, diabetic). My father in law is recovering/recovered from a knee surgery and my mother is recovering from throat cancer.
I am planning to bring them over here for couple of months. Is there any insurance that “actually” covers the pre-existing conditions (not just the acute on-set)? The ones that seem to have better reviews (albeit expensive) are KV Rao & CoverAmerica – Gold. Based on what i read, they also cover ‘acute onset’. Do You recommend any?
Also, do You know of anyone who had an actual seamless claim experience with CoverAmerica – Gold?
Tushar

Yes Mani. Thanks for your help
Mani Karthik

I think we just spoke about it on WhatsApp, isn’t it Tushar. Hope you already got it. 🙂
Tushar

My parents are vising in Dec for 1.5 months, ages 62 and 57. One of them has a pre-existing condition ( had angioplasty in Jan 2017). What do you think of CoverAmerica- Gold for them?
Mani Karthik

Hi Veronica,

Patriot America might be a good option worth checking oiut. Can you ping me on WhatsApp or email please? Happy to help.
Veronica

Hi Mani, my parents are coming soon for about 4 months. My mother is 78 and my father will turn 80 during his visit. They come with all their medications and usually don’t have a need to see any doctors in the US. I’m looking for insurance with high deductible just in case of an emergency, in case they need to be hospitalized. They have pre-existing conditions but they are both in good health and active. We don’t mind paying for a visit to a walk-in clinic or anything like that, very expensive hospitalizations is what scares me 🙂 What would you recommend? Thanks so much!

Veronica
Mani Karthik

Hi Sona, That sounds much like a very un-typical case, can you please ping me on WhatsApp?
S Singh

Hello Mani Sir,

My MIL is visiting US sometime next month and am trying to figure out the best insurance policy for her. She has a lot of pre-existing conditions (High bp, headaches, cervical pain) and is usually only able to see a doctor here in the States since she lives alone in India. So she will definitely be seeing some doctors here on this trip (physical, eye, dental) She also had a breast cancer scare in her last trip which will require her to get a mammogram/mri testing done here. Most of these appointments will either be pre-existing or not covered. So I am confused if comprehensive is worth it for her….and that I should get a limited one for emergency and pay thru non-insurance route for these appointments (in which case they will give a discount) She is 67 years old…and we are planning to apply for greencard for her on this trip.

What would be the best insurance to get for her?

Thank you for your help!
Nandhini Arun

I have a question. My mom is travelling next month to USA. Assuming am taking travel insurance “COVERAMERICA GOLD” for the time period she stays (cost 570$ approx) and deductible as 250$.
If i have to visit a doctor for a overall body health check up or backpain, then as i understand will need to pay deductible 250$ and remaining will be paid by insurance as its 100% right?
What happens for the next visit? again will i have to pay the deductible and remaining will be paid by insurance?
Is there any limit for number of visits to clinic or hospital?
Mani Karthik

Hi Kumar,

Yes indeed – More reviews are better to make informed decisions. I’ve seen quite a good share or mixed reviews for every provider though. It is totally up to the buyer to choose what is right for him/her. Thanks for sharing your pov.
Kumar

Hello Karthik,

Thank you for the detailed explanation about this insurance policy. However I would recommend against buying this insurance.

Reason: Firstly this insurance is provided by “Seven Corners”, who has a pretty bad reputation, and most times they find ways to reject claims saying they do not cover preexisting conditions or they did not receive required documents etc..etc..

You can see from Yelp reviews how people have some really really bad experiences failing claims through seven corners:

I hope these reviews and personal experiences from others would help our fellows in finding a better insurance.
Aslam A.

Don’t buy Safe Travels.

We bought for my father 76 getting impressed with all the claims they make in their brochure. Paid for months. He was admitted to emergency for Pnemonia and they refused to cover a penny of the $37 k bill. When we filed an appeal they responded with a one liner saying it’s not admissible because it’s pre existing condition. We will file a second appeal and take them to court if necessary.
Mani Karthik

Hi Prasad,

Yes Safe Travels is a good option for aged parents (especially 80+). The only negative is that the sum assured/cover amount will be slightly lower than regular plans. You can check my recommendations here – https://manikarthik.com/blog/best-travel-insurance-senior-citizens-elderly/india/nri/.

Let me know if it was useful or not.

Thanks
Prasad

Hi Karthik,

My parents are visiting the US for just over a month. They are 71 and 67 years old with no major pre-existing condition (apart from minor joint pains). I am looking at comprehensive insurance for them. I was looking at Safe Travels USA – Comprehensive insurance. Please give your suggestion on this insurance..

Thanks,
Prasad
Mani Karthik

I suggest you call up their customer service line and clarify it before buying it.
pkaushal

Hey Mani,

My Parents are visiting in end of april. My dad is 67 and has gone through by-pass surgery 5 years ago.
He is doing fine as of now, but i am still worried as its an exisiting condition along with diabetes and blood pressure conditions.
I don’t really understand acute onset pre-existing conditions, but if something happens is cover america gold good enough to take care of it? I do see they have great PPO in network list.
Anu Shende

Hello Mani,

I am looking for health insurance for my parents above 80 years of age with one of them with a pre-existing condition. Safe travels USa comprehensive looks like the best option. What do you think?
VisitorsCoverage

The deductible is applicable once per policy period for most comprehensive plans like CoverAmerica – Gold. So if the insured person goes to the provider for multiple medical situations or multiple times for the same situation, they are responsible only once for the deductible. For example, if someone chooses a $1,000 deductible, then the first $1,000 would be their responsibility. After that, the CoverAmerica – Gold plan pays 100% up to the policy maximum for all covered services within provider network.
pvant

Thanks a lot for this detailed explanation. Would you happen to know if the deductible is a one-time payment for the duration of the policy, or do you have to pay each time you seek treatment? The minimum deductible available for the age group I’m looking at (with pre-existing condition) is $1000, which is why I was wondering. Thanks.
dwarak

nice one ! thanks !

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