This summer I will be traveling to the United States for the fourth time, and until now I had never really looked into travel health insurance for the USA. I thought that thanks to the French national health insurance system and my credit card insurance, we would be protected if something went wrong. Big mistake! When we travel, we often forget that something can happen and that healthcare systems differ from one country to another.

As far as we are concerned, I want to focus on the United States because I discovered that going there without insurance is almost like “shooting yourself in the foot”! The phrase may sound a bit strong, but it is the absolute truth!

Why? For two very simple reasons:

– The first is that healthcare costs in the United States are far higher than in France. Here is a basic example that makes the point in two seconds: in France, you pay €23 for a general practitioner (reimbursed by Social Security and your supplemental insurance), while in the USA the bill will be between $120 and $150. So just imagine the rest if something happens to you during your vacation!

– The second is the belief that Social Security or a bank card will cover everything. Well, no. The medical expenses involved can be so high that if you face a serious problem, you will be reimbursed for almost nothing. On top of that, in the USA, if you cannot pay the costs upfront (especially hospital costs), you can be refused treatment. In a life-threatening emergency, you may still be treated, but you will receive a bill afterwards. The only possible outcomes are: pay, or be sued, with all the consequences that can come with it (for example, being unable to return to the USA).


So through my research for our possible future expatriation, I discovered that leaving without travel health insurance for the USA was almost financial madness! We talked about it with several friends who had traveled to the United States, and not only had none of them taken out specific travel insurance, but just like us, they thought everything would be covered if something happened to them!

So I did my homework to find a good travel insurance policy. I wanted comprehensive coverage so that we could leave with peace of mind, especially for my 2 little ones. With them, there was no way I was going to take any risk with their health if we needed medical care during our future trip.

That is how I got in touch with Thomas Lenoir from Azurexpat, a broker specialized in insurance for globetrotters and expatriates. From our very first conversation, Thomas was clear and explained the different options to me very well. I found him highly professional as well as very friendly, and that impression was confirmed throughout our different exchanges. At the same time, I contacted other providers, but they did not convince me.

So I chose the solution proposed by Azurexpat, and we signed the contract a few days ago. We chose the highest level of coverage, reimbursed from the very first euro. On site, we will go through the AETNA network (if needed of course). We were provided with insurance cards and phone numbers to call if necessary. Websites and an app are also available to help us find a doctor, a hospital, or a pharmacy if we do not want to call directly. Personally, I would choose the phone call if the situation arises 😉

I hope we will not have to use it during our vacation in Florida, but at least we are traveling with peace of mind on that front!