What should I do if I fall ill in the United States?
So that health problems in the United States do not become a nightmare
Bad luck… Some have gone on a road trip in the great American West, a city break in New York or the discovery of Hollywood and have finally experienced an episode of ER or Grey’s Anatomy! While traveling in the United States, they suffered a medical problem and had to deal with the terrible local health care system and pay colossal medical bills.
To avoid having the same experience, follow our guide and remember the famous adage: "prevention is better than cure". Especially in the USA!
Are medical costs in the United States as expensive as they say?
This is unfortunately not an urban legend: medical costs in the United States, even the most basic, are extremely high, even disproportionate. Health prices are up to 5 times higher than in France. A consultation with a general practitioner is billed between $80 and $150 (approximately €71 and €133). A migraine can cost you $16,693 (about €14,826) if it requires hospitalization. And an asthma attack: $14,529 (around €12,908).
Not to mention the drugs whose prices are also exorbitant.
Namely: There is no common health insurance system in the United States as in France. Americans or residents usually have to purchase very expensive private insurance. Some American healthcare establishments go so far as to check the solvency of patients (residents and/or foreigners) before agreeing to take care of them.
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Does French Social Security cover me in the event of a health concern in the United States?
Yes and no. French social security does not advance medical expenses contracted in the United States. You will therefore have to pay for your health-related expenses yourself and on site.
Only certain unforeseen urgent care (hospital and ambulatory) may possibly be covered by health insurance.
To hope to obtain reimbursements for certain treatments, you will have to present, as soon as you return to France, the invoices and proof of payment to your health insurance fund. Above all, the medical adviser will have to validate the urgent nature of the care in order to obtain reimbursement.
Warning ! You will be reimbursed only on the basis of the rates applied by French social security… which are well below those practiced in the United States! For further information: consult the Health Insurance website.
For all these reasons, the French authorities strongly recommend taking out USA travel insurance.
Is the medical assistance insurance offered by certain bank cards sufficient?
If some international bank cards do offer such a service, you should know that this coverage is very limited given the amount of medical bills. Both in time, by not covering trips exceeding a certain duration, and especially in the ceiling on reimbursements (generally set at around €11,000). These are rarely sufficient to cover very high medical costs… like those practiced in the United States.
How do I choose the right travel insurance for the United States?
The most important thing: by subscribing to it before you leave! To select the right United States travel insurance and avoid some disappointments, check its clauses carefully:
payment of medical expenses abroad
medical repatriation with the possible dispatch of a doctor on site
24/7 support
the guarantees it offers
the facts that trigger them
their ceilings
applicable deductibles
the associated exclusion conditions
What if you took out AXA Travel Insurance before going to the USA?
What are the first reflexes to adopt if I fall ill or have an accident in the United States?
Your health being essential, you must not play with it and adopt the right reflexes.
In the event of an emergency or serious accident, call 911 (the equivalent of 112 in Europe)
Contact your insurance company for contact information for doctors or hospitals in its local network. She will be able to guide you and accompany you in all your steps.
For a list of local doctors consulted by French nationals, contact the embassy or consulate
Keep all bills, prescriptions and proof of your stay in the United States in a safe place to facilitate the reimbursement of your medical expenses.
The advice in +: the price of drugs being particularly high in the United States, think, before your departure, to constitute a first aid kit with your usual treatments accompanied if necessary by their prescription. The latter may be requested when passing through customs