U.S. Travel Insurance: Plans & Prices (2025)
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Reviewed By Last updated: 10/13/2025
Key Takeaways
- Our analysis shows that Berkshire Hathaway, Travel Insured International, and Seven Corners offer the best travel insurance for trips within the United States.
- Travel insurance is not required for domestic trips, but it’s highly recommended, especially if you have prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses.
- Domestic travel insurance is typically more affordable than international plans, with travel medical insurance policies costing just $5 per day on average.
- We recommend Primary Emergency Medical coverage if you do not have existing U.S. health insurance or have a plan with a high medical deductible.
- Natural disasters, flight delays, and cancellations are common across the U.S., particularly during hurricane season, winter storms, and peak travel periods.
- Try our online travel insurance comparison tool to get quotes from multiple providers at once. For personal assistance, call our award-winning agents at 1-800-240-0369
Our Top Recommended Domestic Travel Insurance Plans
- Berkshire Hathaway — ExactCare Value is an affordable plan that offers reliable coverage for the most necessary travel benefits, making it a great option if you’re on a budget or looking for reliable coverage without the bells and whistles.
- Travel Insured International — FlexiPAX is our ideal if you’re traveling with a href=“/resources/best-travel-insurance/family”>family because it offers customizable, comprehensive coverage with high medical limits and unique ‘Kids Covered Free’ pricing.
- Seven Corners — Trip Protection Choice provides dependable coverage for cancellations, delays, and lost baggage, all at an accessible price point. This makes it ideal for students, solo travelers, or those looking to protect prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses without overpaying for unnecessary extras.
Do I Need Travel Insurance for the United States?
Travel insurance isn’t required for trips within the U.S., but it’s a smart investment, especially given how unpredictable domestic travel has become. Flight cancellations, extreme weather, health emergencies, and event-based disruptions can quickly derail a carefully planned trip. U.S.-based travelers often overlook insurance for domestic trips. Still, the potential for disruptions, high out-of-network medical costs, and non-refundable trip components make domestic coverage just as important.
Reasons You May Need Travel Insurance for the United States
Medical Emergencies and Healthcare Costs
Even if you have U.S. health insurance plan, such as Medicare, an unexpected illness or injury during a trip within the United States can cost you thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses.
✅ Travel medical insurance can fill gaps in your existing coverage, offering protection for out-of-network services, urgent care visits, hospital stays, and emergency transportation when you’re far from home.
Tour and Activity Interruptions
From Broadway performances and national park visits to guided city tours and theme park tickets, domestic travel frequently includes non-refundable prepaid expenses. Illness, family emergencies, or other unexpected events could force you to cancel your plans and lose out on all non-refundable trip costs.
✅ With Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption coverage, you can get reimbursed for non-refundable costs if you need to cancel or shorten your trip for a covered reason. This coverage helps safeguard expenses such as show tickets and campground reservations.
Frequent Delays and Natural Disasters
The U.S. experiences seasonal and regional disruptions, ranging from Midwest snowstorms and Southern hurricanes to California wildfires and airline staffing shortages. Any of these can result in lengthy flight delays, missed connections, or canceled trips.
✅ Comprehensive travel insurance covers additional lodging, meals, and transportation in case of delays, rerouting, or being stranded. Some policies also offer coverage for mandatory evacuations or trip cancellation due to extreme weather warnings.
Lost or Delayed Luggage
U.S. airports handle millions of bags daily, and mistakes can and do happen, especially during peak travel season. Luggage issues can leave you scrambling for essentials and force you to pay out-of-pocket to replace items that get damaged or go missing.
✅ With Baggage Loss and Baggage Delay coverage, emergency purchases such as clothing and toiletries can be reimbursed. Some plans even cover stolen personal items, ensuring extra peace of mind for busy or crowded destinations.
Last-Minute Cancellations
Life happens, and no amount of planning can completely prevent disruptions from affecting your long-awaited vacation or adventure. And when it does, all your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses, like flights, hotel reservations, tickets to shows or events, could all be lost.
✅ Trip Cancellation insurance is like a safety net for your travel plans, ensuring you don’t lose your investment if you need to cancel for a covered reason. Plus, by adding on Cancel for Any Reason, you’ll enjoy 75% reimbursement, even if your reason isn’t part of the standard coverage!
More Details on the Best Travel Insurance for the United States
Most Affordable Domestic Travel Insurance
Recommended Plan: ExactCare Value
Emergency Medical: $15,000
Medical Evacuation: $150,000
Trip Cancellation: 100% of trip costs
Includes complimentary concierge services at no additional cost
Best For Families Taking a Domestic Trip
Recommended Plan: FlexiPAX
Emergency Medical: $100,000
Medical Evacuation: $500,000
Trip Cancellation: 100% of trip costs
Offers policy upgrades that allow you to raise coverage limits for important benefits
Best for Domestic Travelers Seeking Strong Medical Coverage
Best Plan: Trip Protection Choice
Emergency Medical: $500,000
Medical Evacuation: $1,000,000
Trip Cancellation: 100% of trip costs
Offers the most built-in medical coverage of any comprehensive plan on Squaremouth
How Much Does United States Travel Insurance Cost?
According to recent data from Squaremouth travelers, the average premium for a comprehensive travel insurance plan is $254 for an 11-day trip, which breaks down to just $23 per day.
The cost of travel insurance is largely determined by factors such as your age, state of residence, trip length, policy type, and depth of coverage.
For lower-cost plans, consider a medical-only policy. This type of plan focuses on medical coverage and does not include cancellation coverage, resulting in less-expensive premiums. Travel medical plans for domestic trips cost roughly $5 per day.
Below are examples of sample pricing of our top plans for domestic travel.
Medical-Only Travel Insurance Cost Example
| Provider | Plan Name | Plan Cost | Cancellation / Interruption Limits | Medical / Medevac Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire Hathaway | ExactCare Value | $5 | $0 / $0 | $15,000 / $150,000 |
| Travel Insured International | FlexiPAX | $27 | $0 / $0 | $100,000 / $500,000 |
| Seven Corners | Trip Protection Choice | $57 | $0 / $1,000 | $500,000 / $1,000,000 |
Comprehensive Travel Insurance Cost Example
| Provider | Plan Name | Plan Cost | Cancellation / Interruption Limits | Medical / Medevac Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire Hathaway | ExactCare Value | $49 | $3,000 / $3,000 | $15,000 / $150,000 |
| Travel Insured International | FlexiPAX | $113 | $3,000 / $4,500 | $100,000 / $500,000 |
| Seven Corners | Trip Protection Choice | $184 | $3,000 / $4,500 | $500,000 / $1,000,000 |
What Travel Coverage Do You Need for the United States?
Even when traveling within the U.S., unexpected disruptions can throw your plans off course. While health insurance may cover some medical expenses, out-of-network providers can be extremely costly, as can emergency evacuations, trip-related losses, or injuries.
At the very minimum, we recommend purchasing travel medical coverage, especially if you travel far from home or have a high-deductible health plan. We recommend a comprehensive travel insurance plan for more expensive trips with prepaid, non-refundable expenses that provides broader protection and financial peace of mind.
When looking at plans, be sure to look out for the following travel insurance benefits:
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
Whether you’re flying across the country for a wedding, visiting multiple cities on a national park tour, or setting sail on an Alaska cruise, domestic trips often involve prepaid reservations that may not be refundable. If a last-minute illness, family emergency, or severe weather forces you to cancel or shorten your journey, this coverage helps reimburse those sunk costs.
✅ Most comprehensive plans cover 100% of your insured trip cost for cancellations and up to 150% for trip interruptions. This additional reimbursement is intended to cover the cost to make new travel arrangements home if your trip is interrupted.
Travel Medical Coverage
Travel medical coverage is one of the main reasons Squaremouth users buy insurance for domestic trips. Even if you have primary health insurance coverage, a travel insurance plan can supplement that coverage for just a few dollars per day. This may be cheaper than paying the deductible associated with your primary coverage.
✅ The Emergency Medical benefit of travel insurance can cover the cost of treating unexpected illnesses or injuries during your trip. This includes coverage for expenses like doctor visits, ambulance services, hospital stays, and prescription medication. We recommend at least $50,000 in Emergency Medical coverage.
Medical Evacuation Coverage
Even a short medical evacuation can cost thousands of dollars. And these costs can spike even higher if you need to be transported home for further medical care.
✅ Look for a policy with at least $100,000 in Medical Evacuation coverage, particularly if you’re planning to be active during your trip, or traveling to any remote areas without immediate access to advanced care.
Insurance for Baggage and Personal Items
Lost luggage doesn’t just happen on international flights. Domestic flights often face mishandled or delayed bags, particularly at busy hubs like Denver, Atlanta, and Chicago.
✅ If your bags are lost, damaged, or stolen, travel insurance can cover the cost of replacing those items. Coverage amounts vary by plan, but this is commonly included within most policies.
Sports and Activities Coverage
There are endless opportunities in the U.S. for adventurous, thrilling experiences, from skiing in Colorado to hiking in Yosemite to kayaking in the Florida Everglades. However, not all travel insurance plans cover injuries from these activities, especially if they are considered high-risk. If your trip includes physical or outdoor activities, look for a policy that includes Sports & Activities coverage.
✅ Remember that some standard plans don’t include coverage for adventure sports or activities, such as horseback riding, snowmobiling, or off-road biking.
Cruise-Specific Benefits
Domestic cruises, like Alaskan routes, Mississippi River journeys, or Florida round-trips, come with unique risks. Illness on board, missed cruise departures, itinerary alterations due to weather, and flight delays to your departure city can hinder your cruise enjoyment. The best cruise insurance plans offer specific protections for these circumstances, including benefits for missed connections, interruptions, onboard medical care, or a missed port of call.
✅ If you’re cruising in the U.S. or starting a Caribbean trip from a U.S. port, look for a plan with coverage specific for cruises. You can even get coverage for prepaid excursions or delays returning home if your cruise is unexpectedly extended.
What Isn’t Covered by Domestic Travel Insurance?
Even the best domestic travel insurance plans come with exclusions. Understanding what is not covered can help you choose the right coverage for your trip.
Routine or Preventive Care
Travel insurance is designed to cover unexpected medical emergencies that occur while you’re traveling. Routine care is not covered.
Planning to use your plan for a quick health screening? This is not covered by travel insurance.Injuries from High-Risk Activities
The U.S. offers many destinationsideal for adventure and excitement. However, high-risk activities are often excluded by travel insurance, unless you add Sports & Activities coverage to your plan.
If your itinerary includes backcountry hiking, ATV tours, or winter sports, check that your policy covers hazardous activities.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Most standard plans exclude medical costs from chronic condition flare-ups, like asthma attacks or complications from diabetes, unless you purchase your policy early and follow the provider’s requirements for a Pre-Existing Conditions waiver.
If you have a known medical condition, buy your plan within 14-21 days (2-3 weeks) of your first trip payment to be eligible for this valuable add-on. Without doing so, you may not be eligible for a pre-existing condition waiver. Without doing so, you will have to pay out of pocket for health issues or medical care needs related to your pre-existing medical conditions.
Changes for Personal or Non-Covered Reasons
Changing your mind mid-trip, even to avoid bad weather, skip a stop, or head home early, isn’t a covered reason for the Trip Cancellation benefit. Standard cancellation policies only reimburse you for specific, covered reasons.
If you want total flexibility, consider upgrading to a Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) policy. This option allows you to cancel your trip for virtually any reason and receive a refund of up to 75% of your trip cost, provided it is purchased within a brief window after your initial booking.
Tips for Finding the Best Travel Insurance for Domestic Trips
Use a Comparison Tool
With dozens of travel insurance companies and policy types available, comparing plans is the best way to find the right travel insurance for your U.S. trip. On Squaremouth, you can filter policies by price, medical coverage limits, and specific benefits, such as coverage for weather delays, rental car protection, or adventure sports, making it easy to align your plan with your itinerary.
Read the Fine Print and Exclusions
Travel insurance plans may appear similar, but the fine print can reveal significant differences in coverage and exclusions. Always review the Certificate of Insurance (COI) to understand what’s included. For instance, if you plan to ski in Colorado, hike in Utah’s backcountry, or attend a multi-day festival, check whether your activities are covered or require an add-on for adventure or high-risk sports.
Consider Specific Travel Risks
Traveling domestically within the U.S. involves several risks based on your destination and the time of year. Are you flying during the busy holiday season? Driving through areas that are susceptible to tornadoes? Visiting remote locations with limited medical facilities? Your travel protection should account for these factors, safeguarding against missed connections, weather-related cancellations, or medical emergencies while away from home.
Clarify How Much Coverage You Need
We recommend at least $50,000 in Emergency Medical coverage and $100,000 or more for Medical Evacuation, even for domestic trips. These thresholds help safeguard against out-of-network care or costly air evacuations if injured in a rural location. Ultimately, the level of coverage will depend on your needs and the type of protection you already have. The majority of domestic travelers opt for comprehensive travel insurance that includes cancellation benefits.
Is Domestic Trip Insurance Worth It?
Buying travel insurance for your U.S.-based vacation is worth it, given the unpredictable nature of travel and the cost of dealing with unexpected trip disruptions.
Weather delays, medical emergencies, rental car accidents, and canceled events can ve costly if you don’t have the proper coverage. For just a few dollars daily, domestic travel insurance can safeguard your trip investment and assist when plans go awry.
In addition, all travel insurance plans on Squaremouth come with 24 Hour Emergency Assistance services to support you throughout your trip. This service, offered by your provider, can assist in medical care referrals, coordinating emergency medical evacuations, and other time-sensitive emergencies.
FAQ: United States Travel Insurance
What is the Best Domestic Travel Insurance?
Based on our analysis, the best domestic travel insurance plans are Berkshire Hathaway ExactCare Value, Travel Insured International FlexiPAX, and Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice. These plans all meet Squaremouth’s recommended coverage amounts and provide affordable coverage for travel within the United States.
What is the Most Affordable Domestic Travel Insurance?
Berkshire Hathaway’s ExactCare Value plan is one of the most affordable domestic travel insurance options. This plan provides affordable coverage for the most common travel concerns, including cancellations, medical emergencies, travel delays, and luggage. To find other affordable plans, use Squaremouth’s sorting function to organize your quote results by premium.
Do I Need Travel Insurance for a Domestic Trip?
Travel insurance is not required for domestic trips; however, it is recommended if you’re taking a long or expensive trip, if you need medical coverage while traveling, or have other travel concerns.
How Much Travel Insurance Should I Buy for a Domestic Trip Within the US?
How much travel insurance you should buy depends on your specific needs. If you have high prepaid and non-refundable trip expenses, you should buy a plan with Trip Cancellation coverage for the entire trip cost.
If medical coverage is your primary concern, we recommend a plan with at least $50,000 in Emergency Medical and $100,000 in Medical Evacuation coverage. However, depending on your primary health insurance coverage, a travel insurance plan with lower coverage amounts may be sufficient.
Does Travel Medical Insurance Work for U.S. Residents and Citizens Traveling In the United States?
Yes, travel medical insurance does work in the United States. If you buy a travel insurance plan with “Primary” medical coverage, you can file a claim directly with your travel insurance provider, and your plan’s coverage will act as your main source of health insurance. However, if you buy a plan with “Secondary” medical coverage, you must file a claim with your primary health insurance first. If that claim is denied or your plan only covers a portion of your expenses, you can then file through your travel insurance.
How Does Primary Travel Insurance Work with My Health Insurance?
When your travel insurance plan is primary, it steps in first, no matter what your regular health insurance covers or doesn’t cover. This can be helpful if you’re heading to a state where your health provider has a limited network or doesn’t have insurance. With secondary coverage, your travel insurer kicks in to reimburse costs that your primary health insurance doesn’t cover. If you want to make the claims process as smooth as possible and minimize out-of-pocket expenses, opting for a policy with primary medical coverage is the way to go. This is especially true for travelers who have complicated insurance needs or very little existing coverage.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Weather-Related Cancellations?
Most comprehensive travel insurance plans cover cancellations and delays caused by unforeseen severe weather like blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, or even wildfires. But remember, if a storm is already named or predicted, insurance benefits won’t kick in. You can add CFAR or IFAR to recover 75% of prepaid non-refundable costs for more flexibility.
United States Articles and Press Releases
- Spending Trends: Cost of Travel Decreases Despite Historical Inflation Rates
- U.S. Tourist Destinations Indicate Return to Normalcy This Spring Break