United States — Insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance is essential — US healthcare is the most expensive in the world, and an uninsured ER visit for a common issue can exceed USD 3,000; hospital admission runs into tens of thousands. World Nomads, SafetyWing and IMG Global are commonly used by travellers; confirm the policy covers the full trip length and any high-risk activities. Keep your policy claim number and 24-hour assistance line saved offline.

For STI testing, Planned Parenthood clinics operate nationwide on a sliding-scale fee and offer confidential HIV, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis panels. City health departments (NYC DOHMH, LA County, SF City Clinic) run free or low-cost sexual-health clinics. PrEP and PEP are available at urgent-care chains (CityMD, MinuteClinic) and via telehealth services like Nurx and Wisp.