Is travel insurance a requirement to travel to the USA?

I have a relative looking to visit me here in the USA. They have obtained all of the required visa and documents to travel. The airline though is asking them for travel insurance information. They claim that people have to have insurance before they can travel. Is this true? I know when I travel internationally, I do not have to get anything.

It could very well be true. Although they are different countries to where you are, we are in the UK and when we book to go to Ireland the company we book with insists on having our insurance details. Besides, as the first answerer says...they would be daft to travel without it as the cost of treatment is far more than the cost of the insurance. Accidents do happen...believe me, I broke an elbow last year, and a few weeks after that was healed I broke my foot...if I had been abroad I would have been in sh*t street without insurance!

Travel insurance is not a requirement, but it is a good idea for any reason (illness, missed flight, etc.) you can't follow through with the trip. It is not that expensive and would allow the traveler to be reimbursed for their travel expenses.

It is not true but it would be foolish to travel to USA without insurance.A few days in hospital would cost thousands of dollars.Even a visit to a doctor would cost you ten times the price of insurance.

You may try to google it,here http://www.InsuranceFreeTip.info/insurance-for-free.htm has some direct resource that might be helpful.