I'm a foreign traveler in the us. my us health insurance covers only $5000 for surgeries. isn't that too little? wouldn't emergency surgery cost more?

Yes: You're correct. As a traveller i would assume we are talking about an emergency situation, and when combining surgeon, anesthesia, and hospital costs, the total would be greater than $5, 000. However make sure it's not just the surgeon's fees which would probably be less than $5000. Also sometimes my patients confuse the deductable (the part you pay) with the coverage amount (what insurance pays).

Travel: Travel accidents do happen, but unlikely injury is more significant then fracture, $5000 should be ok for surgeon's fees. If you have catastrophic event your coverage should be up to $100 000. Chances are very low, but it is your choice how much coverage and risk you can accept.

Yes: In my opinion. That is not an amount that would cover any significant problem. One big expense that you might want to consider is an emergency transport track to a us hospital. That alone can be 10 thousand dollars or more.