Don’t let Medicare stop you from seeing the world! Original Medicare offers limited foreign travel coverage, but a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medigap plan may be able to get you the emergency travel coverage you need.

Foreign Travel with Original Medicare

Original Medicare does not cover much, if anything, when you leave the country. These are the only times Part A and Part B will cover you outside of the United States.

• You have an emergency while you are in the U.S. but the nearest hospital is in Canada or Mexico.
• You are traveling a direct route to/from Alaska from/to another U.S. state and you have a medical emergency while you are in Canada.
• In an emergency or even for everyday use, you live in the U.S. but the nearest hospital is over the border.

Only services covered by Part A and Part B will be approved.

Foreign Travel with Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative to Original Medicare. They cover everything that Part A and Part B do but they can add supplemental benefits that go above and beyond. Foreign travel coverage may be included. Because these plans are run by private insurance companies, you will have to reach out to the insurer to see exactly what is covered, where it is covered, and at what rates.

Keep in mind that Medicare Advantage plans are based on a local network. In order to qualify, many plans require you to live in the plan’s network area for at least six months of the year. Put another way, if you are out of the country for six months or more, you may no longer be eligible for your Medicare Advantage plan and could lose your coverage. That said, some plans may allow you to be out of the country for extended periods. Be sure to check with your plan about their residency requirements.

PRO TIP: When searching for Medicare Advantage plans on the Medicare site (medicare.gov/plan-compare), this benefit will be listed as “Worldwide Emergency” under Plan Benefits.

Foreign Travel with Medigap

If you like to travel, your best option may be to get a Medigap plan, specifically a Plan C, D, F, G, M or N. These plans provide foreign travel emergency coverage. You need to use that coverage within the first 60 days of your trip or you won’t be able to use it at all.

You will be responsible for a $250 deductible before your plan will pay for your care. After that, it pays 80% toward Medicare-approved costs. There is a lifetime cap on spending though. Whether it occurs in one trip or over many trips across the years, Medigap will pay no more than $50,000 over your lifetime on foreign travel emergencies.

Good News When You Travel: Care you receive in a foreign country costs less than care in the United States.

Bad News When You Don’t: Care you receive in the United States tends to be the most expensive in the world.

 

How U.S. Healthcare Costs Compare to Other Countries. (2022). Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/072116/us-healthcare-costs-compared-other-countries.asp

Medicare Coverage Outside the United States. Medicare.gov. https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/11037-Medicare-Coverage-Outside-United-States.pdf

Medigap & travel. (2022). Medicare.gov. https://www.medicare.gov/supplements-other-insurance/medigap-travel