Medicare Travel Abroad

| August 7, 2014 | 0 Comments |

Medicare beneficiaries traveling abroad should be aware that their coverage options may be limited in foreign countries.  Medicare travel abroad is something you need to plan for.

Planning a trip to Europe this summer? You may want to add “finding health insurance” to your to-do list if you want to stay covered while traveling. Medicare travel aboard is one of the first questions you need to ask about.  In general, Medicare does not cover most health care received while traveling outside of the United States and its territories. The phrase “outside of the United States” includes anywhere outside of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. If you need health care or medical supplies outside of these areas, you will have to pay out of pocket, barring a few exceptions.

Medicare Coverage While Traveling Outside the U.S.Medicare coverage in a foreign hospital

Medicare will cover health care services in a foreign hospital for the following situations:

  1. If you have a medical emergency while in the U.S., but the foreign hospital is nearer than the closest U.S. hospital.
  2. If you have a medical emergency while traveling through Canada “without reasonable delay,” and the Canadian hospital is nearer than the closest U.S. hospital.
  3. If you live in the U.S., but the Canadian or Mexican hospital is closer to you than the nearest U.S.  hospital, regardless of whether it’s for routine health care or a medical emergency.
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Category: Articles, Senior Health

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