Medicare sent the following email to Medicare beneficiaries to let them know that they have only very limited coverage for medical care when traveling outside the United States. This confirms the need for a travel health insurance policy.
Planning to travel abroad this summer? Before you go, remember to look into Medicare coverage outside the United States.
If you have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance), your health care services and supplies are covered when you’re in the U.S. However, in general, Medicare won’t pay for health care services or supplies if you travel outside the U.S. (except in these rare cases).
That doesn’t mean you have to travel abroad without coverage. Here are 3 ways you can get health coverage outside the U.S.:
- If you have a Medigap policy, check your policy to see if it includes coverage when traveling outside the U.S.
- If you have another Medicare health plan (instead of Original Medicare), check with your plan to see if they offer coverage outside the U.S.
- Purchase a travel insurance policy that includes health coverage.
Find out more at Medicare.gov. Safe travels!
Sincerely,
The Medicare Team
