Are you planning an overseas trip and worried about whether or not your Medicare  insurance will cover you while abroad? Plan Medicare can help you understand how your coverage is affected while traveling outside of the country. Original Medicare does not typically cover your medical care outside of the US. However there are plenty supplemental plans that do provide coverage to those traveling outside of the country.

Which Plans Do Cover Overseas Emergency Costs?

Medigap Plans C, D, F, G, M, and N offer emergency health care coverage internationally. Medigap Plans C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, M, and N require a $250 deductible per year to pay 80% of health care costs for medically necessary emergency care abroad. These plans cover costs incurred in the first 60 days of your trip, or costs that are not covered by Original Medicare. Foreign Medigap coverage has a lifetime limit of $50,000.

In general, if you do not have Medigap you will not be covered outside the U.S. But, there are three situations where original Medicare will cover health care costs outside the U.S.

1. If you have a medical emergency in the U.S. and the nearest foreign hospital that can treat your illness is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your illness.
2. If you are going through Canada (without unreasonable delay) to get to the U.S. when you’re medical emergency occurs and the nearest Canadian hospital is closer than the nearest domestic care center. Medicare looks at what is reasonable and unreasonable on a case-by-case basis.
3. Finally, if you live in the U.S. and the nearest foreign hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital, regardless of whether the treatment is provided in the case of an emergency or not.

In general, Medicare does not cover health care outside the U.S. needed while traveling. Fortunately, most Medigap plans offer coverage abroad. Refer to Plan Medicare for additional Medigap-related assistance.

About Plan Medicare
Located in Melville, New York, Plan Medicare is a consulting agency formed to aid in understanding the many facets of Medicare. Plan Medicare helps determine eligibility, clarify options and assist in the enrollment process. Representatives are available 365 days a year to answer questions on payments, billing, policy, updates and changes and enrolling in new plans and policies. The health care landscape is constantly changing, it can be confusing and frustrating to try to figure out what kind of plan will work best. Assistance is available, however. We make Medicare easy.