Will Medicare cover you when you travel outside the U.S.?

You may be surprised to learn that Original Medicare does not pay for health care services or supplies you get outside the U.S. except in very limited situations.

 If your circumstances do not match the limited exceptions, you are responsible to pay the full cost to the health care provider. If your situation matches one of the allowable exceptions, you still pay the coinsurance or copayments and deductibles you would normally pay if you received these services or supplies in the U.S. For information on allowable exceptions go to www.medicare.gov/coverage or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or another Medicare health plan, you may be entitled to additional coverage for health care services you receive outside the U.S. Advantage Plan coverage may vary.

You have the option of purchasing short term travel medical coverage for as few as 5 days up to a maximum of two years.This type of insurance coverage addresses the needs of U.S. and non-U.S. citizens who need temporary medical insurance while traveling for business or pleasure anywhere outside of their home country. With short term travel insurance you have access to international, multilingual customer service centers, claims administrators who process claims from all over the world, handling virtually every language and currency, and 24 hour access to highly qualified coordinators of emergency medical services and international treatment.

If you will be traveling abroad and have concerns, call me and I'll help you determine your insurance needs.