Will Medicare Cover You When You Travel? Here's the 411.

[OneEyedDiva]

~Original Medicare A & B covers you in all 50 states and U.S. territories, but doesn't pay for healthcare abroad except for certain circumstances.
~Medicare advantage plans may not cover you for non emergency care outside your service area, but may offer some protection during foreign travel.
Read the particulars here:
Charles Schwab

 

[Aunt Bea]

Good point to consider!

My zero premium BCBS Medicare advantage plan provides in network and out of network coverage within the United States with few surprises. It can get expensive if you need to go out of network but the costs are capped at $11,600.00/year for my plan.

The in network coverage for my particular plan is pretty comprehensive up and down the east coast where I would most likely be spending the majority of time.

My advantage plan offers international emergency care coverage in about 190 countries but it can get pretty complicated.

The definition of emergency care can get pretty confusing.

In many situations you will be required to pay for emergency care upfront and file a claim for reimbursement, get prior approval, etc…

I would definitely encourage everyone to check their coverage before traveling to understand the process and the challenges involved with maintaining coverage.