Rebecca Ogungbure

Does Medicare Offer Coverage Abroad? Medicare is a U.S government health insurance program that covers the health insurance of citizens that are 65 years old and older. Medicare is available to citizens in the U.S. For context sake, the U.S refers to the 50 States that make up the United States; the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. If you are a beneficiary of Medicare and you have to travel outside the U.S, It is important to note that Medicare will not cover your health care. That means, your U.S Medicare Health Insurance policy does not travel with you. However, there are some exceptional cases when Medicare pays for covered services of your health care outside the U.S. If you are planning a vacation outside the U.S or retirement, you will have to take note of the following. When Does Medicare Offer Coverage Abroad? Generally, Medicare does not offer coverage abroad. There are, however, some exceptional cases where Medicare may offer coverage outside the U.S. Take note of the following scenarios where Medicare may step in and offer coverage for your health care in a foreign country: • • • • • You live in the U.S but the closest hospital that can treat your medical condition is in another country. Medicare may cover this health care bill, even though it may not be an emergency. You have a medical emergency in the U.S but the nearest hospital to you that can treat your condition is in a foreign country. Medicare might just cover your health care in that hospital abroad. If you have a medical emergency while traveling between Alaska and another state at a reasonably fast speed on a direct route and with no delay. If the Canadian hospital is closer to you than the closest U.S hospital, Medicare may cover your health care services in that hospital. If you require Dialysis, that is not routine dialysis, out of the U.S., Medicare may cover your health care in the foreign hospital. If you are on a ship that is no more than 6 hours from a U.S. port when an emergency arises. Medicare might cover your medical bills if there is an authorized doctor by law to treat you on the ship. Apart from all of the above-listed scenarios, Medicare does not offer coverage abroad. For further insights, you can reach out to Hella Health to speak with professionals that can help you choose the right Medicare plan. Which parts of Medicare offer coverage abroad for the above-listed situations? The Original Medicare, Parts A and B, does not offer coverage for health care in foreign hospitals. However, in exceptional cases, such as those listed above, some parts of the Original Medicare can cover your health care services. The Original Medicare, Part A and Part B offer such coverage as this: • • Part A covers your health care for when you are admitted on a doctor's order in a foreign country. This is known as inpatient hospital care (Hospital Insurance). Part B Medicare covers Medical Insurance. If you require an emergency ambulance and doctor service just before you are admitted and during your inpatient hospital stay in a country outside the U.S., Medicare Part B will cover it. However, ambulance services such as return ambulance trips home and doctor's service after your covered inpatient hospital stay in a foreign country will not be covered by Medicare. Medicare, Part A (Hospital Insurance), and Part B (Medical Insurance) are not usually not available outside the U.S. However, in unavoidable emergency situations, Original Medicare, Parts A and B, can offer coverage for covered health care services. Please note that Medicare only pays for its share of services that are covered by Medicare. For example, if you only have Part B, only your medical insurance will be covered; inpatient hospital care (Part A) will not be covered. Which Part of Medicare does not offer coverage abroad? Medicare Part D (Prescription drug coverage) that pays for your drugs does not cover drug prescriptions and purchases outside the U.S. Can I Get A Medicare Supplement Insurance Policy for abroad coverage? Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Insurance Policy is alternative insurance that can be purchased from private insurance companies. Some parts of Medigap offer abroad coverage, that is, it can pay some of your Original Medicare health care bills outside the U.S. If you are planning to retire outside the U.S. or planning to go on a trip, getting a Medigap plan that offers coverage in a foreign country is a good investment. Medicare plans C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, M, and N provides foreign health care coverage and can pay up to 80% of your health care bills outside the U.S. after you meet a $250 deductible in that year. Medigap plans • • • • E, H, I, and J are no longer available for sale. But you can keep them if you purchased any of them before June 1, 2010. Cover foreign health care emergency services within the first 60 days of travel Cover outside the U.S. emergency health bills that are not otherwise covered by the Original Medicare Offers a lifetime limit of up to $50,000 Can I Buy a Travel Health Insurance Policy? Yes, you can. Because Medicare offers limited abroad coverage, you may choose to purchase a travel health insurance policy to cover your foreign health care services. Conclusion Medicare offers you one less concern to worry about as you approach retirement. Original Medicare takes care of your health insurance in the U.S. Medicare, Parts A and B, covers your health care inpatient hospital service and medical insurance as long as you remain within the U.S. However, if you need to travel, you may need to consider Medigap Insurance Policy to get additional healthcare coverage abroad, since Medicare offers limited services outside the U.S. Trying to figure out the right Medicare and/or Medigap plan to choose may be overwhelming. Here at Hella Health, we have put together a stress-free step-by-step procedure to help you choose the right Medicare Insurance Plan. Need help to choose the right Medicare Insurance plan? Contact Hella Health now.