How to Pick a Medigap Plan For Emergency Healthcare While Traveling Abroad
Key takeaways:
Medigap (also known as Medicare supplement insurance policies) travel benefits are available in 6 of 10 nationally standardized plans. Medigap travel coverage has a $50,000 lifetime limit.
Under some circumstances, travelers can use their Medicare coverage in Canada and Mexico, which are adjacent to the U.S.
Be prepared to pay for upfront costs if you need emergency healthcare while traveling out of the country.
Table of contents
People with original Medicare can travel anywhere in the U.S. and its territories and be covered by any healthcare provider that accepts Medicare. But if you want to see the rest of the world, Medicare generally won’t pay for any medical expenses incurred while abroad. Part D prescription medication coverage also ends at the U.S. border.
If you plan to be a world traveler, consider signing up for one of the six Medicare supplement plans, or Medigap, that offer emergency coverage as a benefit. Below, we break down the details of how Medigap policies with foreign-travel emergency healthcare coverage work.
When will Medicare cover your medical expenses while traveling abroad?
Some healthcare costs can be covered by Medicare outside of the U.S. under certain circumstances:
If you are in the U.S. when you have a medical emergency and a foreign hospital (such as Canadian or Mexican) is closer than a U.S. hospital, you can be treated there and Medicare will pay.
If you are driving through Canada from Alaska to another state, you can get emergency treatment in Canada.
If you live in the U.S. but a foreign hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital, you can go there for treatment — even if it isn’t an emergency.
Medicare also may cover “medically necessary” healthcare services on a cruise ship if the ship is docked in a U.S. port or is no more than 6 hours away from a U.S. port — even if it isn’t an emergency.
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What are Medigap plans?
Medigap is supplemental private insurance that you can use in addition to Medicare. It consists of 10 different plans that help you pay for out-of-pocket costs such as copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles for services that are covered under original Medicare (Part A and Part B). If you need emergency healthcare services outside of the U.S., some Medigap plans offer that additional coverage.
What Medigap plans are available for emergency healthcare while traveling?
Medigap plans C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, M, and N provide emergency healthcare coverage for people while traveling. Of those, the six standard Medigap policies with foreign-travel emergency healthcare coverage are C, D, F, G, M, and N. It’s important to compare the Medigap benefits offered by each plan to determine what works best for you.
Medigap policies E, H, I, and J offer foreign-travel emergency healthcare coverage but are closed to new buyers. Though the policies are no longer for sale, people who already have them can keep them.
Three states have their own rules
Medicare supplement plans in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin differ from those available in other states:
Massachusetts: You can get foreign-travel emergency healthcare coverage if you purchase the state’s Supplement 1 and 1A plans.
Minnesota: Both the Basic and Extended Basic plans pay 80% of foreign-travel emergency costs.
Wisconsin: The core Medicare supplement plan doesn’t include foreign-travel benefits. But insurers that sell Medigap plans can offer travel insurance as an additional benefit.
Do all Medigap plans offer the same amount of protection?
Medigap plans are identified with different letters, and some of them are no longer for sale to new buyers. But all of them — including those offered by Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin — provide the same level of emergency healthcare benefits. The Wisconsin plan charges an additional premium for travel benefits.
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What does Medigap travel insurance cover?
The insurance is limited to the costs of treatment in the first 60 days that travelers are outside of the U.S. Coverage pays 80% of the charges for most “medically necessary emergency care.” Medically necessary is defined case by case by Medicare. Don’t expect your Medigap plan to pay for nonemergency surgery. Instead, it will pay to get you in good-enough shape to fly back home.
Neither Medigap nor Medicare Part D pays for medications outside of the U.S., but Medigap will probably pay 80% of the cost of medications administered in a hospital if they are “medically necessary.”
Medigap pays for an ambulance ride to a foreign hospital when you are admitted for inpatient services that are deemed medically necessary. It also may pay to airlift you via plane or helicopter to the hospital. In a worst-case scenario, Medigap won’t pay to fly your body home if you die.
What is the deductible for Medigap’s emergency travel health plans?
There is a $250 deductible for the Medigap travel benefit. People who have high-deductible plans F or G must have first met their overall deductible — which, in 2024, is $2,800 — as well as pay the $250 travel deductible before the travel benefit kicks in.
What factors raise or lower the deductible for Medigap’s emergency healthcare plans?
There is no way around these deductibles, although if you also buy a private health insurance travel plan, it may reimburse you for some or all of the Medigap deductibles. It’s a good idea to ask when you buy the private plan.
What out-of-pocket costs can you expect to pay for Medigap’s emergency healthcare plans?
You must pay upfront for the care you receive and apply for reimbursement later. Getting Medicare to pay isn’t a guarantee. Neither foreign hospitals nor cruise ships will file Medicare paperwork. You can download CMS Form 1490S (Patient’s Request for Medical Payment) in English or Spanish here. If you need help, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
What is the lifetime coverage limit for Medigap’s emergency travel plans, and how does it work?
There is a $50,000 lifetime limit on all Medigap travel plans. Once you have exhausted the $50,000 in benefits, you aren’t entitled to more. While $50,000 of coverage may sound like a lot, it isn’t. You might spend up to the $50,000 Medigap travel benefit with one emergency stay in the hospital.
How much of my overseas medical expenses do Medigap plans cover?
Medigap travel benefits are very limited. If you are concerned about the possibility of a medical emergency while traveling, consider buying private travel insurance. If you have a Medigap plan with travel coverage, choose a private plan that provides secondary coverage. Your Medigap plan will be your primary insurer and will pay first. The private plan will cover what Medigap doesn’t. Secondary travel insurance is generally cheaper than primary travel insurance.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, it may cover you when you are outside of the U.S. Check before purchasing private travel insurance.
Quiz: Should you get a Medicare supplement insurance plan?
The bottom line
Medigap travel benefits are limited. But if you’re planning a trip outside the U.S., these benefits can be worth having for peace of mind. If you decide to also buy private travel insurance to complement your Medicare supplement (Medigap) insurance while you explore the world, the combined insurance can provide a valuable financial safety net. Medicare recommends talking with your Medigap plan or insurance agent about your coverage before booking your trip.
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References
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2021). CMS 1490S: Patient's request for medical payment.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Items & services not covered under Medicare. Medicare Learning Network.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2023). F, G & J deductible announcements: October 2023 announcement.
Haass, D. (2022). Medicare reimbursement. MedicareFAQ.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Compare Medigap plan benefits.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Learn what Medigap covers.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Medigap in Minnesota.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Medigap in Massachusetts.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Travel outside the U.S.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Medigap in Wisconsin.
Medicare.gov. (2024). Medicare & You 2024.
National Council on Aging. (2023). Does Medicare cover you anywhere?
Steves, R. (n.d.). Do I need travel insurance? Rick Steves’ Europe.
Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. (2024). 2024 Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare in Wisconsin.
