Foreign Travel Brings Health Insurance Considerations
You have made your plans and are on your way to vacation in a far off exotic vacation destination. Still, you might have forgotten something amid all the arrangements and packing. If you become ill or experience an accident or need to be evacuated back to the U.S. are you covered for care? The possibility may be remote but still bears consideration. Alternatives may include your own regular health insurance coverage either through a group or private plan or Medicare if you are currently enrolled in certain Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plans that cover such travel (see below) or travel insurance purchased privately or through a travel agent.
As seniors venture overseas whether for recreation or new living arrangements, a key question to ask is what benefits travel with them. While Social Security benefits follow Americans to other countries, basic Medicare likely will not and seniors may need to be prepared for alternate arrangements. There are some exceptions for coverage for inpatient hospital services in Canada or Mexico mostly for U.S. residents who live nearby or are in transit to another portion of the U.S. (Alaska for example) or on a cruise ship in U.S. territorial waters. Medicare also does cover all 50 states and the District of Columbia as well as U.S. territories American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. However, generally speaking, basic Medicare does not provide coverage for hospital or medical costs outside these jurisdictions.
Some Medicare Advantage plans may come with worldwide travel benefits, although generally speaking Medicare Advantage plans do not travel well even when travelling to other locations inside the U.S. Medicare Advantage plans are very specific regarding benefits overall and the details of the individual plan would need to be explored.
Some Medicare Supplement plans, also known as Medigap, can provide Foreign Travel Emergency Health Care for travel outside the United States. These are plans C, D, F, G, M and N which list coverage up to 80%. See chart at https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/basics/compare-plan-benefits. An explanation is contained at the same web address “What’s included in foreign travel emergency care <for those plans that offer the care>?” “When you travel outside the U.S. most plans <as described> cover emergency health care, with a lifetime limit of $50,000. Plans may…<c>over foreign travel emergency care if it begins during the first 60 days of your trip, and if Medicare doesn’t otherwise cover the care…<p>ay 80% of the billed charges for certain medically necessary emergency care outside the U.S. after you meet a $250 deductible for the year… If you have plans E, H, I, and J that are no longer sold, they still cover foreign travel emergency care.”
Regardless of the coverage you may need to be prepared to submit the claims for benefits with documentation on returning to the U.S.
Consider travel insurance. Medicare recipients who are traveling might also seriously consider buying a short term travel insurance policy to cover health care expenses in other countries. Travel coverage could include evacuations such as when an accident or illness occurs on a cruise ship or in remote or difficult areas with limited access to health care.
One excellent source for information regarding health insurance for traveling and for living abroad as well is the U.S. Department of State website, Bureau of Consular Affairs at www.travel.state.gov. You can check out the sections International Travel/Before You Go/Insurance. Also, under Your Health Abroad/Check Your Health Insurance – you may find Are You Covered Abroad? You can also check www.aarp.org/travel . Another, obviously is your own insurance company or insurance agent.
Answers under the government site could be found for such questions as: What questions should I ask my health insurance company? Can the U.S. government assist me if I become disabled overseas? Where do I find a list of physicians abroad? What insurance information should I carry with me abroad? What are the current Travel Advisories? Also COVID-19 Country Specific Information, how to enroll in STEP, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program that allows you to enroll your trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate and how to locate Safety and Security Messaging. Also information regarding U.S. Based Travel Insurance Companies.
In brief, if you are traveling or moving overseas, you should spend some time determining health insurance options. Do not leave home without them.
About the Author Janet Colliton
Esquire, Colliton Law Associates, P.C. Janet Colliton has practiced law for over 38 years, 37 of them in Chester County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Her practice, Colliton Law Associates, PC, is limited to elder law, Medicaid, including advice, applications and appeals, and other benefits planning including Veterans benefits, life care and special needs planning, guardianships, retirement, and estate planning and administration.