Planning to travel internationally in retirement? Before you go, you need to understand one of Medicare’s most significant limitations: it generally does not cover healthcare received outside the United States.
What “Outside the US” Means
For Medicare purposes, the United States includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Healthcare received in these territories is generally covered the same as in any U.S. state.
Anywhere else — Canada, Mexico, Europe, cruises in international waters — is outside Medicare’s reach in most cases.
The Three Exceptions
Original Medicare does cover foreign care in three narrow situations. First, if you’re in the U.S. and a foreign hospital is closer than any U.S. hospital and it’s a medical emergency. Second, if you’re traveling through Canada between Alaska and another U.S. state and an emergency occurs. Third, if you’re on a ship within 6 hours of a U.S. port when an emergency happens.
These exceptions are genuinely narrow. Don’t count on them for planned or routine care.
Medigap and Foreign Travel
Some Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans include foreign travel emergency coverage. Plans C, D, F, G, M, and N cover 80% of the cost of medically necessary emergency care outside the U.S., after a $250 deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit. You pay the other 20% and anything above the lifetime cap.
This is meaningful coverage — but it’s emergency-only, subject to a lifetime cap, and requires that your condition genuinely qualifies as an emergency. Routine care, planned procedures, and follow-up visits aren’t covered.
Medicare Advantage and Travel
Medicare Advantage plans generally only cover emergency and urgently needed care outside the plan’s service area. If you travel frequently or spend significant time abroad, this is a real limitation. Always check your specific plan’s rules before traveling.
What to Do If You Travel Internationally
Consider purchasing travel health insurance or an international health policy for any significant international travel. These policies are typically inexpensive relative to the potential cost of hospitalization abroad. Some retirees who spend extended time in other countries purchase local health insurance in their destination country as well.
Ready to find your path? Start the Path Finder →