In our mobile society, people often vacation and even retire outside the United States. U.S. citizens and permanent residents generally are eligible for Medicare at age 65 provided the individual or spouse has worked at least ten years in employment subject to Social Security payroll tax. Medicare also is available to some younger people with serious disabilities or renal failure.
Medicare comes in two flavors. Original Medicare is a traditional health insurance indemnity plan with deductibles and percentage co-payments while Medicare Advantage plans are managed care plans that may require referrals and limit care to networks. Medicare covers certain pharmaceuticals under separate optional plans that can be combined with Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan or included within a Medicare Advantage plan While all Medicare plans provide comprehensive health care within the United States, what if you get sick outside the country?
Original Medicare doesn’t cover care outside the United States other than medical costs on a cruise ship in or near a United States port and very limited hospital costs while traveling through Canada to or from Alaska, where a foreign hospital is closer to a home in the United States than domestic hospitals, or when a medical emergency arises in the United States and a foreign hospital is closer than any domestic hospital. Medicare doesn’t cover drugs purchased outside the country, and except for limited emergencies, Medicare doesn’t even cover dialysis outside the United States.
While some foreign countries’ national health plans may cover Americans who receive care within their borders, Medicare participants generally must make their own financial arrangements for foreign emergency and routine treatment and costly evacuations for medical treatments. Two solutions are available to cover the nightmarish costs that can escalate out of control when a medical emergency arises abroad– supplemental Medicare coverage and private insurance.
Some employers and unions provide retiree coverage that supplements Medicare and may cover travel. Also, Medicare participants can buy optional Medicare supplement insurance against gaps in Medicare coverage such as deductibles and co-payments. These “Medigap” policies are sold by many private insurers as well as AARP and other affinity groups. Medigap premiums can vary considerably depending on coverage desired and the particular insurer, and not every Medigap plan covers medical care outside the United States.
Medigap plans are designated by letter, which indicates the benefits offered. More comprehensive Medigap plans offer some travel emergency coverage. Medigap plans C, D, F, G, M, and N (also E, H, I, and J if purchased before June 30, 2010) cover 80% of certain medical costs in foreign countries after a modest deductible with a current lifetime limit for foreign care of $50,000. Private travel insurance may be another option, but read the fine print to make sure it covers health care and not just lost luggage or trip interruption.
Medical emergencies can happen anywhere so it is important to have comprehensive medical benefits when traveling outside the United States. While Medicare provides high qualify insurance for medical costs within the country, it usually will not pay for foreign treatments or evacuations. To fill this void, Americans should consider Medigap plans or other insurance that covers foreign care. Finally, because limitations apply and benefits may change over time, contact your insurer before you travel outside the United States to make sure you have adequate coverage. The State Department website also can be a wealth of information on dealing with emergencies when traveling abroad.
Further information on this and other subjects is available throughout SpecialNeedsNJ.com. To subscribe to our frequent blog updatres, click on “entries RSS” to the left and then click on “subscribe to this feed.”
