What Medicare Doesn’t Cover & How Travel Insurance Can Help

Summary: Medicare offers limited coverage abroad. Learn how Generali Global Assistance travel protection can help fill the gaps with coverage for emergency medical, evacuation, and assistance services.

Many American retirees rely on Medicare for their health insurance. However, Medicare’s ability to cover medical expenses that happen outside of the U.S. is typically really limited. This can be a real problem for seniors that love to travel.

Here’s what you need to know: What international medical expenses does Medicare cover, and how can Generali Global Assistance help bridge those gaps?

Does Medicare cover you during international travel?

The answer is almost always: no.

Medicare provides domestic coverage for seniors and others within the United States. However, outside U.S. borders, Medicare typically does not pay for health care or medical supplies.

In addition to the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Medicare will also cover you in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

There are a few rare exceptions to Medicare’s lack of coverage abroad, like:

If you're traveling between Alaska and the Lower 48 and the closest hospital to treat you is in Canada; or
If you live near the Mexican or Canadian border and the closest hospital that can treat you is in the neighboring country.

But these are exceptions – not the rule.

Do I Need Travel Protection If I Have Medicare?

It’s not mandatory, but highly recommended. Given Medicare’s limited international coverage, travel protection with medical coverage is a must-have for anyone of Medicare age traveling abroad.

Why? Because medical providers abroad are not part of the Medicare network or virtually any other U.S. healthcare insurance network and they often demand payment up front – sometimes in cash. While medical care generally costs less outside of the U.S., it’s still possible to run up a huge bill for even a relatively minor ailment. And should you need an Emergency Medical Evacuation, this can result in significant expenses.

Not all travel protection plans include medical coverage, so be sure to check before you buy. But the good news is – all our plans include Medical and Dental coverage! Our plans also provide No Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses service. This means we can schedule your doctor’s appointment and arrange upfront payment of up to $1,000 if you have an acute illness during your trip - for covered incidents while traveling in an area where this service is available.

Will Medicare Pay For Medical Emergencies On A Cruise Ship?

Medicare will not cover medical costs if the cruise ship is more than 6 hours from a U.S. port.

Necessary health care services on a cruise ship may be covered if the doctor is “allowed under certain laws to provide medical services on the cruise ship” and the ship is no more than 6 hours away from a U.S. port when the medical services are received.

How Travel Protection can help

Generali Global Assistance has many services and coverages that Medicare-eligible travelers may need when they go overseas.

We’re talking about things like:

Emergency medical treatment

Generali Global Assistance’s travel protection plans may cover expenses related to emergency medical treatments and transportation for unexpected, covered illness or injury that occurs during your trip and is physician-ordered, including:

Physician/nurse services
Charges for hospital confinement and services
Local ambulance services and emergency medical evacuation
Necessary medical care en route
Prescription drugs and medicines
Therapeutic services
Emergency dental treatment
Repatriation to a hospital or to your place of residence in the U.S., when deemed medically necessary and approved.

With Generali Global Assistance travel insurance and assistance services, you may be reimbursed for costs that aren’t covered by Medicare or standard health insurance.

Generali Global Assistance’s medical case managers understand how to manage international medical providers and can help get the treatment you need. Generali Global Assistance can also help coordinate transportation to an appropriate medical facility, whether that’s in-country or back home, when deemed medically necessary and approved.

One of the upsides about travel medical protection is that it’s uncomplicated. If a medical expense is covered it’s paid, up to the limits of the plan or in some cases reimbursed. Straightforward medical coverage like this is so important when you’re sick or injured overseas and need treatment. When choosing travel protection, look for the highest levels of emergency medical coverage you can afford. With Generali Global Assistance’s Premium Pla n, you get $250,000 per person of Medical and Dental coverage.

Hospital companion benefit: If you’re traveling alone and hospitalized for more than seven days due to a covered incident, coverage may be included to fly one person of your choosing to accompany you. Generali Global Assistance’s plans may also provide coverage for their lodging, meals, local transportation, and telephone calls during this time (up to $10,000 limit applies for companion hospitality expenses).

flight crew, doctor, paramedics airlifting a woman, helicopter, stretcher, medical

Emergency Assistance and Transportation

When it comes to Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage, Medicare is not guaranteed to cover an emergency medical evacuation or ambulance ride, even if it happens stateside. And if it is covered, there are copays and deductibles that you typically need to pay.

If you’re a Medicare-age senior, having travel protection with coverage for emergency medical evacuation is an absolute must, even if you’re just traveling domestically. Travel protection with coverage for medical evacuation can help keep travelers from getting stuck with the costs if seriously injured or sickened on a trip.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), medical evacuation by air ambulance can cost more than $100,000 and if you are traveling internationally. In a remote area the cost can be even greater.

Generali Global Assistance travel protection plans include Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage limits from $250,000 to $1 million per person, depending on the plan you choose.**

Medical repatriation benefit: Once a covered medical evacuation occurs, we monitor the situation and when you are well enough to travel, we use our network of resources to help you get home safely. For non-emergency situations, the plan provides coverage for medically necessary transportation to a hospital or to your place of residence. In lieu of returning to your place of residence, you may choose to be returned to an alternative U.S. city if proper care for your condition is not available locally.

Trip Interruption coverage

The other part of an overseas medical emergency that Medicare doesn’t begin to touch is this: What happens to all the money you spent on the rest of your trip if a medical emergency forces you to interrupt your trip in order to receive treatment?

Generali Global Assistance travel protection plans may not only help reimburse you for unused, prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses, they may also help pay for transportation back home if certain covered events like your medical emergency forces you to interrupt your trip.

24/7 Travel Assistance

Navigating the medical system in a foreign country can be daunting.

Fortunately, Generali Global Assistance offers 24/7 Travel Assistance to help you understand the process, find a nearby hospital, arrange for medical transport, and handle the collateral issues that go with a medical emergency – things like rescheduling itineraries, changing arrangements, and canceling reservations.

Generali Global Assistance travel assistance is there when you need it and can provide live help with issues while traveling.

Medicare has an indispensable place within the American healthcare system, but once you leave the country Medicare typically stays behind.

International travel protection for people covered under Medicare isn’t a luxury; it's a necessity.

As you run the numbers for your next journey, factor in travel protection and peace of mind provided by Generali Global Assistance. Get a quote today.