There’s No Off-Shore Medicare Help Aside From Rare Travel Exceptions

Your Medicare coverage pretty much stops at the U.S. border. There are only a few exceptions to this policy. I’ll cover those with a few more comments.

Make no mistake about it. Medicare is a U.S. based health ‘insurance’ program, and only for those who’ve reached age 65. You’ve been paying into it for most all your life. And you still must if you work and live abroad since you must always pay U.S taxes which include the Medicare tax. But if you move offshore, Medicare will not pay your health expenses that you incur abroad. You, of course, can come back to the U.S. to incur your expenses there under Medicare’s help. But the exceptions for Medicare help while outside has to do with traveling – and they are rather limited.

The Original Medicare Plan generally doesn’t cover health care while you’re traveling outside the United States. But note that Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands are considered part of the United States.

But there are some exceptions. In rare cases, Medicare can pay for inpatient hospital services that you get in Canada or Mexico. Medicare can pay only if:

* You live in the U.S. near a foreign (Canadian or Mexican) hospital, and you need emergency or non-emergency medical treatment. If a foreign hospital is closer or easier to get to from your home than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your condition, Medicare may pay for the services.

* You’re in the U.S. when you have a medical emergency. If a foreign hospital (Canadian or Mexican) is closer or easier to get to than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your emergency, Medicare may pay for the services.

* You’re crossing through Canada without delay between Alaska and another state, and you have a medical emergency. If a Canadian hospital is closer or easier to get to than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your emergency, Medicare may pay for the services.

-Normal or other Medicare coverage criteria also applies to the services you get in foreign settings:

Some Medicare Advantage plans may provide worldwide coverage benefits for health care needs when you travel outside the United States. You should check with your Medicare Advantage plan prior to traveling outside of the United States regarding worldwide coverage benefits.

Medigap policies C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J provide Foreign Travel Emergency health care coverage when you travel outside the United States. For additional information about what these Medigap policies cover and if they are offered in your area, please visit the Medicare site for finding Medicare Prescription Drug Program Finder. Just go online to medicare.gov/MPPF.