Avoid a Costly Surprise: Medicare's Limited Coverage for International Travel

One of the really big cliches that is repeated again and again is folks over the age of 65 taking a cruise on some huge ship to some exotic port or, a second honeymoon to Tokyo; London; Rome; or France or another well known city. Well while the trips may be great, there is a piece of Medicare that people may be missing before they plan their trip. The paragraph to follow is taken directly from a publication issued by Medicare....

Medicare coverage outside the U.S. is limited. In most situations, Medicare won’t pay for health care or supplies you get outside the U.S. The term “outside the U.S.” means anywhere other than the 50 states of the U.S., the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. There are some exceptions that would allow you to get coverage outside the U.S. under Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and/or Part B (Medical Insurance).

While the exceptions are nice, most people will not qualify - so be advised. You will note that part of the story says that a Go Fund Me page has been set up to pay for some of the medical expenses the subject of the news story incurred. I have often told clients and potential clients that Go Fund Me is no substitute for insurance especially since the cost of a quality travel plan is very small in comparison to the cost of the travel.

When I work with people who are purchasing some form of Medicare supplemental coverage from me I am fast to point out that Medicare does not cover most situations involving foreign travel and that the new Medicare beneficiary better be prepared to purchase short term medical coverage while they are out of the United States. These plans offer many options for deductible and maximum amount of coverage and can pretty much work with any budget and if you are spending all the money to go on a journey having the right medical coverage could be a life saver.

A story recently appeared in the local news for the area that I serve. Basically a married couple went on a trip like the one I described above. The headline said - Lake Grove family says they've paid $50K for hospital care for patriarch who suffered stroke on Jamaican vacation.

Lake Grove family says they have paid at least $50,000 for hospital care for their patriarch who suffered a stroke barely one day into his trip to Jamaica.

"He's lost mobility on his entire left side, he has some mobility on his right side and his speech has been impaired," said daughter-in-law, Samantha Alotta, on Saturday.

The family says they've had to pay the thousands of dollars to get him treatment at a private hospital in Jamaica and to pay for a private paramedic to fly home with him.

The family says while they remain shocked at the cost, they are grateful Dan will soon be getting treatment back on Long Island.

They say they reached out to a private healthcare service in Florida to get him back home.

"With his help, we have arranged a plan for our dad to come home...we're thankful that right now he is stable, his vitals are stable and he's making small improvements every day," Samantha Alotta added. "He is OK to fly, he is flying home tomorrow, on Sunday, and he will be transported directly to Stony Brook Hospital."

The Alotta family says a person from the U.S. embassy told them paying for private health care is not uncommon for travelers.

They say they wanted to share their story with News 12 to let other travelers know what could happen if they get sick while on a trip.

The Alotta family set up a GoFundMe page to help Dan on his recovery and safe return home.

Medicare publishes a very easy to understand fact sheet which covers everything you need to know about travel outside the U.S. and whether Medicare will or will not cover expenses. You can download it by going to this link…. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/travel-outside-the-u.s.

One final note: Some Medicare supplement plans will pay some of the costs associated with a medical calamity occurring outside the U.S.  specifically plans – C; D; F; G; M; and N.

Jerry Cohen is a Medicare Insurance Broker Licensed in NY. Life Insurance; Health and Dental for Groups, Executive Disability Insurance; Medicare Supplements. You can reach Jerry through his Medicare Agents Hub listing or through his web site, JerryCohenInsurance.com.