How does Medicare work when I travel?

Brought to you by- Senior Source Medicare Solutions

With spring in full swing and the summer travel months upon us, many of us will be traveling stateside or to a foreign country. An important part of planning is understanding how your Medicare insurance coverage works outside of where you live. This will vary depending on your type of plan.

If you have Traditional Medicare and a Medicare Supplement Plan, you may see any doctor or hospital in the United States that accepts Medicare, either for emergency or nonemergency care. Coverage outside of the United States is not covered by Traditional Medicare; however, your Medicare Supplement plan will provide emergency coverage outside of the United States.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, your coverage will depend on your network type, typically a PPO or an HMO. A PPO style network will give you national coverage for emergency, urgent care and nonemergency services. An HMO style network would only provide for emergency and urgent care services outside of your plan’s service area (typically the county or a group of counties around where you live). For foreign travel, the Medicare Advantage plan will provide emergency coverage only while outside of the United States.

When traveling internationally, we recommend acquiring additional Trip Insurance. This will typically give you additional health insurance protection when traveling. Most Trip Insurance policies will bundle other protections into the policy, such as lost baggage and last-minute cancellation coverage. Also, when planning international travel, it is a good idea to touch base with your Medicare insurance carrier to fully understand coverage outside of the United States.

If you have questions about your Medicare insurance coverage when you travel, give us a call today! Call us at (770) 913-6464 or visit our website at www.SeniorSourceMedicare.com.