In this guide
Usually not. Original Medicare pays for care outside the US only in rare situations. Some Medigap plans cover emergencies abroad at 80% after a $250 deductible, up to $50,000 for life. Planned care abroad, such as a checkup or a procedure you travel for, isn't covered by any of them.
Original Medicare (Parts A and B)
In most cases, Original Medicare won't pay for health care or supplies you get outside the US. The exceptions are narrow:
- You have a medical emergency in the US, and a hospital in Canada or Mexico is closer than the nearest US hospital that can treat you.
- You have an emergency while traveling between Alaska and another state through Canada, and a Canadian hospital is closer.
- You live in the US and a foreign hospital is closer than the nearest US hospital that can treat you.
- Some care on a cruise ship that is in a US port, or no more than six hours from one. Nothing once the ship is farther out.
Prescription drugs bought abroad aren't covered.
Medigap's foreign-travel emergency benefit
Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans C, D, F, G, M and N include foreign-travel emergency coverage:
| Feature | Terms |
|---|---|
| What's covered | Medically necessary emergency care abroad |
| Deductible | $250 a year |
| Coverage | 80% of billed charges after the deductible |
| Lifetime limit | $50,000 |
| Timing | The emergency care must begin in the first 60 days of your trip |
| Payment | Foreign hospitals don’t have to file claims for you, so expect to pay first and claim later |
These terms are from Medicare’s own fact sheet (April 2026). Plans C and F can’t be sold to people who first became eligible for Medicare on or after 1 January 2020. If you bought plan E, H, I or J before June 2010, you can keep it, and it covers foreign emergencies on the same terms.
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
Some Medicare Advantage plans cover emergency or urgent care abroad. Coverage varies widely by plan. Read your plan's Evidence of Coverage, or ask the plan in writing what it pays outside the US.
Planned care abroad isn't covered
A checkup, a dental procedure or surgery that you travel for isn't an emergency. None of the options above pay for it. If you're on Medicare and considering care abroad, budget for the full cost yourself.
Open enrollment: a good time to check
Medicare's open enrollment runs 15 October to 7 December each year. If you travel often, compare plans' foreign-travel terms, and look at separate travel medical insurance with medical evacuation cover. (See our guide on travel insurance vs evacuation cover.)
A checklist before any trip abroad
- Find your plan's foreign-travel terms in writing.
- Note the $50,000 lifetime limit and 60-day rule if you rely on Medigap.
- Buy travel medical insurance with evacuation cover for anything Medicare won't pay.
- Carry a list of your medications and conditions.
- Keep every receipt and report if you need care abroad.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: travel outside the US medicare.gov
- Medicare: Medicare Coverage Outside the United States, fact sheet (April 2026) medicare.gov
- California Department of Insurance: Medigap changes in 2020 (PDF) insurance.ca.gov
- AARP: does Medicare cover me outside the US? aarp.org
Please note. General information, not insurance advice. Confirm terms with your plan.
Reviewed at least every three monthsNo paid placementsInformation, not medical adviceOur editorial standards
Joe Yang, PhD, Economics. Joe Yang holds a PhD in economics from the University of Washington. For four years Joe evaluated the costs and savings of US health programs for insurers and employers at a health-analytics company, and before that studied pricing and demand as an economist at Amazon and a data scientist at Oracle. These guides apply the same discipline to a simpler question: what care really costs, and where.
