Medicare 2026

Does Medicare Cover You When You Travel Outside the U.S.?

Traveling abroad is exciting, but it raises a practical question for anyone on Medicare: if something goes wrong overseas, will your coverage follow you? The short answer is that it usually does not, though there are important exceptions and some ways to add protection. Here is what to know before you pack.

The default rule: Original Medicare stops at the border

For purposes of Medicare, the "United States" includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. Outside of those areas, Original Medicare (Part A hospital insurance and Part B medical insurance) generally does not pay for the care you receive.

There are a few rare exceptions. The most common involves emergencies near the U.S. border or while traveling through the country: for example, if a foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat an emergency, Medicare may cover that care. There are also limited situations involving medical care on a ship in U.S. territorial waters. These exceptions are narrow, and the burden is on you (or the hospital) to show the situation qualifies. For most trips to Europe, Latin America, Asia or anywhere else overseas, you should assume Original Medicare will not pay the bill.

How Medigap can help abroad

If you have Original Medicare, you may also have a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy that fills in some of Original Medicare's cost sharing. Six standardized Medigap plans — Plans C, D, F, G, M and N — include a foreign travel emergency benefit.

Here is how that benefit works. After you meet a $250 yearly deductible, the plan pays 80 percent of the billed charges for medically necessary emergency care that begins during the first 60 days of a trip outside the United States. You pay the remaining 20 percent. The benefit has a $50,000 lifetime limit, so it is designed to help with a serious emergency, not to serve as full international health insurance.

Two important notes: Plans C and F are generally no longer sold to people who became newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, though people who already have them can keep them. And Medigap only works alongside Original Medicare; it does not pair with Medicare Advantage.

Medicare Advantage and travel

Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are offered by private insurers and must cover at least what Original Medicare covers. Many of these plans also include some coverage for emergency or urgent care received outside the United States, but what is covered — and how much you pay — varies from plan to plan. Some plans include a worldwide emergency benefit with a specific dollar limit; others do not.

Because Medicare Advantage plans differ in networks, cost sharing and extra benefits, there is no single answer here. Before any international trip, call the number on the back of your plan card and ask specifically about:

• Emergency and urgent care coverage outside the U.S.
• Any dollar limits or trip-length limits
• How to file a claim for care paid out of pocket abroad
• Whether you need to notify the plan before you travel

Prescriptions purchased abroad

Medicare Part D prescription drug plans do not cover drugs you buy outside the United States, even if the same drug would be covered at home. If you take ongoing medications, talk with your prescriber well before your trip about getting enough supply to cover you while you are away, and ask your pharmacy about rules for early refills when travel is the reason.

A separate reminder about Part D at home: the out-of-pocket cap for covered drugs is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027, and the most any plan may charge as a deductible in 2027 is $700. The base beneficiary premium used in the late-enrollment penalty calculation is $41.33 for 2027; actual plan premiums are set plan by plan.

Choosing coverage with travel in mind

If international travel is important to you, it is worth weighing how your coverage choices affect what happens overseas. Original Medicare paired with a Medigap plan that includes the foreign travel emergency benefit gives you a predictable, standardized overseas emergency benefit, but you pay a monthly Medigap premium and the benefit is capped. Medicare Advantage may include international emergency coverage as part of a bundled plan, but the terms differ, and the plan's network rules still apply at home. Neither approach is universally better; the right fit depends on your health, your budget, how often you travel and how much certainty you want. This article does not recommend one over the other.

Many travelers also buy separate travel medical insurance or medical evacuation coverage for trips abroad, since even the Medigap foreign travel benefit will not pay for things like a medically supervised flight home, which can be extraordinarily expensive.

When you can change coverage

The Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, with changes taking effect January 1, 2027. People who have Medicaid or Extra Help have a monthly Special Enrollment Period to move to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan, or to switch stand-alone Part D plans. Full-benefit dual-eligible individuals may also enroll in an integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) in any month.

Note that CMS typically announces the 2027 Part B standard premium, Part B deductible and IRMAA income-related adjustment amounts in the fall; those figures are not available yet.

Where to learn more

For official, plain-language information about what Medicare covers at home and abroad, visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week; TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. A little homework before you leave can prevent a very expensive surprise after you land.