Medicare & travel
Medicare stops at the border.
Original Medicare generally won't cover you outside the U.S. One hospital stay abroad can cost more than the whole trip. We'll match you with medical coverage that travels with you.
- ✓ Strong emergency medical limits abroad
- ✓ Emergency medical evacuation
- ✓ Pre‑existing condition waiver (when eligible)
- ✓ A licensed agent to explain it plainly
What Medicare actually does outside the U.S.
Original Medicare (Parts A and B) generally pays nothing for care outside the United States, apart from a few narrow exceptions, like an emergency where a foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. one. On a cruise, you're typically outside coverage shortly after the ship leaves a U.S. port.
Some Medigap plans help, but less than people assume. The foreign travel emergency benefit on most plans pays 80% after a $250 deductible, only for emergencies that begin in the first 60 days of your trip, and it carries a $50,000 lifetime cap. That cap can disappear in a single serious incident abroad. Medicare Advantage plans vary; some include limited emergency coverage overseas, and the details depend on your specific plan.
This is why travel medical coverage matters more after 65, not less. A good travel insurance plan brings real emergency medical and evacuation limits that travel with you, wherever the ship or the itinerary goes.
Coverage for travelers 65, 70, 75 and beyond
Age affects price, but it shouldn't put good coverage out of reach. We'll explain the medical and evacuation limits in plain language and match you to a plan that fits.