Here is an interesting statistic. In 2019, 46% of all airplane passengers were 60 years of age and over. And why not? We have grandchildren, bucket lists and we finally have the time to visit those places we’ve always wanted to see.
It’s no wonder that one of the biggest areas of questions I get about Medicare is how Medicare works with travel. People worry, if I cross the county line and a tree from another county falls on my head, “Am I covered?” Or what if it’s a tree in Greenland falling on a traveler’s head? There are a few.
So, here is the skinny. Medigap supplements are national. If you live in Pittsburgh but want to see any doctor who takes Medicare in say Casper, Wyoming, go ahead. You’ll be covered the same as if you were in your home in Pittsburgh. The same privilege applies to clinics and hospitals.
Some people may even seek out medical facilities in other places that specialize in a medical condition which they have. One of the reasons to have Original Medicare and a Medigap supplement in the first place is what I call the Lance Armstrong factor. Lance Armstrong, the famed cyclist, had testicular cancer and went from Texas to Indiana for treatment. The reason why was because the University of Indiana Hospital was the best there was for his kind of cancer.
With a supplement seeking out specialty clinics in other places is doable. Feel free to travel anywhere in the country to seek out the best medical alternatives, just so long as they take Medicare, as most medical facilities do. Likewise, if you have one of your children living somewhere else and because of this that is where you want to get a surgery done, there’s no issue with doing so.
Another question I get is on International Travel. Both Plan G and Plan N provide emergency medical coverage for international travel with a $50,000 lifetime. It has to be an emergency though. But then, no one is traveling in Turkey and thinking, “I’m bored today. Why don’t I go see a doctor just as an activity,” if doing so isn’t an emergency.
Note though, that you will probably have to pay the hospital in another country and then seek a reimbursement when you get home. A Medigap supplement also only covers 80% with 20% being your own out-of-pocket cost. There is also a $250 annual deductible. Be aware that the out of country coverage in Medigap insurance is only good for the first 60 days away from the USA. So, if you are planning to go on the Viking Cruises 170 day round-the-world cruise costing a mere $79,000, from a medical coverage standpoint, it isn’t going to sail.
