Posted 4/20/2024 11:09 (#10713326 - in reply to #10713221) Subject: RE: When traveling out of the US, will Medicare still cover you?
Highland Center, in Southeast Iowa
We've gone across the pond 3 times since we've been old, and no, from everything we've been told, Medicare is simply a pretty card in your billfold. No coverage. That's the info from 3 different sources as we've prepped for trips. Yes, we've bought travel insurance each time. There are several companies out there. Our current policy is thru LeisureCare Travel Protection. I hope we don't have to find out whether it's good or not.
Posted 4/20/2024 11:44 (#10713379 - in reply to #10713221) Subject: RE: When traveling out of the US, will Medicare still cover you?
Central NC
If buying travel medical insurance only covers from travel per your ticket, some cover you if you are hospitalized and unable to take the return flight
Posted 4/20/2024 12:37 (#10713428 - in reply to #10713221) Subject: RE: When traveling out of the US, will Medicare still cover you?
As said, Medicare won't cover you but you could get an add on policy like this from Blue Cross Blue Shield if you had them. Edit, maybe you don't even need to be a BCBS policy holder, might be for anyone.
Posted 4/20/2024 13:15 (#10713478 - in reply to #10713428) Subject: RE: When traveling out of the US, will Medicare still cover you?
West Central Illinois
German Shepherd - 4/20/2024 12:37
As said, Medicare won't cover you but you could get an add on policy like this from Blue Cross Blue Shield if you had them. Edit, maybe you don't even need to be a BCBS policy holder, might be for anyone.
We use GeoBlue. Very reasonable last time I used it. A few years ago I organized a photo safari to Africa for a group of eight. One guy ruptured a disk in his back out in the middle of nowhere. His policy covered a helicopter evac to a hospital and a plane evac from there to Johannesburg and the hospital stay. They would have covered surgery there but he insisted on flying back to the US. They paid for a first class ticket with lay-flat seats.
If he wouldn’t have had insurance I’m sure the bill would have been well into six figures. At the time, I think the policy was less than $100.
Posted 4/20/2024 13:58 (#10713541 - in reply to #10713221) Subject: RE: When traveling out of the US, will Medicare still cover you?
Sac & Story county IA
Medicare, no. I have bought travel insurance but never needed it. A friend of mine with serious health issues always bumps up medical coverage on travel insurance. The cost of increasing medical insurance from $5000 to 500,000 is not much. Even fishing in Canada, they don't want Medicare card, only credit card. The eye opening part is how much travel insurance goes up with advancing age.
Posted 4/20/2024 19:29 (#10713889 - in reply to #10713221) Subject: RE: When traveling out of the US, will Medicare still cover you?
Wheelersburg and Lancaster, Ohio
My uncle had a major surgery somewhere in Central American (can’t remember which country) while on a fishing trip. Didn’t cost him a dime. His Medicare policy was happy to pay since his care was about a third of what it would have been if it happened here. He said it was the cleanest hospital he was ever in. All the doctors and nurses were English speaking Europeans.