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BREAKING DOWN THE MEDIGAP FOREIGN TRAVEL BENEFIT
Updated: Sep 1
Michael T Braden July 27, 2026 MEDICARE NEWS
BREAKING DOWN HOW THE MEDIGAP FOREIGN TRAVEL BENEFIT WORKS
I have spoken to several clients in the past couple of weeks who had questions about overseas coverage with Medicare. Many retirees have looked at other countries to either move to or to spend part of the year. And one concern is Healthcare and the cost and quality of healthcare. So, without naming any countries (Hint: one is known for its canal), I thought it was time to write an updated article about the Medicare Supplement/Medigap Emergency Foreign Travel Benefit.
The Medicare Supplement/Medigap foreign travel benefit can help with health emergencies outside the United States. Original Medicare does not cover care outside the United States except in a few narrow border situations. Medigap Plans C, D, F, G, M, and N include a foreign travel emergency benefit: after a $250 yearly deductible, they pay 80% of covered emergency costs in a trip's first 60 days, up to a $50,000 lifetime cap.
A medical emergency in a U.S. hospital and the same emergency in a hospital overseas can produce two very different bills, and two very different answers from your Medicare coverage. Original Medicare stops paying almost entirely once you leave the country. A handful of Medigap plans cover part of that gap, but only under specific conditions.
It is super important that everyone understands exactly what that foreign travel benefit covers, and where it stops, before you book a trip, not after you are standing in a foreign emergency room. This guide breaks down which Medigap plans include the benefit, exactly how the deductible and coverage limits work, and what you still need to plan for on your own.
WILL ORIGINAL MEDICARE COVER ME OUT OF THE COUNTRY?
Original Medicare, Parts A and B, generally stops paying for care the moment you leave the United States. Medicare Part A and Part B were built around the U.S. healthcare system, and that coverage does not extend across the border in most situations.
Original Medicare covers foreign care in only three narrow situations:
A medical emergency on a ship within U.S. territorial waters
An emergency where a Canadian or Mexican hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital
Certain care received in Canada while traveling directly between Alaska and another U.S. state.
Outside those three exceptions, you are responsible for the full cost of any care you receive abroad under Original Medicare alone. That is exactly the gap the Medigap foreign travel benefit was designed to help close.
WHICH MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT/MEDIGAP PLANS INCLUDE FOREIGN TRAVEL BENEFITS
Six of the ten standardized MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT/ MEDIGAP plans include a foreign travel emergency benefit: Plans C, D, F, G, M, and N. The remaining four, Plans A, B, K, and L, do not include this benefit at all.
Includes Foreign Travel Benefit | Medigap Plans |
Yes | C, D, F, G, M, N |
No | A, B, K, L |
Because Medigap benefits are federally standardized, the foreign travel benefit is identical across every insurer offering these six plans. A Plan G policy from one company covers foreign travel the same way as a Plan G policy from a competitor. If international travel is a regular part of your life, confirm your plan letter includes it first. From there, compare the overall cost and value of each plan rather than choosing based on this one benefit alone.
HERE IS HOW THE MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT/MEDIGAP PLAN WORKS FOR FOREIGN TRAVEL
The benefit only applies to medically necessary emergency care that begins during the first 60 days of a trip outside the United States. Once you meet that condition, coverage follows a simple structure.
You pay a $250 deductible per calendar year, not per trip.
After the deductible, your Medigap plan pays 80% of the billed charges.
You are responsible for the remaining 20% coinsurance.
Coverage is capped at a $50,000 lifetime maximum, combined across every trip you ever take
Here is an easy-to-follow scenario to help you better understand your cost sharing. If a foreign emergency room bill comes to $10,000, you would pay the first $250, then 20% of the remaining $9,750, or $1,950. Your Medigap plan would pay the other $7,800, leaving you responsible for $2,200 total out of a $10,000 bill.
The Deductible Resets Once a Year, Not Once a Trip: If you take three international trips in the same calendar year, you pay the $250 deductible only once. Every eligible emergency claim after that during the same year is subject only to the 80/20 coinsurance split.
THINGS THAT ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT/MEDIGAP FOREIGN TRAVEL
The foreign travel benefit is deliberately narrow. Knowing what it doesn't cover prevents an unpleasant surprise when a claim is denied.
Routine or non-emergency care received outside the U.S.
Any care received after the first 60 days of a trip
Costs above your $50,000 lifetime maximum
Repatriation, meaning medical transport back to the United States
Medications, equipment, or follow-up care unrelated to the emergency itself
KNOWING THE 60-DAY RULE IS IMPORTANT
The 60-day window starts on the first day of your trip, not the date of the emergency. If you are on a 90-day trip and a medical emergency happens on day 70, the Medigap foreign travel benefit will not apply, even though the same emergency would have qualified earlier in the trip.
This detail matters most if you are planning a long-term stay in a foreign city/country, or if you live abroad part time. The benefit covers only the first 60 days of your trip, and insurance companies typically cross-reference your passport to verify this.
Your benefit period starts on day one of your trip. The Foreign Travel Benefit protects only the first two months; for example, if you have an emergency on day 45 of a 90-day trip, you are still covered. An emergency on day 65 of that same trip is not, even though it is the same continuous trip. Mark your own 60-day cutoff on the calendar before you leave.
WILL YOU NEED OTHER TRAVEL INSURANCE?
The Medigap Foreign Travel Benefit really does not provide enough protection on its own, so we recommend you get Visitors Health Insurance from the country you are visiting. Visitor Insurance is very reasonable and can usually be found on the country's website. For most short trips within the 60-day window, the Medigap benefit provides meaningful protection on its own. For extended trips, lengthy cruises, or travel to remote areas, it usually isn't enough on its own.
Consider a separate travel insurance policy if any of the following apply to your trip:
Your trip will last longer than 60 days.
You want coverage for medical evacuation or repatriation, which Medigap does not include.
You want protection for non-emergency care, lost luggage, or trip cancellation.
Travel insurance and the Medigap benefit are not competitors. Travel insurance is built to fill exactly the gaps the Medigap benefit leaves open.
Please do not be penny-wise and pound-foolish on your trip. You have worked hard; you deserve to relax and have the time of your life, so please make sure that you have adequate Health Insurance whenever you are away on an extended trip.
STEPS TO FOLLOW IF YOU ENCOUNTER AN EMERGENCY SITUATION ON YOUR OVERSEAS TRIP
1. GET EMERGENCY CARE IMMEDIATELY IF NEEDED
Do not delay treatment to check coverage details first. Seek the nearest appropriate emergency care.
Most foreign providers expect payment at the time of service. Use a credit card when possible and keep the receipt for your claim.
3. KEEP ALL RECEIPTS AND YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS
Save itemized bills, discharge paperwork, and proof of payment. Foreign providers may not automatically send these to your insurer.
4. FILE YOUR CLAIM PROMPTLY WHEN YOU RETURN HOME
Submit your documentation to your Medigap insurer and ask about their specific foreign claims process, since it can differ from a domestic claim.
5. FOLLOW UP ANYTIME YOU THINK YOUR CLAIM IS DELAYED
Foreign claims can take longer to process than domestic ones. Contact your insurer directly if you don't hear back within a few weeks.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS RELATING TO FOREIGN TRAVEL
DO ANY MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS COVER CARE OVERSEAS
Some Medicare Advantage plans include limited foreign travel emergency coverage, but it is not standardized the way Medigap's benefit is. Coverage, cost sharing, and limits vary by plan and insurer. Check your plan's Evidence of Coverage document directly, since two Medicare Advantage plans from different companies can handle foreign emergencies very differently. Word on the streets in Panama is that Humana has a reputation for taking a long time to pay benefits, so if you like Medicare Advantage plans. You like to travel, Atena, AARP/United Healthcare, and Health Spring might be better options for you.
WHICH MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT PLAN HAS THE BEST FOREIGN TRAVEL BENEFIT?
All six plans that include the benefit, C, D, F, G, M, and N, offer identical foreign travel terms: a $250 annual deductible, 80% coinsurance, and a $50,000 lifetime maximum. The plans differ in other areas of coverage, so choose based on your overall needs rather than this one specific benefit.
IS EVACUATION TRANSPORTATION INCLUDED IF I NEED TO GET BACK TO THE US?
No, Medical evacuation is not a covered benefit. The costs are too high for insurance carriers to include.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I MEET THE $50,0000 LIFETIME MAXIMUM?
Once you reach the $50,000 lifetime cap, your Medigap plan will not pay for any additional foreign travel emergencies for the rest of your life under that policy. This maximum is rare to reach from a single trip, but frequent international travelers should know it does not reset each year. For those who decide to apply for a new Medicare Supplement/Medigap Policy, the $50,000 would start over again if you chose a different carrier.
WRAPPING THINGS UP
We hope you enjoyed today's article about the Emergency Health Insurance benefit, which is separate from Original Medicare and included in the six most popular Medicare Supplement/Medigap plans at no extra charge. If you ever have any questions about coverage, we always encourage Medicare beneficiaries to reach out to their Medicare Broker. If you do not have a broker, please reach out to us, and we will be glad to help you find a new Medicare Broker in your area. You can call or text Michael at (480) 225-1393, email him at mike@bradenmedicare.com, or visit our website www.bradenmedicare.com and complete a Contact Us form.
