Does Medicare cover me when I travel?
Medicare usually doesn't cover health care while you're traveling outside the U.S. There are narrow exceptions, such as some cruise ship care.
Don't know a word? Press any purple word to see what it means. They're all listed at the bottom of the page.
Goes deeper on: What doesn't Medicare cover? (Medicare Clarity Guide)
The short version
- Medicare counts these as part of the U.S.: the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.
- Cruise ship care is an exception when the ship is in or within 6 hours of a U.S. port.
- Foreign hospital care is covered only in rare cases. One is an emergency that starts while you're in the U.S., when a foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat you.
What can fill the gap
Six of the ten Medigap plan letters (C, D, F, G, M and N) cover foreign travel emergency care. Medicare.gov's fact sheet gives these amounts:
| Foreign travel emergency care | Amount |
|---|---|
| Yearly deductible you pay first | $250 |
| Share of billed charges the plan pays after that | 80% |
| Lifetime limit | $50,000 |
Some Advantage plans also cover emergencies abroad.
What it doesn't cover
The Medigap benefit is for certain medically necessary emergency care only. It applies if the care begins during the first 60 days of your trip and Medicare doesn't otherwise cover it. It stops at the $50,000 lifetime limit. If you travel or spend part of the year overseas, it's worth checking before you go rather than assuming.
Travel is one of the gaps covered in step 6 of our Medicare guide.
Your next step
A licensed support agent can go through your travel plans and your coverage with you.
No obligation. You can request help from one of our licensed support agents at any time.
See My Personalized OptionsWords on this page
- Deductible
- What you pay yourself first, before the plan starts paying its share.
- Medicare Supplement
- An add-on plan that pays some or all of what Original Medicare leaves you to pay. Also called Medigap.
Sources
All 2 checked October 7, 2026.