Is care outside the U.S. covered by insurance?
Medical care while traveling internationally. Here’s how each kind of plan usually handles it.
- Employer or MarketplaceCovered with conditions
Emergencies abroad are often covered, but you usually pay first and file for repayment; routine care and evacuation usually aren’t.
More details
Most job-based and Marketplace plans treat emergency care abroad as out-of- care: keep itemized bills and proof of payment to file a claim. Medical evacuation can cost $25,000 to over $250,000 and is rarely covered, so travel medical insurance is worth it for a long or remote trip.
Cost: You may pay upfront; reimbursement follows your plan’s emergency or out-of-network rules.
- Original MedicareUsually not covered
Usually not: Original Medicare rarely covers care outside the U.S.
More details
Limited exceptions exist (such as certain situations near the Canadian border). Many plans cover 80% of foreign travel emergencies after a .
- Medicare AdvantageCovered with conditions
Usually yes for emergencies: most Medicare Advantage plans cover emergency and urgent care worldwide, up to a yearly limit.
More details
Plans that include it often cap it, for example at $10,000 to $25,000 a year, and you usually pay the foreign provider and send the bill to your plan. Routine care abroad isn’t covered, drug plans don’t pay for drugs bought abroad, and some plans dropped worldwide coverage for 2027, so check your plan’s before you travel. Living abroad more than 6 months can end your enrollment.
- MedicaidUsually not covered
No, Medicaid doesn’t cover care outside the U.S.
More details
Think about buying travel medical insurance for the trip.
What usually has to be true
- Keep itemized bills and receipts translated into English when possible.
Good to know
- Travel medical insurance can fill gaps, including evacuation.
Related
- Emergency room · Emergency department care for serious injuries or symptoms.
Sources
Typical rules for 2026 plans, checked against these sources on October 20, 2026. Your plan’s own documents decide.
- 1What Marketplace plans cover
HealthCare.gov
Marketplace plans cover outpatient care, hospitalization, mental health care, prescription drugs, rehabilitation, laboratory services, preventive services, and other essential benefit categories.
- 2Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance)
Medicare.gov
Medigap policies help pay remaining Original Medicare costs such as deductibles and coinsurance; some plans cover foreign travel emergencies.
- 342 CFR 422.113: Special rules for ambulance services, emergency and urgently needed services
Code of Federal Regulations
The MA organization is financially responsible for emergency and urgently needed services regardless of whether the services are obtained within or outside the MA organization, and regardless of whether there is prior authorization for the services.
- 4Compare Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage
Medicare.gov
Medicare Advantage plans cover everything Original Medicare covers (except hospice, which Original Medicare continues to pay), usually use provider networks, often require referrals or prior authorization, and may offer extra benefits such as dental, vision, and hearing.
- 5Mandatory and optional Medicaid benefits
Medicaid.gov
States must cover mandatory benefits such as inpatient and outpatient hospital care, physician services, laboratory and X-ray services, home health, and nursing facility care; many other benefits, including adult dental, vision, and prescription drugs coverage details, are state options.
General information about how coverage usually works, not a decision about your plan. Your plan documents and insurer have the final word.