Medicare travel supplement for U.S. citizens

[TMcA]

I just ran across an article in the New York Times that describes a "supplement" available to U.S. citizens which covers overseas medical expenses less a deductible. The coverage, called "Medigap", can be purchased in monthly increments. As with all travel insurance, the fine print is exhausting, but if you are planning a trip for 2023, it might be worthwhile to consider and you have plenty of time to wrestle with the fine print. This insurance does not cover a medical evacuation back to the U.S.

I have no 2023 plans for a long Camino, so please feel free to comment whether you find this coverage attractive or not.

What's Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?

Medigap is extra insurance you can buy from a private health insurance company to help pay your share of out-of-pocket costs in Original Medicare.

www.medicare.gov

Hope this may be useful to U.S. citizens.

 

[Kitsambler]

For US retired military personnel, Tricare for Life is our Medicare Supplement provider, and they are the primary payer for overseas medical expenses (whether residing overseas or traveling). Details here: https://tricare.mil/Plans/HealthPlans/TFL/TFL_O

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Medigap insurance coverage varies by the insurance company. It is intended to pay for medical costs that Medicare doesn't.

You can also sometimes get coverage for overseas medical costs from Medicare Advantage Plans. These are also provided by private insurance companies but how they work is they have plans to cover you and the government pays them from the monthly Medicare withholding from your Social Security instead of you using Medicare.

 

[ELHS220]

I just ran across an article in the New York Times that describes a "supplement" available to U.S. citizens which covers overseas medical expenses less a deductible. The coverage, called "Medigap", can be purchased in monthly increments. As with all travel insurance, the fine print is exhausting, but if you are planning a trip for 2023, it might be worthwhile to consider and you have plenty of time to wrestle with the fine print. This insurance does not cover a medical evacuation back to the U.S.

I have no 2023 plans for a long Camino, so please feel free to comment whether you find this coverage attractive or not.

What's Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?

Medigap is extra insurance you can buy from a private health insurance company to help pay your share of out-of-pocket costs in Original Medicare.

www.medicare.gov

Hope this may be useful to U.S. citizens.

Tufts Medicare Preferred Supplement is good. You have to submit documentation and proof of payment.

 

[TMcA]

@ELHS220 - Sounds great. Is this a retirement plan offered by Tufts? Or can anyone in the state of MA (or elsewhere) sign up for it?

 

[trecile]

Medigap is not a policy that you can buy for a few weeks or months for traveling.
When one goes on Medicare they need/should either purchase a Medigap plan to pay the costs that Medicare doesn't cover or go on a Medicare Advantage plan.

There are different levels of Medigap plans, and the most popular ones do cover medical treatment abroad.

That said, I would still purchase travel medical insurance, because the medigap policies don't cover everything.

 

[ELHS220]

@ELHS220 - Sounds great. Is this a retirement plan offered by Tufts? Or can anyone in the state of MA (or elsewhere) sign up for it?

@ELHS220 - Sounds great. Is this a retirement plan offered by Tufts? Or can anyone in the state of MA (or elsewhere) sign up for it?

I am a retired MA teacher and this was one of the plans offered. I pay half and the town pays half. I am not sure if it is open to one and all or not.

Here is the link to the plan handbook…..

https://www.tuftsmedicarepreferred.org/2022-supp-one-policy

 

[trecile]

The coverage, called "Medigap", can be purchased in monthly increments.

That's not really how Medigap insurance works. It's not meant to be travel insurance.

I'm closing this thread because it's only barely Camino related, and we don't need to go into the complexity of the Medicare system.

Before going on the Camino everyone should review what their health insurance covers (or not) while they are traveling and purchase travel insurance as needed.