Travel Medical Insurance
Travel Medical Insurance for the Coverage Medicare Doesn't Provide Abroad
Medicare generally does not cover medical care outside the United States. If you travel internationally — a European trip, a cruise, a visit to family abroad — a travel medical plan fills that gap. As an independent travel medical insurance broker in Alexandria, VA, I help Virginia residents get covered before they go.
The quote tool below generates real plan options for your specific trip in a few minutes.
What Medicare Covers Overseas and What It Doesn't
Original Medicare, Parts A and B, generally does not pay for medical care you receive outside the United States. There are narrow exceptions — emergency care on a ship within U.S. territorial waters, for example — but for most international travel, Medicare coverage stops at the border.
Medicare Supplement plans include a foreign travel emergency benefit under some plan types, but it comes with a lifetime maximum that is relatively low, a deductible that applies separately, and an 80 percent coinsurance after that deductible. For a serious medical event abroad — a hospitalization, a procedure, or an evacuation — that coverage may fall well short of the actual cost.
Medicare Advantage plans vary. Some include international emergency coverage; many do not. If you're on Medicare Advantage and planning international travel, it's worth confirming what your plan actually covers before you go.
What Travel Medical Insurance Covers
Travel medical insurance is designed for medical emergencies that happen while you're outside the United States. It is not trip cancellation or baggage coverage — that's a separate product. Travel medical covers what happens to your health.
Emergency Hospitalization and Physician Care
If you need emergency hospital treatment or physician care while abroad — for an accident, a sudden illness, or a medical event — your travel medical plan covers those costs up to the plan's benefit limits. This includes inpatient and outpatient emergency treatment at covered facilities.
Medical Evacuation
If you experience a serious medical emergency in a location where adequate care isn't available, medical evacuation coverage pays for air ambulance transport to the nearest appropriate facility or back to a hospital in the United States. Medical evacuation is one of the most significant potential costs of a medical event abroad — air ambulance transport can reach $100,000 or more without coverage in place.
Repatriation
If you pass away while abroad, repatriation coverage pays for the cost of returning your remains to the United States. It's a benefit most people don't want to think about before a trip, but it's part of a complete travel medical plan and worth having.
Travel Medical Insurance Is Not the Same as Travel Insurance
These are two different products. Travel insurance covers your trip investment — what you paid for flights, hotels, and tours if you have to cancel or cut your trip short. Travel medical insurance covers emergency health care while you're overseas.
Some travelers need both. Others need only one. If you're not sure which applies to your situation, I can help you think through it before you buy anything.
A Note From Mike on Why I Get This Coverage Myself
Travel medical coverage is what I get when I go abroad myself. It covers what Medicare won't — and the evacuation benefit alone can be worth its weight. A serious medical event in another country without coverage in place isn't just a health problem. It's a financial one. A plan that covers emergency care and gets you home safely costs a fraction of what a single evacuation would without it.
Common Questions About Travel Medical Insurance
Does Medicare cover medical care outside the United States?
Generally, no. Original Medicare does not pay for medical care received abroad in most circumstances. Medicare Supplement plans may include limited foreign travel emergency benefits, but coverage levels vary by plan and are subject to deductibles and lifetime maximums that may be insufficient for a serious event. Medicare Advantage plans differ — some include emergency international coverage; many do not. If you're on Medicare and planning international travel, confirming your coverage before you leave is the most important step you can take.
What is travel medical insurance and how is it different from travel insurance?
Travel medical insurance covers emergency health care costs while you're outside the United States — hospitalization, physician treatment, medical evacuation, and repatriation. Travel insurance covers the financial cost of your trip if something goes wrong — cancellations, interruptions, delays, and lost baggage. They address different risks. If your concern is what happens to your health abroad, travel medical insurance is the product you need. If your concern is what happens to the money you've already spent on your trip, that's travel insurance.
Is there travel medical insurance for seniors traveling abroad?
Yes. Travel medical insurance is available to senior travelers, including Medicare enrollees, and is one of the most practical ways to fill the gap Medicare leaves for international travel. Coverage terms and pricing are based on age, destination, and benefit level selected. Most plans available through IMG Global are accessible to travelers at any age, though premiums increase with age and trip length. The quote tool on this page generates options based on your specific details.
Does travel medical insurance cover medical care in Europe?
Yes. Most travel medical plans through IMG Global cover emergency medical care in Europe and most international destinations. Coverage applies at hospitals and medical facilities in the covered region, subject to plan terms. If you're planning a specific trip to Europe and want to confirm coverage applies to your destination, run a quote with your destination and travel dates — the plan details will show covered territories.
How much does medical evacuation cost without insurance?
Air ambulance transport from abroad to a U.S. hospital can cost $50,000 to $150,000 or more depending on origin, destination, and medical complexity. Without coverage in place, that cost falls entirely on the traveler or their family. Travel medical insurance with evacuation benefits covers that cost up to the plan's limit, which is typically set high enough to cover a full evacuation for most international destinations. It is one of the more significant financial risks of international travel that most people don't account for until they're looking at the bill.
Get a Quote for Your International Trip
The quote tool below generates real-time pricing based on your destination, travel dates, age, and coverage level. Plans are available through IMG Global, one of the leading international medical insurance carriers for individual travelers