Angela A. Says:
My husband is turning 71 and I will be turning 64 this year. We are in good shape so far. We are planning to move to Portugal, but want to know about our Medicare and how to use it. Do you have any advice?
Medicare Expert Ron Elledge Says:
Hello Angela,
Let me congratulate you on your plans, it is an exciting time, and the future holds many blessings as you travel and possibly make a complete move.
While you are traveling and checking out where you would like to live you can certainly use the right Medicare plan coupled with a Transportation and Evacuation plan for medical coverage.
To get the most out of worldwide Medicare coverage the Advantage Plans are the most efficient. Most of them have coverage for worldwide emergency and urgent care services for up to 6 months per trip outside of the US. This gives you time to look around and get the feel for where you may want to put down some roots.
Realize that when you move overseas, if you decide you are not where you really want to stay, there are no mistakes just first steps, it is much easier to move to the next place.
Medicare will take care of any medical emergencies or urgent care needs while traveling throughout the world. However, when the emergency is over and there is extensive rehab or further care needed, a transport/evac plan will fly you back to the US where you will be covered by Medicare for the duration.
When looking at Transportation/evacuation policies be sure you select one that will allow you to be out of the US the length of your trips (some offer 90 day, 180, and 360 day options) I use the 180 day option because it works with my Medicare limitations. It must have a traveler care service that will advise you on medical matters while traveling overseas.
Because many hospitals internationally now demand cash upfront prior to treatment, and unless the hospital has an agreement with your US carrier you pay up front and file for reimbursement, I look for a Medical Emergency Cash Advance benefit.
Once you decide on the country you are planning on moving to contact the IL correspondent from that country. Ask them for the names of in country insurance agents to help you get set up with the type of insurance that country requires while you are in the process of obtaining your visa. For most countries, your Medicare will not satisfy their requirement for insurance while making application.
Read more about how to use your Medicare overseas in my book, Medicare Made Easy: What Expats, Frequent Travelers, And You Need To Know.
Got a Question?
Send your thoughts to mailbag@internationalliving.com. We’ll post and respond to as many of your emails as we can right here in the e-letter.