The general rule
For Medicare, the "United States" means the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. Everywhere else is outside the U.S., including Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Bahamas, Mexico and all of Central and South America. There, you usually pay all costs.
Medicare pays for a stay in a foreign hospital only in rare cases, such as an emergency inside the U.S. when the foreign hospital is closer. Those cases don't apply to a vacation or a visit to family in another country.
Medigap: emergency care abroad
Most Medigap plans (C, D, F, G, M and N among those sold today) include foreign travel emergency care:
- They pay 80% of the billed charges for certain medically necessary emergency care after a $250 yearly deductible.
- The emergency must begin during the first 60 days of your trip.
- The lifetime limit is $50,000.
Plans A, B, K and L don't include this benefit. See Medigap in Florida.
Medicare Advantage and Part D
Some Medicare Advantage plans may cover added services abroad; ask your plan before you travel. Drug plans don't cover medicines bought outside the U.S., so take enough with you for the trip.
Long trips: if you're out of your Medicare Advantage plan's service area for more than 6 months in a row, the plan must disenroll you; a Part D plan, after 12 months. See snowbirds and Medicare.
If you get sick abroad
Foreign hospitals don't have to bill Medicare. If your case qualifies, keep an itemized bill and send Medicare form CMS-1490S. Consider travel insurance and read its terms carefully. To review how your Medicare coverage would work when you travel, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent.
Related questions
Does Medicare cover dental in Florida?
When Medicare pays and other options.
How do I get rides to the doctor with Medicare in Florida?
Ambulance, Medicaid and county rides.
Does Medicare cover home health care in Florida?
Skilled care at home.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Fact sheet: Medicare Coverage Outside the United States, April 2026 (PDF)
- Medicare.gov — Travel outside the U.S.
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.74, Disenrollment by the MA organization
- CMS — CY2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Enrollment and Disenrollment Guidance (PDF)
More questions in this guide
- Does Medicare cover assisted living in Florida?
- Does Medicare cover dental in Florida?
- Does Medicare cover home health care in Florida?
- Does Medicare cover nursing home care in Florida?
- How do I get rides to the doctor with Medicare in Florida?
Part of the guide: Medicare basics for Floridians · All questions
Frequently asked questions
Does Medicare cover me in Puerto Rico?
Yes. For Medicare, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa are part of the United States. With Original Medicare you can see any doctor or hospital there that accepts Medicare. If you have a Florida Medicare Advantage plan, ask the plan how it covers care outside its network.
Does Medicare pay for medicines I buy in another country?
No. Medicare drug plans don't cover prescription drugs bought outside the United States. Part D does cover, in the U.S. and with no copayment or deductible, the vaccines the ACIP recommends, including some travel vaccines such as yellow fever.
Does Medicare cover me on a cruise from Florida?
Sometimes. Part B may pay for medically necessary services on the ship if the doctor is legally allowed to treat you on board and the ship is in a U.S. port or no more than 6 hours from one. If the ship is farther away, Medicare doesn't pay.
Will I lose my Medicare Advantage plan if I spend months abroad?
You can. A Medicare Advantage plan must disenroll you if you're out of its service area for more than 6 months in a row, and a drug plan after 12 months. Living abroad doesn't count as permanent residence in the plan's area.
Medicare in your Florida county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Miami-Dade · Broward · Palm Beach · Hillsborough · Orange · Duval · Pinellas · Lee · Polk · Pasco · Brevard · Volusia · Seminole · Sarasota · Osceola · Manatee · Lake · Marion · Collier · St. Lucie · All 67 counties →
