Medicare usually stops at the border
Original Medicare generally pays nothing for care outside the United States. Some Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans include a limited emergency benefit abroad, often with a lifetime cap, so check what yours says before you assume you are covered. For most travellers this is the reason a travel policy exists at all.
Medical and evacuation limits matter more than the badge
An overnight hospital stay abroad runs into thousands; an air ambulance home runs into six figures. Judge a plan on those two numbers first, and on whether the insurer's assistance team can arrange and pay for care directly rather than reimburse you months later.
Age limits and age bands
Plans set a maximum age to buy, and prices step up in bands rather than smoothly. That means a birthday between quoting and buying can change the price. It also means the same plan can be good value at 68 and poor value at 76 — worth comparing again rather than renewing what you bought last year out of habit.
The waiver is the part to get right
Most claims by older travellers touch something a doctor has already seen. Without the pre-existing condition waiver, a claim traced back to that condition is generally not paid. The waiver has a deadline running from your first trip payment and usually requires you to insure every non-refundable dollar. How the waiver works.
Small things worth checking
- Whether a travelling companion's health can trigger a cancellation claim.
- Whether the plan covers a pre-booked excursion you already paid for.
- Whether your medication rules at the destination need paperwork.
- That someone travelling with you knows where the policy and the 24/7 number are.