Medicare · Guide
Medicare and travel
How far Medicare follows you depends on the kind you have. Original Medicare works anywhere in the US with no network; Medicare Advantage is tied to a local service area. Outside the US, Original Medicare rarely covers care, though some Medigap plans add foreign travel emergency coverage. These guides cover travel at home, abroad, and living overseas.
Where Medicare follows you depends entirely on the kind you have. Original Medicare goes anywhere in the country with no network; Medicare Advantage is built around a local service area. And once you leave the US, the rules change again. If you travel often, split the year between two homes, or live overseas, that distinction can be the most important factor in choosing your coverage. The guides below walk through each situation.
Coverage on the move
Traveling in the US
Original Medicare goes anywhere; Advantage stays local.
Read more →Foreign travel
What Medicare covers outside the US, and the Medigap benefit.
Read more →Living abroad
Whether to keep Part B if you retire overseas.
Read more →Snowbirds
Coverage that works in two states across the year.
Read more →The short version
If portability matters to you, Original Medicare with a Medigap plan is the most travel-friendly setup — it works with any Medicare provider in any state, and some Medigap plans even add foreign travel emergency coverage. Medicare Advantage can still work for travelers, but you’ll want a plan built for it. When you’re ready, you can compare the plans available where you live.
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