Many retirees split their time between two homes or take frequent trips across the country. If that sounds like your lifestyle, the type of Medicare plan you choose can make a big difference in how easily you can get care away from your main residence.
Some plans are flexible and work anywhere in the country, while others are tied to local networks and can create headaches once you leave home. However, your choice of plans is only important if you are away for extended stretches of time, not for shorter trips of a week or two.
Here’s a look at your options and which plans are more suited for seniors with lifestyles that aren’t tied to one place.
Medicare Advantage plans
Medicare Advantage plans are built around provider networks in a specific service area. That structure works well for people who stay close to home, but it becomes limiting for anyone who spends months in another state or moves back and forth between two locations.
Limitations include the following:
- Most plans do not offer nationwide provider networks.
- Out-of-network care is usually not covered except in emergencies.
- Some plans allow only a limited amount of time away from their service area before you risk disenrollment.
- Routine care outside your home region may require higher copays or preauthorization.
While many Advantage plans cover emergency and urgent care anywhere in the U.S., routine or follow-up care out of state can be difficult and costly. That makes these plans a poor fit for snowbirds, RV travelers or retirees who regularly stay in different states.
Original Medicare and Medigap
Original Medicare provides nationwide coverage. You can see any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that accepts Medicare. There are no networks or geographic limits. That makes it the most reliable choice for people who move around.
Pairing Original Medicare with a Medigap plan offers even more protection:
- Medigap policies help pay deductibles, coinsurance and copayments.
- Plans G, N and (for those eligible before 2020) F are popular among frequent travelers.
- Medigap plans do not use provider networks, so you can see any Medicare-accepting doctor wherever you are.
- Several plans include limited foreign travel emergency benefits.
For snowbirds and cross-country travelers, this combination usually provides the highest level of flexibility and predictability.
Part D coverage
Most Part D drug plans can be used nationwide. You can fill prescriptions anywhere in the country, though your costs will be lowest at preferred pharmacies.
If you take daily medications and anticipate running low on your prescription, you can check whether your plan has preferred pharmacies in your destination before you leave.
Traveling abroad
Medicare’s international coverage is extremely limited. Neither Original Medicare nor Medicare Advantage covers routine care outside the U.S. Only a few specific emergency situations are covered, such as when a foreign hospital is closer than a U.S. facility, which would be the case if you were on a tour of Italy.
Medigap plans C, D, F, G, M, N and older plans E, H, I, J pay 80% of emergency care abroad after a $250 deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit. These benefits cover emergencies during the first 60 days of a trip.
Part D does not cover prescriptions filled in another country.
Takeaway
If you spend long stretches in different parts of the U.S., Original Medicare combined with a Medigap plan is usually the most travel-friendly option. It lets you see any Medicare-accepting provider without needing to navigate networks or out-of-area rules.
Medicare Advantage plans, while useful for many people, are not designed for a mobile lifestyle and can leave frequent travelers with gaps in routine care.
For foreign travel, Medicare offers only limited protection. If you are spending time abroad, consider buying travel health insurance, which can cover emergency treatment, medical evacuation and unexpected illness while outside the country.
