Before-you-go travel coverage checklist

Who this is for

Anyone leaving the United States for a vacation, a family visit, a cruise or a longer stay, whether you have Medicare, Medigap, Medicare Advantage, Medi-Cal, a job-based plan, a Covered California plan, another kind of coverage, or no U.S. coverage at all. It works for one traveler or for a household; use a separate copy for each person whose coverage is different.

How to use it

1. Print this page and fill it in by pen. Nothing you write here is saved or sent anywhere.
2. Start well before you leave, so there is time to buy extra coverage if you decide you need it.
3. Work through the sections in order. Section 2 tells you which questions in Section 3 matter most for your coverage.
4. Take the finished sheet with you, and leave a copy with someone you trust at home. Keep it private, and don't post it or share a photo of it publicly.

For the reasons behind each item, see Does your health plan cover you when you travel abroad?

1. The trip

2. Your coverage: tick each one you have

• Original Medicare (Parts A and B). Pays abroad only in three narrow situations, each involving a foreign hospital closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat you, plus some care on a cruise ship in or within six hours of a U.S. port. Plan as if you would pay the full cost.
• Medigap. Plan letter: ______. Plans C, D, F, G, M and N (and older E, H, I and J bought before June 1, 2010) pay 80% of billed charges for certain emergency care abroad after a $250 yearly deductible, up to $50,000 over your lifetime, if the care begins in the first 60 days of the trip. Plans A, B, K and L don't include this benefit.
• Medicare Advantage. Generally no coverage abroad. Some plans add emergency and urgent care as an extra benefit. Answer Section 3.
• Medicare Part D drug plan. Can't cover medicines bought outside the U.S. Does cover recommended vaccines, including some travel vaccines, with no copayment or deductible.
• Medi-Cal. No services outside the U.S. except emergency services that require hospitalization in Canada or Mexico. Call your plan or the DHCS Medi-Cal Helpline at (800) 541-5555 with the questions in Section 3.
• Job-based, Covered California or other private plan. Rules vary. Answer Section 3.
• TRICARE, VA health care, or a federal or union plan. Ask the program directly how it handles care abroad.
• No U.S. coverage. Travel medical insurance may be the only coverage you have abroad. Go to Section 4.

3. Questions to ask your plan

Call the member services number on your card. Write down the answer, the name of the person you spoke with, the date and any reference number, or ask for the answer in writing.

4. If you are buying travel insurance

"Travel insurance" can mean trip cancellation, travel medical coverage, medical evacuation coverage, or a bundle. Trip cancellation alone usually doesn't pay for medical care abroad.

What kind am I buying?

• Travel medical insurance (pays for care abroad)
• Medical evacuation insurance (pays for transport to a suitable hospital and, if needed, home)
• Trip cancellation or interruption (repays prepaid travel costs)

Check the policy for each of these:

• Covers every country on the trip and the full length of the trip
• Medical limit: $______
• Evacuation limit: $______. Takes me to: the nearest suitable hospital / home / either (circle)
• I understand that the insurer, not the traveler, decides whether an evacuation is needed
• Rules on existing health conditions (conditions treated in the 90 days before departure are often excluded)
• Any age limits
• Exclusions I care about: high-risk activities, mental health emergencies, pregnancy complications, civil unrest, war, terrorism, natural disasters
• Whether I must call before getting care
• Whether it pays hospitals directly or reimburses me
• Whether it pays first or only after my regular insurance
• 24-hour assistance line with medical staff. Number: ______________________
• How to file a claim, and the deadline
• If I am counting on a credit card benefit, I have read the card's benefits guide

Questions about a travel policy can go to your state insurance department. In California, call the Department of Insurance at 1-800-927-4357.

5. What to pack

• Insurance cards for every plan you have
• Claim forms, or a note of where to find them online
• Your plan's phone number for calls from outside the U.S.
• Travel insurance policy card and its 24-hour number, if you bought a policy
• A way to pay a hospital deposit, since many hospitals abroad ask for payment before care
• Your medicines and a current medication list (see medication safety during travel)
• Phone numbers for your regular clinician and pharmacy
• Address and phone number of the U.S. embassy or consulate in each country (or your own country's, if you are not a U.S. citizen)
• A copy of this checklist

6. Before you leave

• Check vaccines and destination health advice on CDC's Travelers' Health site.
• U.S. citizens: enroll in the State Department's free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so the embassy can reach you in a crisis.
• Leave a copy of this sheet with someone at home.

7. If you need care abroad

• Call your insurer or travel assistance line as soon as you can.
• Keep itemized bills, receipts, proof of payment, test results and the discharge summary.

8. After you return

• Share your records with your regular clinician.
• File claims promptly. For Medicare, use form CMS-1490S, generally within 12 months of the date of care.
• If a claim is denied, ask for the reason in writing and appeal.
• Free help: Medicare, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048; California HICAP Medicare counseling, 1-800-434-0222; Medi-Cal Managed Care Ombudsman, (888) 452-8609; Department of Managed Health Care Help Center, 1-888-466-2219, after you have complained to your plan first.

Limitations

This checklist gives general information as of October 22, 2026. It does not tell you what your own plan will pay; your plan's documents and its written answers do. Plan rules, prices and phone numbers change, so recheck before each trip. Medigap is organized differently in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The checklist is about getting sick or hurt while traveling, not about planning medical treatment abroad. It is not legal, insurance or medical advice. For questions about your coverage, ask your plan, your insurer, a free counseling program such as HICAP, or a licensed professional.

Sources

1. Medicare Coverage Outside the United States (fact sheet, CMS Product No. 11037) — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, April 2026.
2. Travel outside the U.S. — Medicare.gov, accessed October 22, 2026.
3. Medicare & You 2027 — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2027 edition.
4. Choosing a Medigap Policy — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, 2026 edition.
5. Claims — Medicare.gov, accessed October 22, 2026.
6. Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, § 51006, Out-of-State Coverage — as reproduced by the Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, accessed October 22, 2026.
7. Contact Us (Individuals) — California Department of Health Care Services, accessed October 22, 2026.
8. Medicine and Health — U.S. Department of State, last updated August 11, 2025.
9. Travel Insurance — U.S. Department of State, last updated August 11, 2025.
10. Crisis Response and Evacuations — U.S. Department of State, last updated August 11, 2025.
11. Travel Insurance — CDC Travelers' Health, last updated May 27, 2026.
12. Travel Insurance, Travel Health Insurance, and Medical Evacuation Insurance — CDC Yellow Book, 2026 edition.
13. Should I Get Travel Insurance? — National Association of Insurance Commissioners, June 16, 2026.
14. Medicare Counseling (HICAP) — California Department of Aging, accessed October 22, 2026.
15. File a Complaint — California Department of Managed Health Care, accessed October 22, 2026.
16. Getting Help — California Department of Insurance, accessed October 22, 2026.