health insurance italy
 

My mother has Medicare plus a supplemental. Someone told me that Medicare is not valid overseas? Does anyone else have any information about this and if this is the case, what would you recommend for an emergency supplemental for a two week trip to Italy. Thanks in advance!

You are correct - Medicare does not cover out of US; neither do any supplemental insurances I have heard of, although there might be some.

Insuremytrip.com gives comparisons of various trip insurances - this is where I think you need to start.

Likely the health insurance she needs will come packaged with other things she may not want (trip delay, luggage that may be covered on her home owners or renters insurance) but it also will likely include some things she may not have thought of - medical evacuation to US, trip cancellation in event of illness; some also have a provision for expenses related to someone from home flying to destination to be with her in event of serious illness or injury.

Cost of these is not usually huge compared to cost of trip - a few hundred dollars. Hope she does not need to use policy and has a good trip.

If she has not booked trip yet, you can buy policy within a very short time after booking and it will also cover pre-existing conditions.

Hmm. Must be a double post as I just responded to this on the Europe forum.

But bgr8ful and gail, yes, some Medicare supplements DO include foreign travel and completely cover you. My partner chose one from Principal Mutual which does.

Sorry, I am new to this and just realized that I had posted the question under US travel.....

Medicare does NOT cover overseas.

Most privately purchased (as opposed to employer supplied) supplemental policies have the option of a "foreign travel rider", which is usually quite inexpensive. I would suspect that you can add that at time of purchase or renewal--I'm not sure about adding it just when a trip is planned.

The tour company that we use (Grand Circle Tours) offers Trip insurance, which we always buy through them, even when we travel in the States. It covers just about everything plus trip cancellation, which, at our age (mid-70's)might be needed due to illness, or God forbid, death ;)