Lumaktaw sa pangunahing content

Medicare and Living Abroad

Medicare enrollment can be complicated if you live outside the United States. This means that you do not live inside the  50 states of the U.S, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands. Although Medicare does not typically cover medical costs you receive when you live abroad, you still need to choose whether to enroll in Medicare when you become eligible or to turn down enrollment. 

This is subject to consideration as well;

  • Whether you plan to return to the U.S.
  • Whether you are working or volunteering outside the U.S.
  • The potential costs of delayed enrollment

If you are 65 or older and qualify for Medicare, you can enroll in Medicare Parts A and B, also known as Original Medicare, either before or after you leave the U.S. However, you must remember that Medicare will typically not cover medical care you receive outside the U.S. 

Part A coverage is the best to keep even if you are moving abroad because you do not have to pay for its premium, or in other words, it is considered free. However, If you do not qualify for premium-free Part A, because you may only be able to enroll in Medicare if you live in the U.S., You can still have Part B coverage, but this time, you must pay the monthly Part B premium. You may want to keep Part B if you plan to move back to the U.S. in the future or visit frequently because paying the premium to keep Part B when abroad will ensure that Medicare will cover your care whenever you travel to the U.S. and that you will not face premium penalties or gaps in coverage.

If you fail to pay for Part B while abroad, once you move back to the U.S., you may go months without health coverage. This is because you may have to wait until the General Enrollment Period (GEP), which runs January 1 through March 31 each year, with coverage starting July 1.

If you have a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plan before you move abroad, you should disenroll and stop paying these premiums when you move because these plans require that you live in their service area in order to be enrolled.

Note that this information only applies if you are living abroad; it does not apply if you are simply taking a trip. 


If you have specific questions, contact the Social Security Administration (800-772-1213) or the Consulate or Embassy in your country of residence before making any final decisions about Medicare enrollment.

Mga etiketa:

Mga Komento

Mag-post ng isang Komento

Mga sikat na post sa blog na ito

NCOV -19 and MEDICARE 2020

Medicare Part B , which includes a variety of outpatient services cover medically necessary clinical diagnostic laboratory tests when a doctor or other practitioner orders them. Medically necessary clinical diagnostic laboratory tests are generally not subject to coinsurance or deductible. It will cover medically necessary imaging tests, such as computed tomography (CT) scans, as needed for treatment purposes for lung infections, however not for screening asymptomatic patients. For those imaging tests paid by Part B, beneficiary coinsurance and deductible would apply. If the Part B deductible ($198 in 2020) applies to the Part B services, beneficiaries must pay all costs - up to the approved amount of Medicare until the beneficiary meets the yearly Part B deductible. Once it is met, Medicare pays its share, and beneficiaries typically pay 20% of the approved amount of the service, except laboratory tests. There’s no yearly limit for what a beneficiary pays out-of-pocket tho
Mag-post ng isang Komento
Magbasa nang higit pa

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction

Cardiovascular disease generally refers to conditions that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Cardiovascular disease risk reduction visits can help detect and prevent this disease. How to know if I am Eligible? Medicare   Part B  covers an annual cardiovascular disease risk reduction visit with your primary care  provider . You do not need to show any signs or symptoms of cardiovascular disease to qualify for screening, but you must be considered competent and alert when counseling is provided.  During the screening, your provider may; Encourage aspirin use if the benefits outweigh the risks You are a man  of age 45-79 Or a woman of age 55-79 Screen for high blood pressure if you are age 18+ Provide behavioral counseling and tips to encourage a healthy diet Note: Men under 45 and women under 55 are not encouraged to use aspirin as a tool to reduce cardiovascular disease. How much will it cost? If you are eligible,  Original Medicare  will cover your cardiovascular disease risk red
Mag-post ng isang Komento
Magbasa nang higit pa

Lifetime Reserve Days

There are  90 days of  inpatient  hospital care coverage on Original Medicare for each  benefit period , In addition, you also have an additional 60 days of coverag e , called LIFETIME RESERVE DAYS .   These Lifetime Reserved Days  can be used only ONCE, and you will pay a  coinsurance  for each of it. To have a better understanding of it, let’s imagine an individual who had a 120-day  Medicare -covered inpatient stay, this means that they used 30 lifetime reserve days. After they have been out of the hospital for 60 days in a row, they will be eligible for another 90 days of hospital coverage because they will be in a new  benefit period . However, if they need  inpatient care  beyond the benefit period maximum, they will only have 30 of their 60 lifetime reserve days remaining. The above example illustrates that lifetime reserve days do not have to be applied to the same hospital stay. If you need to stay in the hospital twice for 120 days each time during different benefit
Mag-post ng isang Komento
Magbasa nang higit pa