Travel Insurance
Explore the World With Confidence
Medicare provides excellent coverage at home — but it largely stops at the US border. Travel insurance fills that gap so you can travel without worrying about what happens if something goes wrong.
Shop on Your Own
Browse Travel Insurance Plans Directly
Prefer to shop independently? Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions offers comprehensive travel insurance plans you can purchase directly — no advisor required. Medical coverage, trip cancellation, evacuation, and more.
The Medicare Coverage Gap
Medicare stops at the border. Travel insurance doesn't.
Original Medicare (Parts A and B) provides no coverage for medical care received outside the United States — with very few exceptions. If you have a medical emergency while traveling internationally, the bills are yours to pay out of pocket.
Emergency medical evacuation is the most significant risk. If you need to be airlifted to a hospital in a foreign country, or transported back to the US for specialized care, costs routinely reach $50,000 to $200,000 — entirely uncovered without travel insurance.
Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans F and G include limited foreign travel emergency coverage — typically 80% of billed charges after a $250 deductible, up to $50,000 lifetime maximum. This can help, but may not be sufficient for a serious medical event or extended hospitalization abroad.
Travel insurance bridges these gaps, providing robust protection for medical emergencies, evacuation, and non-medical travel risks — so your retirement travel is protected from start to finish.
Without travel insurance, you're responsible for:
- 100% of emergency medical bills abroad
- Medical evacuation: $50,000–$200,000
- Non-refundable trip costs if you cancel
- Hotel & meals during flight delays
- Replacing lost or stolen belongings
With travel insurance, you're covered for:
- Emergency medical and hospitalization abroad
- Medical evacuation and repatriation
- Trip cancellation due to illness or emergency
- Travel delays and missed connections
- Lost, stolen, or delayed baggage
What's Covered
Comprehensive protection for every part of your trip
Emergency Medical Coverage
Pays for doctor visits, hospitalizations, and emergency treatment you need while traveling — including outside the US where Medicare won't pay.
Medical Evacuation
If you need to be airlifted to a hospital or transported back to the US for treatment, medical evacuation can cost $50,000–$200,000 without coverage. Travel insurance covers it.
Trip Cancellation & Interruption
If you have to cancel or cut short a trip due to illness, injury, or a covered event, you recover non-refundable deposits, flights, and hotel costs.
Baggage & Personal Effects
Coverage for lost, stolen, or delayed luggage and personal belongings — so a lost bag doesn't derail your trip.
Travel Delay
If your trip is significantly delayed due to a covered reason, you're reimbursed for meals, accommodation, and other expenses incurred during the delay.
24/7 Assistance Services
Access to round-the-clock travel assistance — including help finding local medical providers, arranging emergency travel, and coordinating claims — anywhere in the world.
Choosing Your Policy
Per-trip vs. Annual coverage
Per-Trip Policy
Purchased for a single trip. Covers you from departure to return. Best if you travel once or twice a year. Typically the most comprehensive option — you can tailor the coverage period, medical limits, and cancel-for-any-reason provisions to your specific trip.
Annual Multi-Trip Policy
Covers unlimited trips for an entire year, usually with a maximum trip duration (e.g., 30–60 days per trip). Best if you travel frequently. Often more economical for three or more international trips per year, and you never have to remember to purchase coverage before each departure.
Ready to travel without worry?
We'll help you find the right travel insurance alongside your Medicare coverage — so you have complete protection at home and abroad.
Prefer to purchase directly? Get an instant quote from Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions — one of our recommended carriers.
Get a Quote Online