Medicare Advantage Plan (UHC) vs. international insurance plan

My GEHA health insurance covered my wife's visit to the hospital, x-rays, and medicine in Türkiye in 2019. Our travel insurance was secondary coverage.

and it appears that emergency transports are fully covered ($0 copay).
Transports? Does that mean the ambulance to the hospital or does than mean a trip home to the US? If to the US, I guess I would confirm, under what conditions, at who's request, and to where.

I can tell you what I have had to deal with, living in Hungary; and do remember the system, the costs and all the details are different in each country. Skip past anything that begins "In Europe they ..... " cause there very few standards for anything in Europe.

In right at 3 years without out-patient (doctor visit) coverage I have spent right at $2,000.00 (works out to about $55 a month) for 2-specialists four times a year, 2-specialist twice a year and a General Practitioner twice a year. That includes not less than 9 sets of blood tests, 3 chest x-rays, not less than 12 EKGs, 4 cardiac sonograms, an MRI, a colonoscopy and a minor surgery involving a knife and quite a few stitches and one 8 hour visit to an emergency room where I was wired and tubed. Yes, I am a freeking medical mess. My 8 meds cost about the same here with no insurance as they do in the US with insurance. BUT, not all that I want to take are available here. Two of my meds I have to send to another EU country to get. Takes almost 2 weeks.

In the event something bad happens I do have an Alianz Expat policy for in-patient coverage that pays 100% direct to most of the private hospitals in town; and I have what sounds like the same Medicare Advantage plan as you do. I supplement it with a MedJet Evacuation policy because I know that they provide the most generous terms for evacuation. But I do this because I live here and while I might go to the States for something very serious, this is my home and I would just assume go to the doctor here.

So, do you need more than your Advantage plan? Maybe not if the evacuation coverage is everything you think it is and will get you to where you want to go in the US if YOU want to go. Might also depend a bit on where you are traveling to. If you have conditions that could flare up, might be a good idea to make a list of a few private hospitals along the way.

Finally, let me say that in Hungary the healthcare isnt "better" than the US. I am not certain if its "better" any place in Europe. But it is different in a lot of good ways. Its not necessarily cheaper either. Well, for me it is because I dont work. But for locals the payroll tax that funds the "free" emergency healthcare takes about 40% of their paycheck so about the same cost relative to earnings as US health insurance. The public system if very "okay" here, but those with money get private care. I use private care. So, like so many other things around the world, those with money have advantages. But one remarkable difference is attitude. I would much rather navigate the healthcare system here in a language that I dont speak then deal with folks in the US. So much more caring, understanding and helpful here. You picked a good day for this, I just got an MRI this afternoon. Cost me 53.000 Hungarian Forints (about $150) and the staff could not have been any more helpful with an old guy who is claustrophobic.

I'd always read that Medicare does not cover you overseas but if I am wrong, that's great!
Just double check.....

Medicare and Medicare Advantage are not synonyms.

Coincidentally, I just checked my Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage plan for submitting a small domestic reimbursement claim. It was a small paragraph at the bottom of the much more lengthy international part!
When you say you "checked", was that from their travel FAQs or your card or did you actually dig around on the claims reimbursements webpage? It would be helpful to actually familiarize yourself with what you need to do, if not.
Kaiser expects you to let them know within 24 hours of hospital admission. But make sure you keep any and all receipts, itemized lists of treatments and complete addresses, etc, to upload once returned. I think calling a representative could be helpful, too.
Safe and healthy travels!

Emergency transport is not the same as medical repatriation. Emergency transport is to the nearest hospital. Medical repatriation is getting you home.

Medical repatriation is the thing that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

My employer provided health insurance covers me for emergencies overseas similar to what you have. I supplement that by buying a policy that includes medical repatriation.

I'm on a UHC AARP Medicare Advantage plan. I once called them and asked about coverage in Europe. They said that I would have to personally pay for charges in Europe but could be reimbursed once I was back in the US.

I also think there is a Medigap plan (J, ?) that pays directly for treatment in Europe.

I would proceed with caution - here is UHC boilerplate - for an Advantage plan for California residents:

When you receive emergency care outside of the United States under the worldwide emergency
benefit, only the medical services directly related to the immediate medical emergency are covered
while you remain in a foreign country. Follow-up care received outside of the United States after
your condition has been stabilized is generally not covered, even if the care is related to the original
emergency. Coverage is limited to emergency services required to stabilize your condition. Any
care received beyond stabilization must occur within the United States to be eligible for coverage.

Our plan covers worldwide emergency and urgently needed services outside the United States
under the following circumstances: emergency services, including emergency or urgently needed
care and emergency ambulance transportation from the scene of an emergency to the nearest
medical treatment facility within the foreign country. Transportation back to the United States from
another country is not covered, regardless of whether that transportation is via ambulance or some
other method of transportation. Any pre-scheduled services, scheduled appointments, pre-planned
treatments (including dialysis for an ongoing condition) and/or elective procedures are not covered
outside of the United States.

I am covered by Medicare and the Plan F Supplement through United Healthcare AARP. It is the Cadillac of all plans and closed to new enrollees. I have $50K international coverage with a small deductible.

United Healthcare has a very extensive travel insurance option that also covers repatriation if required home. My wife and I would need to acquire such a plan when we travel internationally again.

We have not yet seen the 2026 Medicare programs, but there have been changes to many Medicare Advantage plans I understand. Remember you only have 6 months after enrolling to get into Plan N or Plan G or you will have to go through underwriting. They would turn my wife and I down. My friend was on Advantage and he was found to have Stage III colon cancer. Radiation, chemo and surgery is going to cost him a bunch of $ in deductibles and co-pays. And he will never rate for a straight Supplement again. Beware of Advantage plans unless you are in tip top shape.