My wife and I are on Medicare and Tricare For Life. Does anybody know what coverage that might provide in the event of a medical situation? We'll be in Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
Once before, we were in Scotland and my wife had to visit the emergency. We weren't charged anything for that. In another time we needed a doctor to come to the hotel and paid about 150 Euro. Both these were years ago.
Call your insurance company and ASK. Medicare does not provide any care outside of the US. Have absolutely no idea what Tricare For Life is. Our supplemental (local BC/BS plan) does provide some limited reimbursing if outside the US. Second we also a yearly medical evacuation policy that will gets us to an appropriate state side hospital or home if in the US. The medical fees in Europe tend to be inexpensive (compared to the US) so we do not worry about small items. It is just the big ones we want covered especially if we need special transportation to get home.
Evacuation cost can be very costly and is not covered by Medicare.
Don't know about Tricare.
There are reasonably priced evacuation policies, at least reasonable considering the $50,000 or more it could cost if you're not covered.
European hospitals are probably not obligated to keep you for more than a certain period in their hospitals and they would expect you to have yourself evacuated to the US.
FYI - Tricare For Life (TFL) is medical care for retired military.
We have worldwide 24 hr emergency return back to the US covered with MASA. Just wondering if anybody has recent anecdotal information.
I believe that Tri-Care requires you to register regionally for routine care, and I doubt you would be allowed to register for Tri-Care in Europe for a vacation. I believe, though, that it covers world-wide emergency expenses, provided that you are in the country legally.
You can NOT use the US military health care facilities in Europe unless you are enrolled in the clinics, and even then, care is offered only on a space-available basis to retirees.
There is no "regional registration". Claims are administered by a government contractor based on regions of the country, but I can go anywhere in the US and be covered. My retired Military ID card is all the registration I need.
Yes, but the point is that in order to use Tricare overseas for routine medical care, you have to enroll in one of the overseas regions, and they set you up with participating local physicians. From what I understand from an expat I knew when I lived in Germany, who moved there years after he retired from the service, he couldn't use Tricare until he registered. And he had to submit documentation that he was living in Germany legally and permanently.
As mentioned, though, I'm pretty sure emergency expenses are covered everywhere.
Ah! Did not know that. It wasn't an issue when I was traveling overseas for duty or business reasons and we haven't had to rely on Tricare in our pleasure travel since only minor medical things have come up..
Thanks for the info.
I sign up for Medjet Assist each time I leave the country. They are a medical evacuation company. The policy is good for a year and covers you if you are more than 200 miles from home.
We use MASA. It provides worldwide coverage full time for medical evacuations and mortuary recovery.
