Medicare abroad: What you need to know before getting care overseas

When you travel outside the U.S., Medicare, the U.S. federal health insurance program for people 65 and older. Also known as Original Medicare, it almost never pays for care you get in another country. That’s not a loophole—it’s the rule. Most Americans assume their health coverage follows them overseas, but unless you’re in a U.S. territory like Puerto Rico, you’re on your own. This isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about knowing what’s covered, what’s not, and how to protect yourself when you need care far from home.

That’s why so many people turn to medical tourism, the practice of traveling to another country for affordable, high-quality medical treatment. Also known as health travel, it’s not just for the wealthy anymore. People are flying to Thailand for knee replacements, India for heart surgery, Mexico for dental work, and even Mississippi in the U.S. for lower costs and faster access. The key? It’s not about where you go—it’s about planning ahead. You need to understand how your insurance works (or doesn’t), what documents to carry, and how to verify a hospital’s credentials. A medication passport, a portable record of your prescriptions and medical history. Also known as travel health documents, it’s one of the smartest tools you can have when crossing borders with pills in your bag.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t theory. It’s real advice from people who’ve been there. You’ll read about the cost of Wegovy in Australia, how Walmart sells generic semaglutide for under $90, and why some seniors in their 90s are surviving open-heart surgery with better outcomes than younger patients. You’ll learn which blood tests to get annually, how to handle insurance denials for Ozempic, and why liver flushes don’t work—but coffee might. There’s no magic fix. But there is a clear path: know your options, check your coverage, and never assume. Whether you’re considering treatment abroad or just want to understand how global healthcare works, these posts give you the facts without the fluff. You’re not just reading—you’re preparing.