Does my health insurance cover procedures abroad? – Most of the time your US or Europe insurance doesn’t cover non- emergency procedures abroad. This situation however  can change depending on your plan, and benefits.

According to webmed, health insurance abroad most of the time only covers emergency medical coverage, but not procedures such as cosmetic, dental or other procedures. These types of procedures you have to pay out of pocket and with your own money.

For emergency reasons, the experts do say that if you get injured while abroad, you can file the claim towards your insurance upon your return to the country, but you will have to pay out of pocket and then submit the reimbursement claim once you return home.

Doctors also state that as a possible patient, you always want to make sure you understand the specifics of what your particular health plan covers before you travel, including exclusions and the definition of emergency because it may be different than what you think emergency constitutes.

For Medicare patients, non- emergency treatments and emergency treatments aren’t covered. Authors like Lindsay Eagle state that in some cases patients would like to get a Medigap plan while traveling outside the US. This type of plan might cover 80% of the cost of care outside the U.S. during the first two months of a trip, if that constitutes an emergency, but again that’s an insurance-based question.

The following questions are some examples of questions you might ask your insurance while using your health plan abroad:

1. If I get sick or injured abroad, will my policy cover me?
2. Does my insurance cover pre-existing conditions abroad?
3. Will I have to pay health expenses abroad out-of-pocket and then file a claim for reimbursement?

For procedures like dental, general surgeries or orthopedics remember that you have to pay with your own money or find different payment plans with banks or certified lenders to treat your illness.

In Casa-Pance we will always share with you the beginning and the ending cost of your treatment so you can plan ahead of time, and make financial decisions based on those prices and options given by our doctors.

Check our webpage to learn more about our procedures and specialties.