Best medicare plans for snowbirds, sunbirds, and frequent fliers
Take your Medicare plan with you, wherever you go. Find the right plan for your travel plans.
by: Sara Wagner
If you’re a snowbird, sunbird or frequent traveler, you need a Medicare plan that follows you wherever you go.
If your bucket list includes all 50 states
- Original Medicare Parts A and B, (which include hospital and medical coverage), are great for people who spend a lot of time traveling or living in different states for long periods of time. You’ll have coverage at any clinic or hospital in the U.S. that accepts Medicare. Expect to pay the same amount for care no matter where you are. And if you have a prescription drug plan (called Medicare Part D), they’ll often work wherever you are in the U.S., too.
If you fly south for the winter
- Medicare Cost plans, which are private health plans with extra benefits, can be a great choice. Some plans offer coverage outside of where you can typically go for care (called a service area) for several months at a time. Another bonus – many Cost plans also offer coverage for emergency and urgent care overseas.
- Medicare Advantage Plans, offered by private health plans, are another choice. Know that many of these plans require you to get care from specific doctors in your area (called a network). You’ll want to call the plan and ask about the coverage available when you’re traveling out of state. It will vary from plan to plan.
If retirement means a permanent move
- Some states, like Iowa and Illinois, offer Medicare supplement plans. These plans help fill in the gaps that Original Medicare doesn’t cover and move with you. Once you’re a member with the plan, you can take your plan anywhere in the United States and keep your same coverage.
- If you make a permanent move you’ll be able to sign up for a different Medicare plan in your new area.
Related content: Medicare Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)
Related content: Learn about the best Medicare plans for people who spend time in different countries.
If you want to change your plan because you’re moving, you can tell your plan starting the month before the month you move, and for up to two months after you move. You can also enroll in a 5-star rated plan at any time.
