Florida snowbirds — the seasonal residents who spend winters in Florida and summers up north — face a specific travel insurance question that doesn’t apply to most other Floridians. When you travel north for the summer, or take that long-anticipated European trip, your Medicare and your Florida-based health coverage may not follow you the way you assume. Travel medical insurance fills the gap, but the specifics matter. Here’s what Florida snowbirds need to know.

What Medicare actually covers outside Florida

Original Medicare (Parts A and B) covers you anywhere in the United States, including Puerto Rico and U.S. territories. So a summer in Michigan or a trip to visit grandkids in Oregon is generally covered the same as care received in Florida — subject to the usual deductibles and 20% coinsurance for Part B services. Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) can be different: many have local networks, and out-of-network care during travel can result in significantly higher out-of-pocket costs. If you’re on a Florida-based Medicare Advantage plan and traveling for the summer, check your plan’s specific out-of-area provisions.

What Medicare doesn’t cover internationally

Original Medicare generally does NOT cover medical care outside the United States. Limited exceptions exist (care received on a U.S.-flagged cruise ship within 6 hours of a U.S. port; medical emergencies in Canada when you’re traveling between Alaska and the contiguous U.S. via the most direct route), but for practical purposes: a snowbird taking a European cruise, an international vacation, or visiting family abroad has zero Medicare coverage for medical care received outside the U.S.

Some Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies include limited foreign emergency coverage — typically up to $50,000 lifetime limit, with a $250 deductible and 20% coinsurance, only for the first 60 days of a trip, only for true emergencies. Check your specific policy. Most snowbirds find this isn’t adequate.

Why travel medical insurance matters for international trips

An international medical emergency for an older traveler can be financially devastating without coverage:

• ICU care in European hospitals: $5,000–15,000+ per night
• Cardiac event treatment with stenting: $50,000–150,000 in many destinations
• Air ambulance medical evacuation back to the U.S.: $75,000–250,000+
• Hospital stay with surgery in remote destinations: highly variable but routinely six figures
• Repatriation of remains: $10,000–20,000

These costs are out-of-pocket without travel medical coverage.

What Faye covers for snowbird travelers

The standard Faye travel insurance policy includes:

• $250,000 in primary emergency medical coverage (covers as primary, before any other insurance you have)
• $500,000 in emergency medical evacuation — sufficient for air ambulance from most international destinations
• $50,000 in repatriation of remains coverage
• 24/7 medical assistance hotline with multilingual staff
• Coordination of care including hospital admissions, doctor visits, and prescription replacement
• Coverage for trip cancellation and interruption due to medical reasons

Pricing for older travelers is age-banded — typical premiums run $7–12/day for the 65–75 age range and slightly higher for 75+. For a 14-day European cruise, that’s roughly $100–175/person in coverage.

Pre-existing conditions and the 14-day rule

This matters more for older travelers than anyone else. Travel insurance policies typically exclude pre-existing conditions UNLESS you purchase the pre-existing condition waiver, which requires:

• Purchase within 14 days of your initial trip deposit
• Insure 100% of your trip costs
• Be medically able to travel at the time of purchase

Without the waiver, a heart condition you’ve been treated for in the past becomes an exclusion if you have a cardiac event abroad. The waiver — obtained by buying within 14 days of deposit — brings those conditions back into coverage.

Snowbirds with multiple residences

For snowbirds who own homes in Florida and a northern state, travel insurance for international trips is usually the priority. Domestic travel between residences is generally covered by your existing Medicare and supplemental coverage, though you may want to verify Medicare Advantage out-of-area provisions. International trips are where the coverage gap is largest and a Faye policy fills the hole most effectively.

Get a Faye quote for your next snowbird trip, or call us with questions about coverage interaction with your specific Medicare and Medigap plans.