The general rule
Medicare is a U.S. program. Medicare.gov says Medicare usually doesn't cover health care while you're traveling outside the U.S., and Mexico is treated like any other foreign country. That applies to Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and to Part D drug coverage.
For people in southern Arizona, this comes up often. Families cross at the Nogales, Douglas and San Luis ports of entry to visit relatives, shop or see a doctor, and some people in Yuma County go to dental offices in Los Algodones, Baja California, just across from the Andrade crossing west of Yuma. A clinic in Mexico can't bill Medicare for that care, so you pay the provider directly.
The rare exceptions
Medicare.gov lists a few situations in which Medicare may pay for inpatient hospital care, doctor services and ambulance services in a foreign hospital:
- A medical emergency inside the U.S. You're in the U.S. when the emergency happens, and the foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat you.
- A foreign hospital closer to your U.S. home. You live in the U.S., and a hospital in Mexico or Canada is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your condition, emergency or not.
- Travel through Canada between Alaska and another state, which doesn't apply in Arizona.
Medicare may also pay for an ambulance to a foreign hospital only if you're admitted there for covered inpatient care. Even then, you pay the usual Medicare deductibles and coinsurance, and Medicare generally won't pay for the ambulance trip back. Cruise ships have a separate rule.
Medigap foreign travel emergency coverage
If you have Original Medicare, a Medigap policy is the most common way to get some coverage for emergencies in Mexico. Plans C, D, F, G, M and N include a foreign travel emergency benefit:
- It covers emergency care that begins during the first 60 days of a trip outside the U.S.
- You pay a $250 deductible each year, then the plan pays 80% of the costs.
- There is a $50,000 lifetime limit.
It covers emergencies, not planned care, so it won't pay for a scheduled dental or medical visit in Mexico. See Medigap in Arizona.
Medicare Advantage and Part D
Medicare doesn't require Medicare Advantage plans to cover care outside the U.S. A plan may offer emergency coverage abroad as an extra benefit. Extra benefits vary by plan and county, may have limits and costs, and not every plan offers them. Check a plan's Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage, especially if you cross the border often. Part D plans don't cover drugs bought outside the U.S., so those purchases don't count toward your plan's deductible or the yearly out-of-pocket cap ($2,100 in 2026).
Tip: If you cross often, keep a list of the U.S. hospitals nearest to where you go, carry your Medicare or plan card, and keep itemized receipts from any care in Mexico in case your Medigap policy or travel insurance can reimburse you.
Get help
To compare Medigap policies or Medicare Advantage plans from the companies they work with, you can talk with a licensed insurance agent with Benefits Life at (602) SENIORS (602-736-4677), TTY 711, or see plans in your ZIP code.
Related questions
Does Medicare cover dental?
Original Medicare covers dental care only in limited medical situations.
Can snowbirds keep their Medicare plan?
What happens to your coverage when you split the year between two places.
When can I buy Medigap in Arizona?
Your best window and your federal guaranteed-issue rights.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Travel outside the U.S.
- Medicare.gov — Choosing a Medigap Policy (foreign travel emergency benefit)
- Medicare.gov — Dental services
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Border wait times (Nogales, Douglas, San Luis, Andrade)
Frequently asked questions
Will Medicare pay for dental work in Los Algodones?
No. Original Medicare doesn't cover routine dental care in the U.S. or abroad, and it doesn't pay for care in Mexico except in rare hospital cases. People who get dental care in Mexico usually pay the dentist directly.
Does Part D cover prescriptions I buy in Mexico?
No. Medicare drug plans don't cover prescriptions bought outside the U.S. Fill your prescriptions at a U.S. pharmacy in your plan's network to have them count toward your Part D coverage and yearly cap.
Does a Medigap plan cover me in Mexico?
Medigap Plans C, D, F, G, M and N include foreign travel emergency coverage. After a $250 yearly deductible, they pay 80% of covered emergency care during the first 60 days of a trip, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit. It covers emergencies only, not planned care.
Does Medicare Advantage cover emergencies in Mexico?
Medicare doesn't require Medicare Advantage plans to cover care outside the U.S. A plan may offer emergency coverage abroad as an extra benefit. Extra benefits vary by plan and county, may have limits and costs, and not every plan offers them. Check a plan's Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage.
