Blue cross blue shield out of country coverage

Out-of-province emergency medical expenses are not generally covered by your provincial medical plan and these expenses can be financially overwhelming.

For millions of Canadians, comprehensive emergency travel coverage offered by Blue Cross has become an essential part of their holiday plans.

As a recognized symbol of health care globally, being trusted, professional and familiar is what you need in your coverage provider when travelling out of province.

If you have paid for emergency or urgent medical services while traveling outside of the country, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan covers those services, you may qualify for a reimbursement.

Blue Shield Promise Cal MediConnect Plan provides no plan coverage limit for emergency or urgent services outside the United States every year. These services are subject to review and approval based on the emergency services outlined in the Member Handbook, and Medicare allowable services.

See your Member Handbook Chapter 4, Section 2, Benefits Charts, to find your coverage amount.

If you need urgent care while outside of the United States and its territories, call the Blue Shield Global Core Services Center toll-free at (800) 810-2583, or call collect at (804) 673-1177, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In an emergency, go directly to the nearest hospital. You should also call the Customer Care number on the back of your member ID card. As part of this service, for inpatient hospital care, you can contact the Blue Shield Global Core Services Center to arrange for cashless access. If you arrange for cashless access, you are responsible for the usual out-of-pocket expenses such as non-covered charges and copayments. If you do not arrange for cashless access, you will have to pay the entire bill for your medical care and submit a request for reimbursement.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Global® capitalizes on the network strength and name recognition of Blue Cross Blue Shield inside the U.S. and Bupa Global outside the U.S. to provide access to one of the largest care networks in the world. That, coupled with high tech, high-touch service from GeoBlue creates a simplified international healthcare experience for our members.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Global products are offered through GeoBlue and Bupa Global

Your pharmacy coverage works outside the U.S. But since there are no Preferred retail pharmacies overseas, you need to pay for your prescriptions out-of-pocket and then submit your receipts and a completed claim form to get reimbursed. Overseas prescription drug claims must be submitted within one year of the purchase date.

If you take a maintenance medication and you are about to go overseas for an extended period of time, you may be eligible for an extended filling of the prescription before you leave the U.S. This will require a 12-month prescription from your doctor and is not applicable for controlled substances. Contact our Pharmacy Program at 1-800-624-5060 to learn more.

Compare overseas prescription drug costs for our three plan options.

*Note: Guam is considered overseas, however, some pharmacies may be able to bill electronically.

As a Blue Cross member, your health coverage goes with you when you travel. No matter what plan you have, you’re covered for emergency care in Michigan, across the country or around the world.

If it’s not an emergency, not all plans work the same way. Select your network below to see what you need to do to get care that's covered when you’re traveling. Refer to your Certificate of Coverage and riders or call customer service to find out about limitations to travel coverage.

to find out what your benefits are if something goes awry while on vacation. When traveling within the United States, most Blue Cross Blue Shield members will be covered under the BlueCard program, which connects all 36 individual Blue Cross Blue Shield companies so that members can enjoy access to the savings the local Blue Cross Blue Shield plan has negotiated with its doctors and hospitals.

For example, if a member of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, whose Plan includes the BlueCard program, falls and breaks his arm while hiking in Yellowstone, he will be charged the rate Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming has negotiated with the local hospital rather than paying the steep fees he would otherwise encounter. Likewise, a BCBS Wyoming member who falls ill in Dallas would be charged the rate BCBS Texas has negotiated with its local providers. It’s one of the many benefits of belonging to the nation’s oldest and largest health insurance system.

If your plans include international travel, GeoBlue has an extensive network of options to meet your needs when living or working abroad for an extended period of time. Though many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans cover international care in emergency situations, GeoBlue plans offer the most complete set of benefits and access to services like emergency medical evacuation, which might not be covered by your regular plan.

Does Blue Cross Blue Shield cover outside the US?

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan has you covered worldwide. If you need medical care outside the U.S, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands you can rest assured that the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan offers worldwide coverage.

Does health insurance work outside the US?

Generally, most domestic health insurance policies are not accepted abroad, so there is a benefit to purchasing travel medical insurance as a supplement to your health insurance coverage. The travel medical coverage is only valid while you're traveling.