Travel Assurance
For international travel: you're covered worldwide for urgent and emergency care.
First, know that all SCAN plans provide worldwide coverage for urgent and emergency care.
Most vacation plans don’t include a visit to the emergency room! But with SCAN Travel Assurance, you can travel with confidence, knowing that whenever you travel outside the U.S., your SCAN coverage goes, too.
Your Travel Assurance includes:
- Coverage for needed urgent and emergency care outside of the U.S.
- SCAN’s Travel Assurance Kit, with everything you’ll need to use your worldwide benefits wherever you want to go, including instructions on what to do if you need to go to an emergency room while traveling abroad and storage for your travel documents.
The travel benefit is available in all plans except VillageHealth. Please check your Evidence of Coverage to see if the benefit is included in your plan.
- SCAN_Travel_Assurance Last Modified: 1/6/2023
Contact SCAN
Questions about this benefit? SCAN Member Services is here to help: (800) 559-3500 TTY: 711
Frequently Asked Questions about the Travel Benefit
Q: What do I do if I need medical care when I’m traveling?
You’re covered for needed urgent and emergency care wherever you go.
If you’re traveling within the United States, you can usually follow the same steps as if you would at home:
- If it’s urgent care you need, like for an earache that won’t go away or vomiting: Go to an urgent care center.
- If it’s a serious medical emergency that poses a threat to your life or body, call 911 or head for the nearest hospital emergency room. Some examples of a serious medical emergency include chest pain or pressure, bleeding that won’t stop, a head injury or seizures.
If you’re going to be traveling outside the U.S., it’s best to find out these things before you head off:
- Is there a local equivalent to 911? If so, program it into your phone or write it down to take with you (there’s space in the Travel Assurance Kit to do this!).
- What medical facilities are available at your destination? Your travel agent, the front desk at the hotel where you’re staying or the local U.S. embassy or consulate can probably help you with this information.
- Consider purchasing Medical travel insurance to cover the cost that are not covered by SCAN.
Q: What's included in the Travel Assurance Kit and how do I get one?
The Travel Assurance Kit is designed to be taken if you're traveling out of the country. We’ve filled the kit with information for you to use before, during and after your trip, including:
- Step-by-step instructions on what to do if you need to see a doctor while traveling
- Room to store helpful health information, such as your medication list or vaccination record. There’s space for your passport, tickets and other papers for your trip, too
- A copy of your SCAN Member ID card
- A claim form and instructions on how to submit a claim so you can get repaid for any covered out-of-pocket costs when you return home
Our Member Services advocates can have a kit mailed to you. Be sure to call them as soon as you start planning your overseas trip; there’s information in the packet you’ll want to know before you go.
Q: I’m going to be away from home for several months. Can I see another doctor for my regular physical exam while I’m away?
The short answer is no. Your SCAN plan doesn’t include coverage for routine or preventive care while you’re away from your regular doctor. The travel benefit covers you for the unexpected illnesses and injuries you can’t predict and plan for.
Better to plan ahead and schedule an appointment with your doctor before you leave to get vaccines you’ll need while traveling, refills on your prescriptions to last while you’re away and any other regular care needed.
Q: Will I have to pay to see a doctor when I’m away from home?
Whenever you receive care, always show your SCAN ID card so they know you’re a SCAN member. Some out-of-area doctors and hospitals will bill SCAN directly so you’ll only have to pay your copayments. Others may require you to pay them and then get reimbursed from SCAN.
Q: What do I do if the doctor or hospital makes me pay the full cost when they treat me?
If the care you received is covered by your SCAN plan, you can ask SCAN to pay you back. The Travel Assurance Kit includes instructions and a form to do this. Or you can call Member Services for help submitting a claim.
Q: Can I go to the CVS MinuteClinic near my home when I have urgent care needs?
No, CVS MinuteClinics are only available to SCAN members when outside California and away from your contracted urgent care center.
Q: Do I need to buy travel insurance since I have SCAN Travel Assurance?
For example, if you receive emergency or urgently needed services outside of the U.S., you generally will have to pay the bill at the time you receive the care. Most foreign healthcare providers are not eligible to receive, nor will they accept, payment directly from Medicare or SCAN. You will initially need to pay for the care yourself and ask SCAN to pay you back.
To do so, send SCAN a written, detailed bill or receipt showing the specific services you received. If needed, we may also ask you to provide us with other information such as your medical records from the care you received, so that we can get you your reimbursement faster.
SCAN will reimburse you for covered out-of-network emergency and urgent care services at Original Medicare reimbursement rates less any copays associated with your care. You will be responsible for any remaining costs.
We also recommend that you purchase medical travel insurance to help you pay for any unforeseen medical incidents while traveling outside of the country. This type of policy can protect you from paying higher out-of-pocket medical expenses for services not covered by your SCAN plan while traveling internationally.
SCAN Travel Assurance outlines the coverage available when you travel internationally. Many SCAN benefits can also be used when traveling inside the United States with SCAN on the go. Learn more about SCAN on the go benefits here.
