Planning a trip? Your UC Medicare Supplement PPO plan travels with you.

Medicare offers nationwide coverage, so no matter where you go within the United States, you receive the same level of services.

Virtual care/telehealth

LiveHealth Online: Speak with a board-certified doctor or therapist 24/7 via phone, tablet or computer for nonemergency conditions. You can also schedule a virtual therapist visit while traveling if needed. 

Anthem 24/7 NurseLine: Call (800) 977-0027 for instant phone support from a registered nurse.

In-person care

Medicare.gov: Find providers near your location that accept Medicare assignment, including for routine care, as well as urgent care centers for nonemergency care. 

Benefits Beyond Medicare (BBM): Covers certain services that Medicare doesn’t cover and pays for services after Medicare limits are reached. BBM services received outside California are coordinated through the BlueCard program, which gives you access to the national Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield network. To find a BlueCard provider, call (800) 810-BLUE or go to anthem.com/ca.

In most situations, Medicare doesn’t pay for health care services or prescription drugs outside the United States. But you’re covered for up to six months through the additional UC-sponsored Benefits Beyond Medicare coverage,² coordinated through the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core (Global Core) program.

Nonurgent or nonemergency care: Call the Global Core Service Center, available 24/7, at +1 (804) 673-1177 (collect calls accepted) to confirm coverage and that the care is appropriate. Anthem will request a “Guarantee of Payment” with the provider so that you will only have to pay your deductible or coinsurance at the time of service. Otherwise, you will likely have to pay the entire bill upfront and then submit a claim to Anthem for reimbursement (minus any deductible or copay).

Emergency care: Go to the nearest hospital and have the provider or a traveling companion contact the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core Service Center at +1 (804) 673-1177 (collect calls accepted) as soon as possible.

Get the facts about Medicare coverage outside the United States.

Prescription coverage¹

Medicare PPO and High Option Supplement to Medicare plan members: Medicare Part D coverage does not apply outside the United States. But your Benefits Beyond Medicare coverage will apply if:

• You remain a permanent resident of the United States while you’re out of the country.
• The drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• The drug would be covered by your plan if it were filled by a pharmacy inside the United States.

There is no prescription drug coverage for Medicare PPO without Prescription Drug plan members.

Paying for services

If you aren’t able to secure a Guarantee of Payment through the Global Core Service Center, providers outside the United States may require upfront payment. If you must pay at the time of service, keep itemized receipts and other related documentation so you can submit a claim for reimbursement. See the Global Core program brochure [PDF] for details about filing a claim for medical expenses.

You pay the full cost of the prescription drugs upfront. Keep itemized receipts and other documentation and request reimbursement from Navitus for the cost, minus your applicable copayment. Prescription drug reimbursement does not apply to Medicare PPO without Prescription Drug plan members.

Travel vaccines

Your UC Medicare Supplement PPO plan covers most travel vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including hepatitis A and B, meningitis, polio, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, shingles, typhoid, and yellow fever. Coverage is provided through either the medical plan or the (Navitus) pharmacy plan.³

Vaccine options

Doctor’s office: Check with your provider to see if they stock and administer the CDC-recommended vaccines for where you are traveling. UC travel clinics: On-site travel vaccine services are available at UC San Diego, UC Davis, UCLA and UC Berkeley.

Retail pharmacy: ³Visit any Navitus network pharmacy. Many Walgreens and CVS MinuteClinics also stock or can order travel vaccines. Find a pharmacy on the Navitus portal.

Call Anthem Health Guide at (844) 437-0486 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT, except holidays). For pharmacy plan coverage³questions, contact Navitus MedicareRx Customer Care at (833) 837-4309 (24/7, except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day). TTY users: call 711.

Safe travels! 

Have an idea or a suggestion for a future topic? Let UC know. Email us at ucmedicalplanresearch@ucop.edu. For medical benefit plan questions or issues, please do not use this mailbox; instead, contact Anthem Health Guide at (844) 437-0486. For all other benefits inquiries, contact your Campus Benefits Office.