Bottom line up front: Most domestic health insurance, including US employer and marketplace plans, does not extend meaningful coverage internationally — portability is the exception, not the default assumption.
What typically doesn't travel
- Standard US employer-sponsored health insurance — generally excludes coverage for planned elective care abroad
- Medicare and Medicaid — do not cover care outside the US except in extremely limited emergency circumstances
- ACA marketplace plans — generally follow the same domestic-only coverage pattern
What sometimes does travel, with real limitations
- Some international or expat-specific insurance products, purchased specifically for portability
- Limited emergency-only coverage in some domestic plans for genuinely unplanned emergencies abroad, distinct from planned elective care
Why this matters for medical tourism budgeting specifically
Budget any procedure abroad as fully self-pay by default — see our companion sites' coverage-gap guides for the full framework, and confirm your specific plan's terms directly rather than assuming any portability.
Providers via colombiamedical.co operate on a self-pay model precisely because this portability gap is the norm, not the exception.
The Takeaway
Assume zero portability by default, and treat any coverage that does apply as a pleasant surprise rather than a budget assumption.