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The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that items and services furnished outside the United States are excluded from coverage except for 
the following services, and certain services rendered on board a ship: 
- Emergency inpatient hospital services where the emergency occurred: 
~ While the beneficiary was physically present in the United States; or 
~ In Canada while the beneficiary was traveling without reasonable delay and by the most direct 
route between Alaska and another State. 
- Emergency or nonemergency inpatient hospital services furnished by a hospital located outside the 
United States, if the hospital was closer to, or substantially more accessible from, the beneficiary's 
United States residence than the nearest participating United States hospital which was adequately 
equipped to deal with and available to provide treatment of the illness or injury; 
- Physician and ambulance services furnished in connection with a covered foreign hospitalization. 
Program payment may not be made for any other Part B medical and other health services, including 
outpatient services furnished outside the United States; 
- Services rendered on board a ship in a United States port, or within 6 hours of when the ship arrived at, 
or departed from, a United States port, are considered to have been furnished in United States territorial 
waters. Services not furnished in a United States port, or within 6 hours of when the ship arrived at, or 
departed from, a United States port, are considered to have been furnished outside United States 
territorial waters, even if the ship is of United States registry; and 
 
The term "United States" means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa and, for purposes of services rendered 
on a ship, includes the territorial waters adjoining the land areas of the United States. You can find these rules 
in Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 16, Section 60.  
The rules say that a Medicare Plan is financially responsible for emergency services regardless of whether the 
services are obtained within or outside the Plan. Emergency services are covered whether there is prior 
authorization for the services. An emergency is defined as when a person would believe that without immediate 
medical attention there would be serious jeopardy to his or her health. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 
422.113(b). 
 
The rules say that Medicare pays for ambulance services that meet certain requirements. One requirement is 
that the vehicle used as an ambulance must be equipped with emergency warning lights and sirens, 
communications equipment, a stretcher, linens, emergency medical supplies, oxygen equipment and other life-
saving equipment. Another requirement is that the vehicle used as an ambulance must be staffed with two 
people, one of whom is certified as an emergency medical technician. Medicare will not pay for transport by 
other vehicles such as taxis that do not meet these requirements. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Sections 
410.41(a) and (b). 
 
The rules say that Medicare Part B generally does not pay for drugs that are usually self-administered by the 
patients who take them. Examples of self-administered drugs are drugs in pill form and those used for self-
injection. The only exceptions are: 
 
1. blood-clotting factors;  
2. drugs used in immunosuppressive therapy; 
3. erythropoietin for dialysis patients;  
4. osteoporosis drugs for certain homebound patients; 
5. certain oral cancer drugs;  
6. oral anti-emetics used in certain situations;  
7. drugs treated as supplies during an outpatient hospital procedure; and  
8. drugs required for the effective use of durable medical equipment. 
You can find this rule in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Internet Only Manual, Publication 
100-02, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Sections 50, 50.2, 50.5, and 110.3. 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules. The Plan 
contract says that worldwide emergency and urgently needed care is covered for services to evaluate or 
stabilize an emergency medical condition when outside of the United States. Worldwide coverage for 
emergency services: 
- Includes emergency or urgently needed care and emergency ambulance transportation from the scene of 
an emergency to the nearest medical treatment facility 
- Transportation back to the United States from another country is not covered 
- Pre-scheduled, pre-planned, and/or elective procedures are not considered emergency/urgently needed 
care and are not covered 
- Follow-up care including after-care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing facility care is not considered 
emergency or urgently needed care and is not covered. 
 
Non-emergency medications obtained outside the United States are not covered. You can find this information 
in Chapter 4 on pages 77 to 78 of the Plans 2022 Evidence of Coverage.