Services Not Provided Within United States
Although the typical exceptions to Medicare’s “foreign exclusion” involve services that are furnished in Canada and Mexico, it is possible for Medicare to make payment to foreign hospitals besides those located in Canada and Mexico. For example, if an emergency necessitated that inpatient hospital services be furnished to a Medicare beneficiary who is living in Guam and the nearest adequately equipped hospital to treat that beneficiary was located in the Philippines, Medicare payment would not be prohibited under Medicare’s “foreign exclusion” because Medicare payment may be permitted for the services under section 1814(f) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(f)).
Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Issue Date: August 19, 2005
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