Medicare doesn't normally cover regular or emergency medical care in Canada, whether you're living or vacationing there. Medicare can cover medical care in Canada in a few very limited circumstances. They are: (1) If you're in the U.S. when an emergency arises but a Canadian emergency room is closer than any in the U.S., Medicare can cover your emergency treatment there; (2) If you live in the U.S. but a Canadian hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital, Medicare can cover your treatment there even if there's no emergency; and (3) If you're in Canada while traveling directly between Alaska and any other U.S. state, you can be covered for emergency care at a Canadian hospital.

Although Medicare doesn't generally cover medical care outside the U.S., many private Medigap Medicare-supplement insurance policies (those under Plans C through J) cover emergency medical care while traveling abroad. These policies usually pay 80 percent of costs after you pay a $250 deductible.

If you don't have a Medigap policy that covers foreign travel, you might consider buying a short-term travel insurance policy that covers you during a specific trip. You can arrange for one of these policies through a travel agent.