How to Call Medicare From Abroad

Quick answer: Call 1-800-MEDICARE at +1-800-633-4227, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays. TTY users can call +1-877-486-2048. It's a US toll-free number, so calling it from outside the US and Canada means standard international rates unless you call over Wi-Fi.

The one line in this series that never closes

Every other US government line we've covered in this series, the IRS, Social Security, passport services, keeps standard weekday business hours. Medicare's line doesn't. 1-800-MEDICARE runs around the clock, every day, with the only interruption being some federal holidays. That makes it the easiest US government number to time a call around if you're dealing with a time zone far from US business hours.

The verified numbers

Line	Number	Availability
1-800-MEDICARE	+1-800-633-4227	24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays
TTY	+1-877-486-2048	Same hours

Source: Medicare's official Talk to someone page. Help is available in English and Spanish, and live chat runs the same hours on medicare.gov.

What this line actually handles

1-800-MEDICARE covers general questions about Original Medicare, Part A and Part B coverage, claims, enrollment, and replacing a lost Medicare card. It does not handle Social Security retirement benefits or your Social Security account directly, that's a separate number we cover in our guide to calling Social Security from abroad, even though Social Security handles most Medicare enrollment in practice.

What to have ready before you call

Your Medicare number, as shown on your Medicare card
Your full name and date of birth as registered with Medicare
Details of the specific issue: a claim, enrollment, or a lost card

Best time to call

Since this line runs 24/7, timing isn't a constraint the way it is for other US government offices.

UK/Western Europe: US Eastern time is 5 hours behind, so you can call at any point in your day.
UAE/Gulf: 8 to 9 hours ahead of US Eastern time, again no real restriction.
Australia (Sydney): 14 to 16 hours ahead, still no restriction given the round-the-clock hours.
Singapore/Hong Kong: 12 to 13 hours ahead.

The cheaper way to actually make the call

1-800-MEDICARE is toll-free only from inside the US and Canada. From abroad, it's a standard international call like any other US number. With DialVia, you call it over Wi-Fi from your browser instead:

Open DialVia and sign up (about 30 seconds)
Select United States as the destination
Enter the number: 800-633-4227
Hit call

Frequently asked questions

What's Medicare's number for calling from abroad? +1-800-633-4227 (1-800-MEDICARE), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.

Is 1-800-MEDICARE free to call from outside the US? No, it's a US toll-free number, free only for calls placed from inside the US and Canada. From abroad, standard international rates apply.

Does 1-800-MEDICARE handle Social Security questions too? No, Social Security benefits and your Social Security account are handled by a separate number, even though Social Security processes most Medicare enrollment. See our guide to calling Social Security from abroad.

What should I have ready before calling? Your Medicare number, your full name and date of birth as registered with Medicare, and details of the specific issue.

Wondering whether Medicare actually covers you while you're the one traveling abroad? See our guide to Medicare coverage outside the US, or the full guide to Medicare-related calls from abroad.

👉 Try DialVia to call from your browser in 30 seconds. Didn't connect? You don't pay. Or return to the DialVia homepage to learn more.