Forum Discussion

Flanz's avatar
Flanz
Explorer
May 17, 2014

Done with research and reading,,,,,,,

Our decision has been made, an Entegra it is. Most likely an Anthem DEQ.

But here's where we stand.
1.We plan on being part of the class of 2015 for fulltimers, this is Nonnegotiable
2.We need to sell our house, think we're okay here
3.We need to sell ALL of our stuff, outside of personnel items, think we're okay here
4.We need to pick health insurance, a little up in the air here. Depends on domicile
5.We need to setup a domicile, depends on health insurance and taxes
6.We need FULLTIMER vehicle insurance, i.e MH. truck, and Harley, could use help here
7.We need to setup our finances (IRA's and brokerage accounts) do we go either a fully managed or Fee only managed accounts
8.We need to decide on how we communicate on the road, Internet and cell phone access
9.We need to decide on campground and other types of clubs to join, working on this, but open to suggestions.

Not sure if others have been faced with these decisions, but we welcome any and all thoughts on this subject so that we can move forward with our next adventure. We don't claim to have all the answers, but know that many many others have done what we're looking to do and would appreciate any insight to what others have run into and have done.

TIA......

Regards,
-paul
  • There is a lot of good information on the Escapees web pages, Technomadia, and NuRvers. Many address the insurance and domicile issues you raised.
  • Hi,

    Millenicom for the wobbly wide web (Verizon flavor). http://millenicom.com/

    Verizon for the cell phone.

    Passport America for a discount club. (all of the others are very expensive and are like having a fish hook embedded in your mouth).

    Here is a great web site to use to find places to stay: http://freecampsites.net/
  • Having just gone full-time in January and being under the age of Medicare, I have researched all the insurance options.
    If you will have an annual income over 400% of poverty level, you do not have to buy insurance through the exchanges.
    If you don't know what your income will be and it will be close to the line, it is safer to not take the subsidy and get the tax break at the end of the year. This is what we did.
    The cheapest states I have found for a silver plan with a max out of pocket of $5500 are: Oregon, Tennessee, and Maryland. I did not research all 50 states, but checked at least 20 of them (ehealthinsurance.com is a good place to start).
    If you will be actually traveling around rather than just sitting in one or two locations, you really need a national network (PPO) rather than a local or regional network (HMO). But note, not all are created equal. The best we found with the largest network was Blue Cross Blue Shield and its various state incarnations.
    We are pretty healthy people in spite of pre-existing conditions. We have to visit doctors twice per year for blood tests but otherwise, we hardly visit the doctor. So, most important to us was max out of pocket. The sum total of premiums and max out of pocket (in network) for our plans is less than $9000 each per year.
    If you visit a doctor often, you might consider a higher premium plan with a lower deductible and a better co-pay up to max out of pocket. The ones I found would cost me $12000 per year if I reached max out of pocket so we went with the lower max out of pocket limit.
    For us, the best plan I found at the best price was in Tennessee. For a premium of $3250 per year, it has a deductible of $3000 and a max out of pocket of $3000. Total maximum outlay per year would be around $6250. But, I am not yet a resident of Tennessee.
    Prices vary within states from county to county. Ten miles away from my 'current address,' my exact same insurance goes up $20 per month. The insurance rates are based on access to care and the competition in the market. Oh, and state regulations of markets in the case of Maryland and a couple of other states.
    We looked hard at South Dakota. We so wanted to be residents of South Dakota. But, it is very difficult to find National Network plans and, at the prices being charged, it is actually cheaper to continue to pay state and local tax here than it is to buy health insurance there.
    In the latest Escapees magazine, they mention they might open a mail forwarding location in Tennessee. If they do, we will probably be the first to sign up.
    Florida, in various counties, was an average of $1400 more per year as was Livingston, TX. The coverage was less than what we have now. Nevada was $2000 more per year.
    I am still researching how I might keep Maryland health insurance while having a residence in another state. The insurance company only requires my mailing address but I'm not sure how it will work with taxes.
    Good luck! There is a lot to consider when shopping for medical insurance - how much you need, how much you pay, what you can afford; it has added an entirely new twist to full-timing and residency. I'm not sure anyone will know all the implications until October rolls around and the new pricing becomes available.
  • Think you should have a plan B. What happens in the event of illness/accident?