Forum Discussion
- luvmydogsExplorerIt's sad, isn't it?
- lbrjetExplorerRice,
Used to be covered in an emergency. Starting in 01/17 BCBS ACA HMO plans only cover when you are in the emergency room. Get admiited to the hospital upstairs and your coverage ends. That is what happened in AZ anyways, CT was probably the same. I was on ACA plans from 2014-2018. Started with great PPO plans and they went away in 2016. Prices tripled in those 5 years and I ended up going back to work just to get off the crazy train. - RiceExplorer III
luvmydogs wrote:
Thank you Rice for all the info. We are in Colorado but getting ready to leave. So are you saying for health insurance your mail service address is enough for these companies? I'd thought we tried that a few years ago and the first one to complain were the banks. They seemed to know it was a mail service and said it was not good enough. We do use a mail service in Florida. Maybe we'll try to see if it would work for a Fla Blue policy.
Different companies have different rules on what is an acceptable address for their purposes. One bank may accept a given address while another won't. And a bank can change its policy, and no longer accept what they used to accept.
As stated frequently in these forums, health insurance is based on where one resides. Where they reside is obvious for the vast majority of people--it's their home. And it works for them because they use local providers for their health care.
This scheme is a problem only for traveling fulltimers who change their residence too frequently to be able to get new health insurance in each new place they reside.
In the case of people who alternate between two residences (e.g., snowbirds), ACA documents tell them they can switch their plan when they move (but deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums reset when plans are changed), but they might be better off getting a plan with a nationwide network that covers them wherever they are.
Traveling fulltimers differ in that they have many residences instead of just two. The ACA doesn't address their situation, but if you insert their facts into the advice given to snowbirds, traveling fulltimers should get a plan that covers them wherever they are. The sticking point is where that plan should be based. It seems to me that the fulltimer's domicile is the only practical answer. Now, what constitutes domicile is a completely different subject.
I'm not sure what your situation is, but to change your insurance at this point, you'll have to qualify for a special enrollment period, so it's not a matter of deciding you want to have insurance in X state and getting a policy there.
In fact, if the Anthem/Blue Cross policies in Connecticut do indeed have access to the Blue Cross nationwide network, you can't switch to that from the plan you have now without a qualifying move to a new residence.luvmydogs wrote:
Not alot of people think about the fact that when they are on vacation or traveling, THEY ARE NOT COVERED.
But they are covered in an emergency, and that's really the only time a non-fulltimer would seek out medical care away from home. For routine care, they see their doctors in their hometown. - luvmydogsExplorerThank you Rice for all the info. We are in Colorado but getting ready to leave. So are you saying for health insurance your mail service address is enough for these companies? I'd thought we tried that a few years ago and the first one to complain were the banks. They seemed to know it was a mail service and said it was not good enough. We do use a mail service in Florida. Maybe we'll try to see if it would work for a Fla Blue policy.
Not alot of people think about the fact that when they are on vacation or traveling, THEY ARE NOT COVERED. I think its just when you get older you worry about that stuff more, although I think the system in this country is pretty poor that you only get covered in your home state, weather you have one or not. Its sad!!!! - RiceExplorer III
westernrvparkowner wrote:
This is correct. Your insurance will have a provision for out of area, out of network coverage whether you have a PPO, an HMO or any other type of policy. Your out of area or network copays and deductibles will likely be higher.
Actually, there are a lot of policies that provide no out-of-network coverage for non-emergency care at all. HMOs are the worst about it, obviously, but increasingly, even PPO policies are moving to smaller networks, with no out-of-network coverage at all. You get either in-network coverage or emergency coverage; if you want to see a famous cancer doctor in Houston who's not in your network, it's simply not covered.
Fulltimers without sticks and bricks houses generally pick among South Dakota, Texas, and Florida as a place to domicile. South Dakota and Texas don't work for pre-Medicare people, because they don't have PPO plans that offer nationwide networks. However, Florida does, and traveling fulltimers who domicile in Florida via the major mail services down there get health insurance through Florida Blue (EPO network with nationwide coverage), using the mail service's address.
And a move to Florida will qualify for a Special Enrollment Period under the ACA (assuming you can compile the documentation to support your move).
Generally, even if a person qualifies for a SEP because of a move getting new ACA insurance in every new state he resides in is impossible for fulltimers who move frequently because of the logistics involved in getting the new policy (applying 15 days in advance of when coverage starts, etc.).
If the OP is traveling for only six months, then it's possible to just rely on the emergency coverage under the current policy and delay any routine care until settled down again. That's the sticking point for most fulltimers--getting routine care while on the road. There are millions of people with coverage that extends only to emergencies when out of their local area, but they never even think about it because they're on vacation and the only time they would seek medical care is in an emergency, and they're covered for that.
There are also short-term medical plans available, but there are no standards on those (unlike ACA plans), so shop carefully, plus they don't take people with pre-existing conditions. A quick internet search also came up with a travel policy by Blue Cross; it requires an underlying insurance policy and is good only for trips of up to 70 days, so it wouldn't work for the OP but there might be others out there that would.
ETA: I looked at the plans available on the exchange using a Hartford zip code, and Anthem/Blue Cross offers PPO plans. I've never known what exactly Anthem is, but in Florida, Blue Cross's insurance is called Florida Blue and the EPO (similar to PPO) plans have access to Blue Cross's nationwide network. It's possible that Connecticut's might, as well. It's certainly worth investigating.
Of course at this point, the OP can't change insurance without qualifying for a SEP, and I don't know enough about the circumstances to know whether that might be possible. But it appears there's at least the possibility of a plan with access to Blue Cross's nationwide network, unlike in Texas, where Blue Cross offers only HMO plans. - Yosemite_Sam1Explorer
HadEnough wrote:
luvmydogs wrote:
I cant remember ever having it this bad to if you are able to travel and don't want to stay in one place and own a home there, that you would have no health insurance. It just seems un-american to me, but then lately the term "American" doesn't mean what it used to either.
Seems to me like there is something new to try to take your freedoms away around every corner now. A lot of people fought and died for American freedom and liberty. Feels like what they sacrificed do much for is being constantly erroded. Taken away from within the country.
Yup, we are among the countries with shrinking middle class, worsening or shortening life span and widening wealth gap -- not to mention the highest cost of health care with the twin paradox that we are not the healthiest. - luvmydogsExplorerI am years away from medicare also and for traveling anyway, I literally cannot find anyone who will cover me. How sad is that?
- HadEnoughExplorer
Yosemite Sam1 wrote:
HadEnough wrote:
Yosemite Sam1 wrote:
Seems like a good argument for Medicare for all (specially RVers.)
Seriously.
It's sad that as a traveler, you are better off leaving the USA to get medical insurance than you are to stay here.
Plenty of travel plans when you are outside the USA. Very few, if any, inside.
Yes, Medicare is national -- and even international if you get prior approval and your medical consultations are made with an accredited medical provider (normally top notch hospitals that also provide medical services to our embassies abroad).
That's fantastic for the older folks but I'm many years away fro Medicare. My girlfriend is farther yet. We need to pay for our healthcare which I've been straight paying out of pocket for.
The girlfriend is not in as great of health so there are a lot more expenses now. - HadEnoughExplorer
luvmydogs wrote:
I cant remember ever having it this bad to if you are able to travel and don't want to stay in one place and own a home there, that you would have no health insurance. It just seems un-american to me, but then lately the term "American" doesn't mean what it used to either.
Seems to me like there is something new to try to take your freedoms away around every corner now. A lot of people fought and died for American freedom and liberty. Feels like what they sacrificed do much for is being constantly erroded. Taken away from within the country. - luvmydogsExplorerI cant remember ever having it this bad to if you are able to travel and don't want to stay in one place and own a home there, that you would have no health insurance. It just seems un-american to me, but then lately the term "American" doesn't mean what it used to either.
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