Affordable insurance for full timer in S.D.

[Stickbender]

We received our letter requesting proof of residence today from South Dakota, Sanford Health plan, they request 2 forms of proof that we have been residence for 9 months. We do our banking , have drivers license , register 3 vehicles and still cant meet the 2 requirements, unless we basically move to South DAKOTA. Any suggestions on a affordable company we can go with in S.D.?

[was_butnotnow]

I am 66 and on Medicare. Fulltime out of South Dakota. I have to change from a secondary group plan from my retired from company to a Medigap plan by May 1. The company had us go through ExtendHealth for new coverage. They will pay for the coverage. I signed up for Welmark BCBS and just now got a letter they needed a physical address to insure me. So had to dump that application and went with AARP United Health Care Plan F. BCBS had the mail forwarding company addresses tagged in their system so if you apply they cut you off. I tried to go with BCBS because I already had a the company group plan with them. That didn't matter to them at all. They were very rude about it.

[Fulltimer50]

The latest I heard from Avera is: We can use the Multiplan Network for routine medical care BUT your premiums will go up to pay for it. Sounds like a bad thing at first, but I didnt ask how much they would go up. Could be worth it. Not for me though.

[Rice]

Starting in March 2014, the safety inspection has to be within 90 days before the registration renewal.

If you have two vehicles (truck and trailer, or moho and toad) with spread-out registration dates, that could necessitate two trips to Texas each year, each within a certain window.

And it's worse for us because we're domiciled in an emissions-testing county. The moho is diesel so it's exempt from emissions testing (but still has to have safety inspection), but the car has to have it, and only certain areas offer that type of inspection (Austin, Dallas, Houston, El Paso). So we can't just dip into Texas in the panhandle to get it inspected. In fact, we can't get it inspected anywhere between Dallas and El Paso and northward.

[Clay_L]

It says that you have to have proof of inspection before renewing your plates/registration. That will keep full timers from renewing by mail or on-line. There is some info on the Escapees forum site about it.

[Bill-n-Chrissy]

2gypsies wrote:

Rice wrote:
I'm glad you're reporting on this because the new Texas vehicle registration law has me nervous and thinking I might need to change my state.

Many years ago the Escapees RV Club went to bat against the government regarding a PMB (private mailbox) being considered as a legal address. The Escapees RV Club won and the mail forwarding service is a legal address.

Escapees is now going to bat with the proposed inspection issue when registering. They have already received an answer that yes, it will not only be an issue for full-timers traveling out of state but for truckers and temp workers being out of state. Escapees has been told changes are needed.

Escapees will continue to monitor this closely and that's why it's a wonderful organization for full-timers. They'll work for us and we have no doubt this issue will be modified.

What is the new Texas registration law that people are worried about?

[khenson]

Rice wrote:

Since you are contracted to sell Avera's policies, is it possible for you to get something in writing from Avera?

I have requested this. I'll post the response when I get it.

[Rice]

khenson wrote:

As a disclaimer: Although I am licensed in SD and contracted to offer Avera Health plans on and off the exchange, I am not an employee of or representative of Avera Health Plans. I am an independent insurance broker and a full time RVer.

Since you are contracted to sell Avera's policies, is it possible for you to get something in writing from Avera?

[2gypsies1]

Rice wrote:
I'm glad you're reporting on this because the new Texas vehicle registration law has me nervous and thinking I might need to change my state.

Many years ago the Escapees RV Club went to bat against the government regarding a PMB (private mailbox) being considered as a legal address. The Escapees RV Club won and the mail forwarding service is a legal address.

Escapees is now going to bat with the proposed inspection issue when registering. They have already received an answer that yes, it will not only be an issue for full-timers traveling out of state but for truckers and temp workers being out of state. Escapees has been told changes are needed.

Escapees will continue to monitor this closely and that's why it's a wonderful organization for full-timers. They'll work for us and we have no doubt this issue will be modified.

[khenson]

Hello fellow RVers...

Someone emailed me about this conversation going on so I figured I should chime in since my comments at RVerHealthInsurance are being referenced.

First, what Rice says about Multi-state plans is spot-on. MSP does not indicate a plan as having a nationwide multi-state network of providers. These MSPs are in their phase 1 experimental stage and the carriers involved in it now are not committed to it. At this point I would not give any extra consideration to a MSP over a non-MSP plan.

As for Avera, I'm not sure what else to add beyond what my brief article states about Avera's changed policies. I have confirmed three times with this managing individual at Avera (whom also confirmed it with her supervisor) that:

1. You can enroll with just a mail-forwarding address if you are resident of South Dakota
2. You can access the PHCS Multiplan network outside of SD even for non-emergency routine care.

However, like many of you I am still concerned that this change in policy is apparently not being shared with everyone at Avera.

I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt simply because of the magnitude of changes they, like all insurance companies, are having to adjust to. I can say that I have heard from a few people whom have used their Avera outside of SD for non-emergency care without problems in 2014.

My advice to most people is to not make any drastic changes to your health insurance in 2014 if you do not have to. If you have to and you can still choose a state...Texas wins in my opinion right now. But, if you have already settled in SD and you qualify for a large subsidy, then Avera is really your only PPO option on the exchange. I just hope it plays out like I've been told it will.

As a disclaimer: Although I am licensed in SD and contracted to offer Avera Health plans on and off the exchange, I am not an employee of or representative of Avera Health Plans. I am an independent insurance broker and a full time RVer.

[Fulltimer50]

We were going to "move" to Texas just for the better Health coverage. Turns out that coverage costs more in Texas. Whoda thunk it right?? Trailer insurance costs more and there is vehicle inspections to deal with too. I will say being in Yankton, Sd is not where I want to be this time of year, just for health inspection. But the KOA IS open.
Still have not gotten an answer from Avera which is strange. They usually answer right away. I even resent the email today.

[Rice]

It good to get confirmation that the MultiPlan network IS available under Avera. It's strange that they never mention it on their website at all because I think it's a selling point to not automatically be out of network just because you leave the immediate vicinity. But I also suspect most people don't even think about insurance coverage for when they're away from home.

And they definitely don't think about routine care when they're away from home. I know choices in South Dakota are slim but it would worry me if my insurance company actually says it's not a good choice for me. How might this play out? In the claims process, when they say, "We told you we weren't a good choice"?

I like that the rverhealthinsurance guy was talking to a manager, but I wouldn't count on anything until I got something in writing.

Fulltimer50, I'm glad you're reporting on this because the new Texas vehicle registration law has me nervous and thinking I might need to change my state. Probably the majority of fulltimers are Medicare age, so "moving" to South Dakota won't be a huge deal, but it will be for those of us who have to buy health insurance.

[was_butnotnow]

Please stop asking me questions about the article... I didn't write it. Go the author at Rverhealthinsurance.com and ask him about all this. I'm just trying to help. I have Medicare so non of this effects me.

[Fulltimer50]

Yes I do. On the back of the ID card:

"For current listing of participating providers go to AveraHealthPlans.com
and click on Member Login to access your Provider Directory."

ALSO

"To find a provider outside the Avera Health Plans service area, please visit www.multiplan.com." Along with the MultiPlan logo and the PHCS logo

Coverage is available all over the country for emergency and priority care that cant wait untill we get back home. My question that I am trying to get answered from Avera is: can I also get routine care all over the country. This is where what Avera has been saying and what the article says do not match. I am still waiting to hear back from Avera. Avera is still my best choice.

[Rice]

was_butnotnow wrote:

What they told is not what is stated in this article.
After reading this you I think should contact www.rverhealthinsurance.com
Again read this on RVerHealthInsurance.com
As this article states you have to ask and ask again to get to the bottom of your question to get a correct answer.

was_butnotnow, this is the second time you've quoted that entire article in this thread. I'm troubled about asking and asking again to get a "correct" answer. How do you know that last answer is correct? Why wasn't the one before that correct? It matched all the previous answers, after all.

The Avera website never mentions MultiPlan, and the MultiPlan website never mentions Avera. The provider search on Avera's website has only a few states, and for some of those states, the only provider is a durable medical equipment company or a lab. In all of Georgia, there's one doctor, who practices pediatrics and cardiology.

If there's a bigger network available for routine care, shouldn't those doctors be included in the provider search? Or if not, shouldn't there at least be a mention somewhere of its availability?

The part of the article I have trouble with is at the end:

Avera still holds the position that they are not an ideal choice for RVers whom travel outside of the SD region extensively. Nevertheless, there is nothing in the Avera Health Plan Certificate of Coverage that prevents a full-time RVer domiciled in SD from enrolling in their plans and utilizing the MultiPlan network.

Why doesn't Avera itself think it's not an ideal choice for fulltimers with a SD address? If insureds have access to a nationwide network for routine care, then what's the problem?

And I looked at the certificate of coverage and there's no mention whatsoever of the MultiPlan network, so I don't see how it can be said that there's nothing that prevents someone from utilizing it. Then again, I'm not an insurance agent.

Does anyone reading this have insurance through Avera? If so, is the MultiPlan logo on the ID card? That would at least mean there's a relationship between Avera and MultiPlan. However, it does not mean that routine care is included. I would want to get that in writing.