Best state(s) for taxes and licensense fees

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by SKOOBDO

ols1932, so are you saying that even though your vehicle and RV is registered in Texas, and they (Texas)requires inspections you don't have to get one only if you would like to get one? The point I was making is the fact if a state requires an inspection I don't want to get one EVER if I can avoid it since there are many states that don't require it. are you trying to say Texas requires the inspections by law but doesn't ever enforce it? I'm avoiding any state that requires it at this point and time...one less thing i have to be bothered with..its bad enough I have to file income taxes every year

I guess I wasn't clear. What I was trying to say is that you only have to have your vehicles inspected if you are in the state and it is enforced. If you are traveling outside the state and the year's inspection certificate expires, there is no penalty. They don't come after you. The inspections are done by private businesses set up to do the inspection. It is not a bother to pull into an inspection station and have the vehicles inspected, $12.50 each. I don't find it a problem at all.

Every one of us has to do what fits us best. I wanted to use South Dakota as a residence but did not get a satisfactory reply from the mail forwarding services there. So, that's why I chose Texas, inspections, and six year driver's licenses. No state income tax. Works for us but not everyone else.

Orv

[deadeye]

I guess I need to give you something else to check on. I live in Iowa and have Iowa drivers license. Don't know if this affects anyone else, but the DOT drivers license requies that you have a perifial vision requirement of 120 or better in this state. If you don't, you will have a bunch of restrictions. It is like the eye doctors have you in their hands. I know some states do not have requirements for perifial vision as long as you have rear view mirrors and can still turn your head to look sideways. Of course I don't know to many people who don't turn their head when driving. Just another stupid IOWA law. I have been thinking of South Dakota for a long time.. JB

[judyuk]

[quote]quote:Originally posted by sreigle

Originally posted by judyuk

If you have Blue Cross/ Blue Shield medical coverage (as we do) you can't use South Dakota as your mailing/residency address. I don't know why, maybe they don't sell their plans there.

Judy, that is not correct. I am retired from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. I have BCBS Kansas insurance and am a South Dakota resident. Also, BCBS does sell in SD. They sell in all 50 states.

I think what you are referring to is that if you have BCBS insurance as a standalone policy and not a group policy, then when you change residency your policy is transferred to your new state. If you have a policy as part of a group, as with an employer, then it depends on the group's policy whether your insurance is through their home state or your state of residence. Usually, today, it is through the employer's state, although at one time it was not.

Blue Cross has a computer system that ensures, for example, that I, with Kansas BCBS coverage, will be covered in compliance with my Kansas policy no matter where in this country I go. At the same time, the provider (dr., hospital, etc.) in, for example, South Carolina, will get paid according to his contract with the South Carolina BCBS even though my insurance is with the Kansas plan. It's called the ITS system. I was the project leader for installation of this system at BCBSKS and our systems rep to the BCBS National Association in Chicago during development of this system, so I'm quite familiar with how this works.

As a retiree in a retiree group with my former employer, my insurance card says Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. BCBSKS has my home address as South Dakota and sends all my communications to SD.

Judyuk, I don't mean to be jumping your case and hope it is not taken that way. I just want to make sure the record is straight on this. I hope you just misunderstood the context. I'd find it scary if Life on Wheels were putting out bad info. And that is bad info.

No offense taken, Steve. I appreciate any and all info. We will be retiring under the Federal BC/BS. Nick was very explicit about the BC/BS residency issue though and I also asked him again in a question and answer session at the end of his class. Another instructor ( I don't recall who) also mentioned it. I just rechecked my notes that I took while in his class and there it is "no coverage for Blue Cross".
I'm listing his website below and as you have the background and knowledge that I don't have, I'm wondering if you might contact him and inquire also.
www.gypsyjournal.net
Thanks and if you do inquire, please let me know.
Judy

[sreigle]

Judy, he will need to talk to someone who can speak officially for Blue Cross and Blue Shield. I would suggest he contact the Blue Cross and Blue Shield National Association. Here is the contact information.

233 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 297-6000

As I said before, I am a resident of South Dakota. And I have Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas coverage. And they have my residence listed as South Dakota.

I am not sure how FEP (what you have) works for retirees. FEP is a different animal from Blue Cross and is not Blue Cross insurance. It is a federal government plan for which the administration of the insurance is contracted by bid in each state. The administrator in each state handles the claims, makes the payments, then gets reimbursed by the federal government plus a fee for handling.

FEP is handled by Blue Cross in some states and other companies in other states. Not all Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans (states, more or less) participate in FEP. I wonder if this is what he was referring to? Still, you would have coverage in every state. As far as I know, FEP is in every state although I do not know that for sure.

Medicare is another federal program administered by various companies in different states. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas administers both FEP and Medicare but that is not true in all states. But neither of those is BCBS insurance. They may have the BCBS logos on the card as an indicator of where the provider should submit the claim.

I used to have to work with our accounting department to identify which portion of our systems relate to FEP and Medicare, for reimbursement purposes. For a number of years my staff were responsible for the membership and claims processing systems, regular business and FEP. Medicare was handled mostly by another area. We had only a peripheral involvement with Medicare.

Judy, you might want to talk with your FEP administrator to make sure your coverage will be as you need.

[SKOOBDO]

Not to make this thread a "health benefits" thread, but I think I'm in the same boat as Judy. It sounds like she's talking about federal health benefits and I just checked the OPM site (Office of Personnel Management) and it shows only two optins for insurance coverage in South Dakota. Also, OPM does indicate that there are "providers" that have agreements in other states. I've posted the below Q/A regarding federal retirees moving out of state attempting to transfer coverage. I plan on calling my insurance plan, which is also Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and see about transferring mine to south dakota. I'll post the answer on this site.

FROM OPM SITE (Q&A)

Q. I am currently in a health maintenance organization (HMO). I am retiring and will be moving to another state in the next few months. Will I be covered after I move?

A. You will be covered only for emergency care. Unless your HMO has a "reciprocity" agreement with a plan in your new area that allows you to get routine care, you must travel back to your HMO for care, or change plans. You can change plans anytime after moving; contact your retirement system.

OPM HEALTH BENEFITS SITE FOR 2007 BY STATE (South Dakota)

http://www.opm.gov/insure/07/planinfo/sd.asp

[judyuk]

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

Judy, he will need to talk to someone who can speak officially for Blue Cross and Blue Shield. I would suggest he contact the Blue Cross and Blue Shield National Association. Here is the contact information.

233 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 297-6000

As I said before, I am a resident of South Dakota. And I have Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas coverage. And they have my residence listed as South Dakota.

I am not sure how FEP (what you have) works for retirees. FEP is a different animal from Blue Cross and is not Blue Cross insurance. It is a federal government plan for which the administration of the insurance is contracted by bid in each state. The administrator in each state handles the claims, makes the payments, then gets reimbursed by the federal government plus a fee for handling.

FEP is handled by Blue Cross in some states and other companies in other states. Not all Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans (states, more or less) participate in FEP. I wonder if this is what he was referring to? Still, you would have coverage in every state. As far as I know, FEP is in every state although I do not know that for sure.

Medicare is another federal program administered by various companies in different states. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas administers both FEP and Medicare but that is not true in all states. But neither of those is BCBS insurance. They may have the BCBS logos on the card as an indicator of where the provider should submit the claim.

I used to have to work with our accounting department to identify which portion of our systems relate to FEP and Medicare, for reimbursement purposes. For a number of years my staff were responsible for the membership and claims processing systems, regular business and FEP. Medicare was handled mostly by another area. We had only a peripheral involvement with Medicare.

Judy, you might want to talk with your FEP administrator to make sure your coverage will be as you need.

Nick didn't know I was Federal BC/BS until I asked the question at the end of his class so that really didn't enter into his previous statement about non coverage in SD. He's hosting a large rally in Arizona right now but I will send him an email next week and see if I can find out where he got his information. We've pretty much settled on Texas as our residency anyway as we know this isn't an issue there.
Now I'm just curious!

[sreigle]

Skoobdoo, an HMO is a managed care plan. Those work through a specific network of providers (see above post). Any time you go outside that network, it will cost you much more money. Inside the network saves you money. With our lifestyle, we will not often be in the network area. That's the reason I switched from a managed care plan to a "traditional" plan. Comp major med, in my case. That way I'm covered throughout the country.

For anyone with a managed care plan, this is definitely something to check into. Your benefits are reduced (usually meaning you are covered but you pay a higher percentage) when outside the network area. A traditional plan works much better for us in this respect. You will still be ok if you will occasionally be back in your network area and can see your doctor during those periods. Most often, medical care when you are traveling is done at an emergency room simply because many doctors are booked for weeks ahead and we're not going to be in the area that long so we go to the emergency room. We've only had to do this twice in four years.

I'm very sorry we really hijacked this thread. How about if we need to discuss further that the next poster about health care coverage start a new thread?

[Kathi]

The only thing I know about Montana is that when I registered the trailer it cost me $174.00 and I never have to register it again for the whole time that I own it. I was shocked. I got permanent license plates on the back of it. In Ca. where I moved from I would be paying $577. for one year. Also if you own a car over 10 years old you do the same thing, you pay a little extra and get permanent plates. Also there is no sales tax in Montana. That is all I know.

[SKOOBDO]

Here's the BCBS plans that are available NATIONWIDE for Federal Government Retirees. Again, they are NATIONWIDE for every state. I will select one of these when I retire and move. Thank you Steve, for all your knowledge and help in this area. You is the Man!

BCBS STANDARD OPTION

http://www.opm.gov/insure/07/brochures/pdf/71-005.pdf

BCBS BASIC OPTION

http://www.opm.gov/insure/07/brochures/pdf/71-005.pdf

[linda and chas]

quote:Originally posted by SKOOBDO

I plan on registering mine in South Dakota. No Vehicle Inspections where you will have to travel to other states to get an annual inspection to renew your registration. I initially was going to register in Texas, however, they enforce vehicle inspections.

[richfaa]

Both Helen and I are retired Federal Employees.We have been insured under the FEP while active employees and now retired, exactly the same insurance, we just carried it over. I am looking at my card// It says... Blue Cross Blue Shield, Federal Employee Program, Government Wide service benefit plan. It pays the same benefits and the same coverage no matter where we are or where we live. Skoobdo we have the BCBS Standard option, Self only The self only is less money that the self and family with exactly the same coverage.Note that you must be a Federal Employee , active or retired or a qualified dependent.

[linda and chas]

quote:Originally posted by gcatt1

Considering sales taxes, personal property taxes and licensing fees, where would the best place(s)be to buy and register a new Montana and new truck? Would the answer be any different for used?

i was going to use south dakota until i realized i may have to go back to do taxes etc -- dont want to be in SD for winter i decided on texas- they have the escapees mail forwarding and other camping related benefits

[patodonn]

SD for us, no real contest...we have our taxes done by the same folks we used for the past 10 yrs while in Calif. Never actually been to his office...always has been done by phone, e-mail and snail mail.

No need to spend more than 1 day in Sioux alls to change out the driver's licenses and get TV/RV registrations. You could even just fly in during the morning, do it all and fly out in the afternoon, if you wanted to. We will have to go back for 1 day after 5 years to renew the driver's licenses.

[adelmoll]

There is no need to worry about doing your taxes in South Dakota because South Dakota does not have State Income Tax. Neither does Texas of Florida and others. You can do your taxes from anywhere.

Helen

[ols1932]

There is no "best" state. The "best" state is the one you pick. What fits one member does not necessarily fit everyone else. Go with your instincts.

Orv