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Old 01-17-2005, 02:25 AM   #1
Dennis and Carol
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Health insurance on the road

This is a question for the full-timers. What do you do about health insurance while on the road. We presently have a catastrophic policy with a big deductible. We plan (at this point anyway) to keep our Washington residency but I an concerned if we would have any coverage if we were out of state when we needed service. AARP has some attractive coverage, but it is only offered in a few states. Texas is one of the states where it is offered. Just another one of those tasks to get completed in the next couple of weeks.
 
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Old 01-17-2005, 03:49 AM   #2
toolmanroy
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Health insurance problems/concerns are not limited to traveling. We are self-employed and pay over $800 per month out of pocket for our insurance. Insurance offered by NASE is deceiving. It does not have a "cap" for out-of-pocket expenses. I would say an MSA would be the best bet for anyone, but we still need to do research to find a plan.
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Old 01-17-2005, 08:20 AM   #3
sreigle
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You need to check your policy or call your insurance company to discuss this. The rules vary so much from policy to policy. I retired from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas so have their insurance in my retirement since I get the same "deal" active employees get. We did switch from an HMO to a "traditional" policy because while traveling we would be "out of network" most of the time and that's not a cheap proposition. With traditional coverage we pay a bit more out of pocket on deductibles than "in network" HMO but a lot less than out of network HMO. As Washington residents you should be able to get whatever's available in that state but be absolutely sure you understand all the provisions of your policy, related to your traveling. Don't forget pharmacy. We can go to any pharmacy signed up with any BCBS plan in any state and get the identical deal we'd get in Kansas. You want to make sure your RX is covered at out of state pharmacies or that you can get the Rx by mail order. Likewise, check the dental coverage policy.
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Old 01-17-2005, 10:17 AM   #4
Dennis and Carol
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Steve, as I mentioned before, we have catastrophic coverage. Carol and I do not see completely eye to eye on this. We have a $5,000/yr. deductible. I realize that should something serious happen to either of us, I would AGAIN have to bow to her wisdom. It just seems to me that I have just given them the privilege of extracting $350 from my account each month. Just one of many things that bug me, like doctors and attorneys. I feel much better so now I will get off the soap box.

Dennis
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Old 01-17-2005, 10:25 AM   #5
adelmoll
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We are also looking for Insurance but both of us are on Medicare. We have a great supplemental policy in Minnesota but will be changing our residency to South Dakota as soon as the house sells. Our supplemental policy costs $440 a month for the two of us and includes prescription drugs and preventive dental. This is a Minnesota policy only and we don't know what to replace it with.. Any suggestions from you South Dakota's?
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Old 01-17-2005, 01:50 PM   #6
sreigle
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Where a policy is sold is usually not relevant to your concern. What is relevant is the area of coverage. If it is a Managed Care policy (HMO or PPO type policy) then there is a defined network of providers under contract to provide services. Go outside that network and you either get no coverage or you pay a larger share (perhaps more than your normal deductible).

If a traditional policy, with traditional meaning non-managed care (i.e non-hmo and non-ppo and similar) then you may have the same deductibles and co-pays no matter where you go. But you still need to confirm that. Each policy an insurer sells could have different rules.

What I'm trying to say is your policy should cover you just about anywhere but the degree of coverage and/or the size of deductibles and co-pays may be unique to each policy. So in your purchase decision you should explain your plans to travel and ask all the questions to ensure you understand what you are buying.

I hope that's not too muddy. Bottom line is where you buy doesn't matter. What you buy does matter. And even catastrophic policies vary, even within the same insurer.
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Old 01-17-2005, 01:56 PM   #7
sreigle
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Adelmoll, since I've mentioned several times we're SD residents I didn't want you to think I'm ignoring your question. We have never lived in SD so really don't have a clue to the answer to your question. But we do have members who likely will be of some help to you.
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Old 01-22-2005, 01:54 AM   #8
Montana_2821
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We are both on medicare and have an open HMO policy from Humana. That means we pick the doctors. It's like a supplemental policy except that all the billing, including the medicare billing, goes through Humana and they pay the doctor then collect from Medicare.

It's through the comapany I retired from so I don't know if it's available to everyone or not. It does include a drug benifit.

Also we just changed to that policy so don't have any results to report.


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Old 01-24-2005, 10:06 AM   #9
Montana_632
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You may want to check with your local Chamber of Commerce. Sometimes you can get a group rate if you are a member. You do not have to own a business to join. Some almuni associations also offer group rates. I belong to the Microsoft Alumni Association and I get a group rate. I pay $237.00 per month for both of us with a 250 deductable and 20.00 co-pays. If we are outside of Washington then coverage is 80/20.
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Old 02-02-2005, 11:27 AM   #10
Montana_3046
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Dennis and Carol

This is a question for the full-timers. What do you do about health insurance while on the road. We presently have a catastrophic policy with a big deductible. We plan (at this point anyway) to keep our Washington residency but I an concerned if we would have any coverage if we were out of state when we needed service. AARP has some attractive coverage, but it is only offered in a few states. Texas is one of the states where it is offered. Just another one of those tasks to get completed in the next couple of weeks.
Dennis & Carol,
In reading ALOT of posts it appears that you are becoming fulltimers....that is what I want to do.

You have probably picked up on the links to state residency:
South Dakota
http://www.alternativeresources.net

And Texas
http://www.escapees.com/edocs/texan.pdf

Now check out the health insurance rates Nationwide or for those "State Residents"
http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/ehi/index.html
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Old 02-15-2005, 02:19 PM   #11
RADHAZJOE
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Anyone on Medicare. You might want to check with a company called Associates and Societies (ASI). They have some very attractive supplements.
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Old 02-16-2005, 04:48 AM   #12
sreigle
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Dennis and Carol, did you get your health insurance questions resolved?
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Old 02-16-2005, 10:46 AM   #13
Bowie
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Somehow we missed this thread and have just now come across it. The additional advice we have comes from an experience where we would have preferred to get home for medical treatment but Pat was too ill to travel. Would have liked a policy then that included the option of patient transport. Doesn't sound like an important option necessarily but when you want it you really want it.
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Old 02-16-2005, 02:19 PM   #14
sreigle
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Bowie, at the September rally we had a presentation from some folks that provide medical transportation home, including the care you need while enroute. I remember they fly you home but don't recall if that's just if over a certain distance. I think they get you home one way or another. I think the name was Sky Med or SkyMed so you might want to google search on those to see what you find. At least one of our members has this service so maybe they'll see this question and provide more info.
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Old 02-16-2005, 02:32 PM   #15
Bowie
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Thanks Steve! Think we will have to search that one out to see what they really have on offer. Think it would be a good thing to have if you do a lot of travelling to remote places, especially on your own, not part of an organized group. It will be interesting to hear from the members who have the service. Believe me at the time of the incident mentioned, we would have given just about anything to get Pat home.
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Old 02-17-2005, 02:55 AM   #16
Gene Chaltry
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Good Sam has a program called EAP (Emergency Assistance Plus. It costs a $100 dollars a year, and is for this very purpose. I never had to use it and I hope I never do, but it would be worth its weight in gold when you do. Check it out at www.goodsamclub.com. This is not health insurance, it's a way to get your loved ones home and even your rig or pets.
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Old 02-17-2005, 02:58 PM   #17
sreigle
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Bill and Pat, Gene already gave you one reply but if you don't get more you might start a new topic so more people would see your question.
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Old 02-17-2005, 03:17 PM   #18
ronstan
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another one is masa. We can get it through FCRV our camping association. I don't know what it costs I know if you belong to FCRV it is a lot cheaper.
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Old 02-17-2005, 04:12 PM   #19
Bowie
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Thanks for the additional info about masa and EAP. Since we belong to Good Sam's already it will be easy to check that one out. We must have read about it and just never registered that that was what we had in mind. Safe and healthy travels!
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