insurance coverage in any state?

[katzmam]

Hello, I am seeking any knowledge, experience or advice on the subject of Medicare Advantage insurance that covers you where ever you are. My husband is now old enough for medicare and I am trying to find out what type of additional insurance(in conjunction with medicare) is best for us who are very rarely in our home state! I have been reading for days and have not come up with many answers! Any dialog on this subject would be great! Thx Katzmam

[bridgestohealth]

Dear Katzmam,

Great question! Medicare is a federally and national program so you are correct, it can be used in any State. the problem is not so much the Medicare coverage as is the co-insurance needed (Medicare usually only covers up to 80% of your health bill) to make up the remainder of the bill.

You didn't mention if your husband (or you) had health insurance prior to turning the required age for Medicare coverage. That is important because if you already have health insurance they would become the secondary carrier to Medicare. Also there are several ways to become eligible for Medicare coverage (becoming 65 is only one): if you have end stage renal disease, disability, and railroad retirees are examples.

If you could post some additional information I could help you figure this out:

1. Your ages
2. Did you or do you have other insurance prior to Medicare?
3. Do you have insurance benefits as part of your pension at retirement?
4. Were you Federal or State employees?

Do you predominately travel within the United States or do you also go into Mexico and Canada?

These are good places to start.

In health and wellness,

Dr. Linda Mundorff,MPH,MSN,ND,RN,CNC,CTN

[dianemc]

We are traveling from state to state in our work - we are 70 and still working
We are using regular Medicare and BC supplement. Is there any way to use
a different coverage. I can't find one that covers traveling as we do.
Thanks
dianemc

[bridgestohealth]

Hi Dianemc,

First, please take a look at the post I did on this subject matter back on 9/9/07(Katzmann), this way I don't have to repeat that information.
Now you mentioned that you do a lot of travelling for your job. But you didn't mention if you were self-employed or not as this makes a big difference. So I need more information in order to give you a better response, please answer the following questions and I will get back to you:
1. Are you or your husband self-employed?
2. If you are working for a company, did you speak to your HR dept to find out about health coverage while traveling? If traveling is part of your job description then there would be a coverage clause for health insurance.
3. You said you have BC as a supplement. Is that Blue Cross? If so, which region are you in?
4. Do you have Medicare Part D (medication supplement)?
5. Do you have inpatient coverage through BC too? Medicare Part A covers inpatient stays and Medicare Part B would cover outpatient visits, therapies, and durable medical equipment. So I am assuming that you are using BC strictly for the 20% remaining after Medicare pays.
6. What is your home state and which states to you frequent during your travels?

Ok that is all the questions that I have for now.

Dr. Linda Mundorff, MPH,MSN,ND,RN,CNC,CTN
Registered Nurse and Board Certified Traditional Naturopath

[jdensie]

As a fulltime workamper I went on the road about a year ago. At that time I had BC after about three months they dropped me, because I was out of state and had gotten a different address. I tried to get BC in the new state I was registered in and they would not insure me as I did not own a residence in that state. At this time I have decided not to have insurance and wait several years till I can get Medicare. Don't know what I will do about a supplement but can figure it out at that time.

[clayl]

As a fulltime workamper I went on the road about a year ago. At that time I had BC after about three months they dropped me, because I was out of state and had gotten a different address. I tried to get BC in the new state I was registered in and they would not insure me as I did not own a residence in that state. At this time I have decided not to have insurance and wait several years till I can get Medicare. Don't know what I will do about a supplement but can figure it out at that time.

Yeah, BC/BS has that rule in two states I are aware of - NH and SD -and maybe all states.
When we moved to SD we went with Assurant http://www.assuranthealth.com/corp/ah/ because they did not have that restriction.

[bridgestohealth]

Ok, I did some checking for you. So let me share what I have so far:

1. The link below will take you to an online site that deals with a variety of health insurance plans. This is a good place to start.

https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/ehi/Alliance?allid=Ins21970&type=IFP&sid=12714

2. AARP also has a Medicare supplemental plan through Secure Horizon.
https://www.aarpmedicarecomplete.com/

3. The last one that I have is Assurant Health Plans. They work with a number of health plans and should have something to meet your needs.
http://www.assuranthealth.com/corp/ah/

Some helpful tips:

1. make sure you are clear that you need health coverage while you are on the road. If you RV full-time, then make sure you disclose this as well. Some full-time RVers have a home base State and will either have a PO Box or the address of one of their children. Make sure you disclose this as well.
2. If you are offered a plan that you like, then make sure it is in writing that you travel full-time. You don't want to have any of your health claims denied because someone made a mistake in the type of policy they sold you.
3. Ask about the assignment of a primary care physician (PCP). It is difficult to have one if you travel full-time, but it is important to have someone to coordinate your care. If you have a home-base then perhaps you can have a PCP in that area.
4. Does the plan require a referral before you can be seen? If so, who do you get the referral from? You are travelling full-time and so you may not have a PCP, although I strongly recommend you have one.
5. Is the plan an HMO, PPO, etc. You need to know if you will be charged more for going out of plan vs. seeing someone in network. Again if you are traveling full-time you may be out of plan. So you need to compare the prices, sometimes it is better to pay more upfront to offset your copays and deductibles.

I hope this helps. Please post and share with us any findings.

In health and wellness,

Dr. Linda mundorff, MPH,MSN,ND,RN,CNC,CTN

DISCLAIMER: Dr. Mundorff and MyRVSpace are not affliliated with any of the companies cited above, nor do they claim to have any expertise in this area. A simple Internet search was done to compile the above data. This data is for informational purposes only. As consumers, it is your responsibility to check before you buy.

[dianemc]

Hi Dianemc,

First, please take a look at the post I did on this subject matter back on 9/9/07(Katzmann), this way I don't have to repeat that information.
Now you mentioned that you do a lot of travelling for your job. But you didn't mention if you were self-employed or not as this makes a big difference. So I need more information in order to give you a better response, please answer the following questions and I will get back to you:
1. Are you or your husband self-employed?
2. If you are working for a company, did you speak to your HR dept to find out about health coverage while traveling? If traveling is part of your job description then there would be a coverage clause for health insurance.
3. You said you have BC as a supplement. Is that Blue Cross? If so, which region are you in?
4. Do you have Medicare Part D (medication supplement)?
5. Do you have inpatient coverage through BC too? Medicare Part A covers inpatient stays and Medicare Part B would cover outpatient visits, therapies, and durable medical equipment. So I am assuming that you are using BC strictly for the 20% remaining after Medicare pays.
6. What is your home state and which states to you frequent during your travels?

Ok that is all the questions that I have for now.

Dr. Linda Mundorff, MPH,MSN,ND,RN,CNC,CTN
Registered Nurse and Board Certified Traditional Naturopath

Dr. Mundorff
My husband is still working - self employed - we work mostly in the east, and midwest - and our BC is a Medicare supplement. We do have Medicare Part D
and Regular Medicare. Our home state is Tennessee, but we are rarely there
We are currently working in Va - and Will leave for a brief job in IL in April.

Thanks for your reply and any help will be appreciated.
I really think we have the only thing available for us at this time, but I thought you might have some info, I haven't come across.
Thanks
Dianemc

[bridgestohealth]

Diane,

Look at Post #7 that I submitted a couple of days ago. I listed resources to help you find supplmental insurance for the fulltime RV'er.

Let me know if you find anything and post to the board.

Good luck.

-Dr. Mundorff

[roadtrash]

my wife and i are ft campers and we have a mailforward service we use our same dr. we just make trips to see family and dr. at same time
i had to see dr out of state just told them i was on vacation that worked i never change my address