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Health Insurance for RVers

Under the “things we’ve learned” category is the fact that your health insurance probably does not cover care in other states. Getting health care coverage when you’re a full-time RVer, or even when you’re a part-timer, is a task that requires some research.

Luckily, there is plenty of information available from other full-time RVers, and through insurance companies started by RVers themselves in order to help solve this problem! After much research myself, I have narrowed down the bottom line – main questions to ask and must-haves when choosing an insurance plan.

Medicare

If you are 65 or over then you already have Medicare, so coverage is not as much of an issue for you. The only advice here is to avoid Medicare Advantage, or Part C – these plans require you to reside in the plan’s service area. Instead, opt for a Medicare Supplement plan (also known as Medigap). Supplement plans do not have a service area or network. Learn more about Medigap plans at Medicare.gov.

If You are Under 65

If you do not have health insurance through your employer, you can buy an ACA (Affordable Care Act) plan through your state’s marketplace at Healthcare.gov, or you can get your own coverage directly through an insurance agent.

If you have a preexisting health condition or think you qualify for a subsidy through ACA

The main reasons for choosing an ACA plan are 1) You cannot be refused if you have a preexisting health condition and 2) You may quality for a subsidy if your income is low enough. The main issue with most plans available through the marketplace is that they do not have nationwide coverage, so you will need to review the plan options to see if any will cover you while you travel to other states. Once you apply through Healthcare.gov, you will be given options of the plans that are available to you. They will list premium costs, deductibles, out-of-pocket costs and what things are covered. Note that you can only apply for these plans during the enrollment period, which is October through December, unless you quality for a special enrollment period. Changes in household size (i.e. marriage or divorce, having a baby), changes in status (losing a job), changes in residence, all may allow you to qualify for a special enrollment period.

Types of Subsidies:

1. Premium Tax Credit: This subsidy is what you would use to help pay your monthly premiums. It can be applied to Catastrophic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans.
2. Cost-Sharing Reduction: In addition to a premium credit, you may qualify for to save on the out-of-pocket costs you pay whenever you get health care, like deductibles and copayments. In order to get these additional savings you must buy a plan in the Silver category .

SEE IF YOU QUALITY FOR A SUBSIDY: https://www.healthcare.gov/lower-costs/qualifying-for-lower-costs/

Types of Plans:

Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO): A managed care plan where services are covered only if you use doctors, specialists, or hospitals in the plan’s network (except in an emergency). These plans usually restrict coverage to a single state, but do not require the use of a primary care physician or referrals.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO): Coverage is limited to care from doctors who work for or contract with the HMO. It generally won’t cover out-of-network care except in an emergency. An HMO may require you to live or work in its service area to be eligible for coverage. These plans require a primary care physician and use of referrals in order to see specialists.

Point of Service (POS): A type of plan where you pay less if you use doctors, hospitals, and providers that belong to the plan’s network. These plans require you to get a referral from your primary care doctor in order to see a specialist.

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO): These health plans have larger networks, and have the option to use in-network or out-of-network doctors. You can use doctors, hospitals, and providers outside of the network without a referral. Even though the out-of-network costs are higher, this type of plan is THE BEST CHOICE FOR RVers!

Levels of coverage: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
NOTE: Much of the information / text below is from the Healthcare.gov website.

Plan Type	Expenses You Pay	Expenses the Plan Pays
Bronze	40%	60%
Silver	30%	70%
Gold	20%	80%
Platinum	10%	90%

Bronze

Lowest monthly premium

Highest costs for care and highest deductibles

Good choice if: You want a low-cost way to protect yourself from worst-case medical scenarios, like serious sickness or injury. Your monthly premium will be low, but you’ll have to pay for most routine care yourself.

Silver

Moderate monthly premium

Moderate costs for care and deductibles (lower than Bronze plans)

IMPORTANT: If you qualify for cost-sharing reductions you must pick a Silver plan to get the extra savings. You can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year if you use a lot of care.

Good choice if: You qualify for cost-sharing reductions — or, if not, if you’re willing to pay a slightly higher monthly premium than Bronze to have more of your routine care covered.

Gold

High monthly premium

Low costs for care and low deductibles

Good choice if: You’re willing to pay more each month to have more costs covered when you get medical treatment. If you use a lot of care, a Gold plan could be a good value.

Platinum

Highest monthly premium

Lowest costs for care and lowest deductibles

Good choice if: You usually use a lot of care and are willing to pay a high monthly premium, knowing nearly all other costs will be covered.

Catastrophic Plans

Catastrophic health insurance plans have low monthly premiums and very high deductibles. They may be an affordable way to protect yourself from worst-case scenarios, like getting seriously sick or injured. But you pay most routine medical expenses yourself. Expect to pay more than 40% of medical costs out-of-pocket.

To qualify for a Catastrophic plan, you must either be under the age of 30, or have a hardship exemption at any age. You may qualify for a hardship if you are experiencing:

• Homelessness;
• An eviction/foreclosure;
• A notice of shutoff from your utility company;
• Domestic violence or a death in the family;
• A natural or man-made disaster.
• Bankruptcy or substantial debt from medical expenses;
• An increase in expenses due to caring for an ill, disabled, or aging family member;
• Claiming a child as a tax dependent who was denied Medicaid or CHIP;
• If you won an appeal for previously being denied a qualified health plan, but were denied eligibility at the time;
• You lost coverage in the past, but found qualified health plans to be unaffordable;
• Some other hardship related to obtaining health insurance.

If you have NO preexisting health conditions and do NOT quality for a subsidy through ACA

It will most likely cost less to obtain a policy directly through an agent, rather than through the ACA marketplace if you do not qualify for a subsidy.

Types of plans that offer national coverage:

Short Term Medical Insurance

These plans cover you for a short term period of 3 months up to 3 years, depending upon the plan. Many of these plans have nationwide coverage, and can be customized to fit your budget. These plans do not usually cover preexisting conditions. Prescription drug coverage is not very good. Under a short term plan, you must reapply for coverage after the term is expired – so, every 3 months to 3 years you will need to qualify for coverage again.

Fixed Benefit plans

The coverage under fixed benefit plans is nationwide, and there is a very large network of providers. They are flexible plans, and can be customized to fit your budget. A fixed benefit plan, however, only covers a set amount for each service/procedure, regardless of how much the actual cost is. They also do not cover preexisting conditions.

Ways to Save Money on Your Healthcare

Health Savings Account
A type of savings account that lets you set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for medical expenses, such as deductibles and copayments. This is a savings to you, since the money is not taxed as long as it is used for paying qualified medical expenses. HSA funds generally may not be used to pay premiums. There are maximum amounts you can contribute to an HSA account. The maximum allowable contributions change, so be sure to check the maximums each year. For 2020 the HSA maximum contributions are $3,550 for self-only and $7,100 for families. Individuals age 55 or older can add an annual “catch- up” contribution amount of $1,000.

Avoid the Emergency Room
Emergency room visits are the most expensive health care. Urgent care is cheaper than the emergency room, so if your condition is not life-threatening, opt for an urgent care clinic instead. This can save you hundreds of dollars.

Use Pharmacy Clinics
Pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens now offer walk-in care for minor conditions. For minor injuries, vaccines, minor illnesses such as flu or sinus infection, skin conditions, bladder infections, etc., this option can save you money – and time.

Use Telehealth
Visit with a doctor remotely using your phone or computer. Many doctor visits can be done remotely. This is a great time and money saving option, and has become more and more popular over the past few years. Many plans include a telehealth option, but if your plan does not include one, you can obtain your own policy directly.

Get a Good Sam Travel Assist Membership
This membership helps cover emergency medical transportation, transportation home after an illness or injury, return of your RV / vehicle home if you’re unable to drive it, emergency medical monitoring, replacement of prescription eyeglasses if lost or stolen, pet care and return. These are special considerations if you’re a part-time or full-time RVer. We have this coverage and it gives us extra peace of mind. See available plans here.

Manage your Health
Okay, this one is a no-brainer, right? We can all do things to help stay healthy and help to avoid major healthcare issues. The simple things to do on a regular basis to stay strong and healthy:

– Exercise every day! Even a small amount of moderate exercise daily will improve your health. Walk or ride a bike instead of taking the car; do some morning yoga; go for a swim.

– Make small improvements in your diet – every day! It can be difficult to make major changes all at once. If you make just small changes, this isn’t so overwhelming. Where to start?
Reduce your sugar intake. Sugar contributes to high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain, and inflammation.
Reduce the amount of processed, packaged foods you eat. Additives in processed foods contribute to weight gain and inflammation as well. Choose fresh, natural foods as often as possible.

For further reading on health and fitness, refer to our fitness-health page on this site.

Health Insurance Checklist

1. Do I qualify for a subsidy through the marketplace? If you think you qualify, check this option first on Healthcare.gov.
2. What kind of premiums can I afford, and what are the deductibles and out-of-pocket costs?
3. Is there a PPO plan available? These plans do not require a primary care physician or referrals, so you can use out-of-network care, even though it is a higher cost. These are the best type of plan for nationwide coverage.
4. What is the plan network? Is care available and covered in ALL states? How much more will you pay for out-of-network care?
5. Is the plan HSA (Health Savings Account) compatible?
6. Are full-time RVers covered? Make sure there are no requirements to reside at a home address for a minimum period of time.
7. Does the plan include a telehealth option?

Recommendations

The company that appears most often in RV blogs and recommendations is RVerInsurance.com. They have a great, easy to understand website that lists the pros and cons of each type of insurance, and it is easy to obtain a quote on a plan that is right for you. RverInsurance was started by a full-time RVer, so they definitely understand your unique needs. Also find information on ACA plans, helpful videos and other resources to help you choose a plan.