Portable Healthcare questions

[imoldernu]

Am a little embarrassed to ask this, but haven't kept up to date on healthcare plans.

Two questions:
First...
In 1993, we were members of an HMO in Illinois. DW had a stroke in FL requiring a difficult emergency operation. (which was successful). Our HMO doctor refused authority for the operation because he couldn't examine her.
Our care was authorized within 35 miles of a member facility. Total about $200+K for the operation an subsequent recovery. Eventually, we worked it through (6 months) and we were OK.
So the question for today's plans:
Is all healthcare insurance now portable?

Second...
Medicare Supplements. Buy supplement in Washington State. Move, permanently to Arizona.
Will the original supplement continue to be valid, or must the member buy their supplement from the residence state?

 

[cinman2000]

We are 52 and 50. RE in about 2 years. We are going to buy LTC thru MegaCorp this year at about $50 per month for each of us (total of $100). If the market does well over the next 10-15 years and the rates go up, we will probably drop it in favor of self insurance. Right now the low cost makes sense for where we are at.

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Oops, sorry wrong thread.....please ignore my stupidity

 

[MichaelB]

The question is portability, but what I think you mean is out of network coverage. PPACA regulations require emergency room coverage out of network without prior authorization and must limit cost sharing to reasonable amounts. Most other out of network care is still subject to the individual policy with no guarantee of coverage. PPACA does mandate at least two policies with national coverage be offered in each exchange.

Medicare supplemental insurance should be portable as long as there is no interruption in coverage.

 

[imoldernu]

The question is portability, but what I think you mean is out of network coverage.

Yes... I did mean out of network. My understanding of what happened, is that our HMO doctor received "bonus" dollars on his patients for keeping their healthcare costs under certain limits, and that authorizing the Florida operation, and subsequent care, would have cost him $$$. In fact, when the surgeon who operated called him directly to authorize the operation, he refused to take the call. We finally settled the issue after meetings with the arbitration board, but there were many anxious moments.

In any case, after encountering the situation, we signed up for Angelflight, just in case a similar situation recurred. Don't know the current cost for air ambulance, but at the time, it was over $20,000, and we figured the signing on was worth it.

http://www.angelflight.com/
I'd say, something to consider for travelers who don't want to get stranded far from home in case of a medical emergency.