What do ACA people use while traveling?

[NXR7]

None of the ACA plans offered in NE Ohio offer out-of-network coverage except for life-threatening conditions. So if you snowbird or travel, what are you doing for health care?

Right now my DW and I are on COBRA to the tune of $1,633/month and we have a decision to make during open enrollment next month. We do travel for extended periods of time out of state but not out of the country.

Neither of us have any major health problems requiring continuous or frequent care. Yet.

Thanks,

Ray

 

[athena53]

You need more than pure medical coverage anyway. I'm a pretty adventurous traveler and, while I do most of the crazy stuff on group tours (snorkeling off Alaska, a "boulder bash" hike up to a mountain ridge in Baja, exploring the bottom of a dormant volcano in Iceland), if something happens I may need to be taken by a helicopter somewhere else for treatment.There may also be additional expenses if you have to fly home later, or in Business Class to accomodate a cast, or your traveling companion needs to stay longer to accompany you home.

I use insuremytrip.com, which offers you a variety of options so you can choose which coverages/limits are most important to you. I haven't had to make a claim so can't comment on that aspect.

 

[NXR7]

So travel insurance can be used inside the USA for an extended trip, say four or five months? A trip where you're driving yourself and not using any commercial carriers?

I've used travel insurance n commercial flight trips and used to work for a company that owned a travel insurance company but I've never had a need for it on one of my self-driven trips.

Ray

 

[athena53]

So travel insurance can be used inside the USA for an extended trip, say four or five months? A trip where you're driving yourself and not using any commercial carriers?

I'm not sure about that- never take those kinds of trips. With the proliferation of snowbirders, though, you'd think products would be available.

 

[MBSC]

So if you snowbird or travel, what are you doing for health care?

Regarding snowbirds, some BCBS HMO plans come with an "Away from Home" feature if you will be at another specific location more than 90 days. You become a "guest" of the BCBS carrier in the other location.

Generic brochure: http://www.bcbsnc.com/assets/members/public/mms/pdfs/bluecard/BCBSNC-AFHC.pdf

Ohio: https://www11.anthem.com/guestmembership/

There are 21 states that do not participate in the guest membership program: Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Utah, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wyoming, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico.

 

[pb4uski]

We have used our BCBS coverage in both VT while at home and FL while snowbirding with no problems... though BCBS VT did recently request that DW provide proof that she was still a VT resident (driver's license and property tax bill).

In a year or so it will be a non-issue as we'll both be on Medicare.

 

[Dtail]

Our Florida Blue Silver plan which is a PPO becomes an EPO when outside FLA but still in the USA.

 

[Spock]

In a previous thread on the topic it was suggested that you treat annual snowbird migrations as a move... thus a special enrollment period to change your insurance coverage to match your new area.

 

[ivinsfan]

We have used our BCBS coverage in both VT while at home and FL while snowbirding with no problems... though BCBS VT did recently request that DW provide proof that she was still a VT resident (driver's license and property tax bill).

In a year or so it will be a non-issue as we'll both be on Medicare.

Only if you don't use a Medicare Advantage plan, I'm sure you know that, I'm just adding this comment for someone reading here who might not be aware of this issue.

 

[littleb]

I have my ACA with BCBS of Tennessee and needed care while traveling to another state. BCBS has a national network of hospitals and providers that are considered in network under some ACA plans.

In some cases whether your Blue Cross plan is an HMO or PPO you might have coverage in the US. Look for the traveling suitcase symbol on your health insurance card to determine if you have national coverage. Not all hospitals and drs are in the plan. You need to check with BCBS to determine coverage.

 

[rodi]

I have a closed network, restrictive plan, Kaiser Permanente. I don't have any ongoing conditions. So I call them, if I'm travelling and it's a non-emergency, and they tell me what clinics/hospitals are in the area that they have an agreement with. When they kids were little we had ear infections treated at several different urgent care clinics, and I was directed to a specific hospital's emergency room when I had a stenosis caused by a UTI and was on the edge of a burst bladder. Saw lots of "this is not a bill" EOBs, but never got a bill. The key is to call it in and find out who they have the agreement with. In an true emergency we would just go to the local ER. Period.

For longer foreign trips we buy trip medical insurance.

 

[Senator]

With Minnesota Care, my DGF called them and they said they would cover the expenses while traveling. I assume it was just emergency care, but the agent implied it did not matter.

The beauty of having someone else pay is amazing.

 

[ivinsfan]

With Minnesota Care, my DGF called them and they said they would cover the expenses while traveling. I assume it was just emergency care, but the agent implied it did not matter.

The beauty of having someone else pay is amazing.

Not for the people doing the actual paying, because of course nothing can be free.

I live in MN and pay taxes here, so your welcome.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I am with an ACA BC/BS PPO plan in southern california. I have had no problem finding in-network coverage when needed while travelling, most recently urgent care in Newport RI.

 

[bmcgonig]

I am with an ACA BC/BS PPO plan in southern california. I have had no problem finding in-network coverage when needed while travelling, most recently urgent care in Newport RI.

This would work for urgent/emergency care only, right? I know BC/BS CA changed last year where you can't use out of state services in normal cases. Eg if you're snowbirding in Florida you can't use Mayo clinic for a check-up etc.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

This would work for urgent/emergency care only, right? I know BC/BS CA changed last year where you can't use out of state services in normal cases. Eg if you're snowbirding in Florida you can't use Mayo clinic for a check-up etc.

Perhaps. I have only used it for urgent care (several times) and prescription refills out of state.

 

[MRG]

With Minnesota Care, my DGF called them and they said they would cover the expenses while traveling. I assume it was just emergency care, but the agent implied it did not matter.

The beauty of having someone else pay is amazing.

I was told that too, different state. Works great until I used it.

 

[Retiree_Having_Fun]

Since many ACA plans have higher deductibles, you pay for most things. The real problem is surprise billing where OUT OF NETWORK doctors and facilities take a "free hit" on you and send you a bill for 10x the going rate. There is a bill in Congress on this but the special interests doctor/facility lobby want to maintain their highly profitable line of work. So if you are out of town and at least got the customary charge it would sting but not be an amputation of your wallet. write/email your representatives on this one.

https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20190808.585050/full/


groups of physicians—particularly emergency physicians and anesthesiologists—stay out of insurance networks, levy outrageously high bills on unsuspecting patients, and maximize their revenue. This is their business model.

$2000 ambulance ride - take uber / lyft instead.

 

[Senator]

I was told that too, different state. Works great until I used it.

Did you have expanded medicaid? Or were you in MN?

 

[saydiver]

Our Florida Blue Silver plan which is a PPO becomes an EPO when outside FLA but still in the USA.

You have it backwards.

Both FL Blue(BCBS) Blue Options and Blue Select plans are an EPO in-state. They both have in-state networks with Blue Option plans having a larger network than Blue Select plans. Out of state both are a PPO with a nationwide network(BlueCard Program).