Health Insurance when working/living in/visiting multiple states
December 14, 2020 5:05 PM Subscribe
Do any marketplace insurance plans have a national network of providers? If not, what are some other ways to make sure I have access to care when outside of my home state? Details inside.
Me: Unmarried, 30s, with many pre-existing conditions that can require unexpected emergency care (think infections).
Job Situation: Graduating in 2021, losing my grad student insurance (which amazingly covered doctors in every state I used to travel to!). Will be working freelance and responsible for purchasing my own health insurance on the ACA marketplace (at least for as long as it exists).
Income: Too high for Medicaid but low enough to get substantial help via a decent subsidized exchange plan (again, for as long as this system exists) in the state where I'm a resident.
The problem: What happens when I travel elsewhere and need to see a doctor? (I am going to be vaccinated in phase 1, as are my parents who I need to visit). When I go home I tend to stay for several weeks at a time. Also, as a freelancer, I imagine in a post-COVID world, I will be traveling for work, too. I've read that it's possible to purchase "supplemental catastrophic" coverage for emergencies, but that it doesn't cover pre-existing conditions.
Curious what my options are. Do I have to just expect/plan that if anything happens out of state I will be paying completely out of pocket? Am I overlooking something obvious?
Me: Unmarried, 30s, with many pre-existing conditions that can require unexpected emergency care (think infections).
Job Situation: Graduating in 2021, losing my grad student insurance (which amazingly covered doctors in every state I used to travel to!). Will be working freelance and responsible for purchasing my own health insurance on the ACA marketplace (at least for as long as it exists).
Income: Too high for Medicaid but low enough to get substantial help via a decent subsidized exchange plan (again, for as long as this system exists) in the state where I'm a resident.
The problem: What happens when I travel elsewhere and need to see a doctor? (I am going to be vaccinated in phase 1, as are my parents who I need to visit). When I go home I tend to stay for several weeks at a time. Also, as a freelancer, I imagine in a post-COVID world, I will be traveling for work, too. I've read that it's possible to purchase "supplemental catastrophic" coverage for emergencies, but that it doesn't cover pre-existing conditions.
Curious what my options are. Do I have to just expect/plan that if anything happens out of state I will be paying completely out of pocket? Am I overlooking something obvious?
Yeah I've had health insurance and been covered, to a lesser extent, in other states. It's all fussy and weird but it depends what kind of plan you have and how much "out of network" stuff is handled/covered. Like some plans require you to use their slate of doctors and some just have preferred/non-preferred. Especially lately with telemedicine, if you get something that can be managed that way it can be inexpensive. Otherwise, less so. And, to assenav's point, I have BCBS. I think a plan may cost somewhat more if it has more flexibility but in most cases a trip to urgent care (with the plan I have) costs the same whether it's up the road or two states over.
posted by jessamyn at 7:07 PM on December 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 7:07 PM on December 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
Some insurance plans are single state, specifically excluding out-of-state coverage, though in my experience they will generally cover some emergency care If you find yourself quite sick somewhere outside your coverage area. (Pay attention to the details here. They may pay for emergency care but not the extended hospital stay that sickness necessitates.) My previous insurance through HealthNet was this way. When I inquired about seeing an out of state doctor I was told it was a no go. Other policies are only sold in a given state, but give you access to medical care anywhere in the US through a national network. Smaller insurers may contract with other companies to provide national coverage. You’ll have to look at each policy on offer and see what they stipulate. If you feel comfortable mentioning what state you are in, perhaps someone could offer suggestions for plans to look out for or to avoid. Good luck in identifying a suitable plan!
posted by reren at 10:40 PM on December 14, 2020
posted by reren at 10:40 PM on December 14, 2020
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posted by assenav at 5:37 PM on December 14, 2020 [1 favorite]