Best Health Insurance for Travel Nurses?

NedRN · Mar 1, 2014

Why do you have to use out of network providers? My BCBS (Anthem) has lots of in network providers in every state. $353 is cheap compared to employer group health or ACA non-subsidized prices, if it is any good of course.

ASHRN828 · Mar 26, 2014

My friend is with Cross Country and she only pays $6/week! I switched mine to my agency (Supplemental) and now it is $60/week, which is still saving some money monthly.

Just curious if people just get theirs through the company they are working with or if they keep a private policy for consistency. What I didn't really think about when I just signed up for company insurance, is what if there is a gap between assignments and I lose it.

NedRN · Mar 26, 2014

You shouldn't be able to "lose" your agency insurance. COBRA laws mean they have to contact you when you leave their employment and offer extending your insurance for up to 18 months. You do have to pay the premium.

You do know that your insurance is not $60 a month, right? The rest is coming out of a lower hourly pay. If you want to know the true cost, ask them what the COBRA cost is. Cross Country pays less than Supplemental. So your friends insurance is costing quite a bit more than $6 a week. There is no free lunch, especially when all compensation is being paid out of a fixed bill rate.

ASHRN828 · Mar 26, 2014

I didn't say $60/month, I said $60/week.

NedRN · Mar 26, 2014

Point remains that your insurance copay is artificial, the actual number of the copay, whether $6 or $60 is meaningless. Group health costs are well above $400 a month. Supplemental insurance is probably above $600 a month since they are based in NY with the highest insurance costs in the country.