Health Insurance while in a contract

Specialties Travel

Published

Specializes in ED.

Hello everybody,

I will be starting to travel in November. Currently I live in New York state but will be doing contracts primarily in CA, OR and WA. I am running into difficulties with finding health insurance for me and my husband.

We currently have Empire BCBS through my staff RN job. My last day is the end of September and the contract I am interested in starts in November. I have called BCBS, Aetna and United, and none of them have any plans in which we will be covered for other than "life and death emergencies" while in the West Coast.

Does anyone know of any companies or plans we can look into? We both are healthy, mid 30s.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

L.

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What does your travel company offer? How much does COBRA cost? Have you looked at your state's Obamacare website?

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Specializes in ED.

Hi BonnieSc,

Their plan is through Cigna and after spending all day calling all the different major insurance companies and looking through the Obamacare website I think it might be the best option. It is quite puzzling that there is no nation-wide plan in existence or at least not while having NY be your state of residency. It seems like BCBS used to have plans that offered that, but unless you were 'grandfathered' in, they no longer have such plans. COBRA would end up costing me $150/month more than taking the health benefit through the travel agency.

In any event, thanks for the reply!

L.

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I'm not an expert, but I'm told that every state (or the federal) healthcare exchange has a "national" plan so that you can get broad coverage. If your current employer provided insurance has in-network coverage in other states, you can COBRA it for 18 months while you shop for a better plan in the different states where you travel. Every change of job is an event that qualifies you for immediate use of the healthcare exchange without waiting for once yearly open enrollment.

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Specializes in L&D, Mother/Baby.

I was just on the BCBS site a few days ago looking at plans. They definitely have a national network plan, it's just gonna be pricier than the plans that are local. And since you are 30s and healthy (with no kids?), you might be ok with taking agency insurance. I only use my insurance for annuals and one Rx. The $9/week plan with CCTC was awesome for me.

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Specializes in ED.

Thanks, NedRN

That is one of the other options, and I will ask my current employer about the actual total cost per pay period for my insurance; it might still be most cost effective to take the insurance offered by the agency.

If you do not mind me asking, NedRN, I am in the last few steps of possibly agreeing to a contract and jumping into the adventure of travel nursing. I have seen your many posts and thorough knowledge on the subject and I want to run my plan A, B, X, Y and Z to you for possible things I might not have even realised I have not asked or addressed. However, I do not yet have the option to send private messages only receive them but I would like to ask some very specific questions about my specific situation that I do not feel comfortable broadcasting on a public post.

L.

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You are posting anonymously right? If you want to be even more anonymous, you can make a new screen name. Sometimes, if you are talking about specific hospitals you are working at, you might be able to be identified by those working there, but it is unlikely they will be lurking waiting for you to post something juicy. You might also be able to reframe your questions more generally in a way you might feel more comfortable.

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