health insurance for travelers

[curlygirl8]

Hi!

Just signed on for my first travel assignment. Now I'm looking into the health insurance program that my agency offers. Here's the question.... if I sign up for that insurance plan but then choose to work with a different agency in 3 months, I'll be dropped & theoretically sign up for insurance with the new agency. Right? So, then any annual deductible I built up with the previous agency is gone & I start over. Seems like a waste of cash. How do you experienced travelers handle this?

Thanks!

[RNERHOUSESUPOR]

I pick up my own insurance and have the company pay what they would as the benefit as an extra check. Don't know if my tax person puts it in as extra income or if it's part of the perdiem. Make sure you have someone doing your taxes though. I just got an audit letter yesterday. Thankfully it was for one of the years I hired someone to do my taxes.

Rod

[curlygirl8]

Thanks! I considered picking up my own but hadn't thought about asking the company to pay. Good thinking. Thank you for that & for the tax preparer tip!

[SnowShoeRN]

If you don't mind me asking, how much does it cost for you to have your own insurance? Once, I had to go through Cobra for a while and it was literally costing me nearly $600 a month.

Any suggestions for health insurance companies?

Thanks!

[RNERHOUSESUPOR]

Cobra is like 3 times more expensive than the original policy. I am at right around 200 a month but I am in my 50's so the prices go up. Should have started in my 40's but I just spent the money on other things then. Blue Cross is what I have, was the best deal for the area I was in at the time. Shop around. Of course if you are currently being treated for anything, it may affect your rate and insurability. I don't think the everyone can be insured is in effect yet.