Travel nursing and insurance

[rnrn08]

Hello all ,

I wish to know what most of nursing travelers do . Do you take insurance per your assignment ? Meaning that your insurance plan may change from one company to the other ( if you use different companies depending on assignment ) Or do you have your own personal insurance so you do not have to bounce around , insurance wise?

Thank you ,

Rachel

[NedRN]

No idea what most travelers do, but there are some who take agency insurance, those who get their own from the ACA healthcare exchange or privately, or COBRA their current insurance. Lots of options. Personally, I think multiple agencies are the way to go for best pay for experienced travelers, and I would expect most of those to have their own insurance (I do) because it is more efficient that signing up, waiting periods, poor benefits, and so on. I ask agencies to reimburse me for my existing insurance, some will (with receipts), and some won't.

[BigT]

I choose to get my own insurance from an exchange so as to not be tied to any one particular agency just to keep insurance going. Choosing your own insurance leaves one less thing to worry about when choosing your next assignment. I think it helps keep all the offers on a more even playing field.

[ADuntonRN]

Do you know of particular plans people use through the exchange? or companies? The ones I saw on healthcare.gov are all HMO types with only local networks so I'd have to pay out of network if I was sick while travelling.

[NedRN]

healthcare dot gov is the exchange unless you happen to live in a state with their own exchange. In any case, any plan you buy directly from an insurance company will be ACA compliant. You should be able to get a plan from a BCBS company such as Anthem with nationwide coverage.