Medicare For RVer’s: The Complete Guide
Posted in Medicare
In today’s article, we’re going to explore Medicare for RVer’s and snowbirds.
Here in Michigan, the summers can be beautiful, but around January many of our Medicare age residents head south for the winter. This can be confusing when you spend 6-8 months in Michigan and the rest of the time in another state.
So let’s dig in!
Table of Contents
Make sure your RV and traveling fun doesn't go off-road by not be prepared. For a Free Medicare Supplement quote, fill out the form to your RIGHT ---> if on Desktop or hit the "Request Quote" button above if mobile.
Medicare For RVer's When Living In Two States
Traditional Medicare, meaning people that sign up for Parts A and B and not a Medicare Advantage plan, tend to have it the easiest when it comes to treatment.
Essentially, as long as the doctor or provider you see accepts Medicare patients, you will be covered. This is due to the fact that “original” Medicare does not have a network of providers.
Medicare And Another Country
While Medicare will work in any state in the US, it generally does not work out of the country. There are exceptions to this which you can review from Medicare.gov.
This is the only section that we’ll talk concerning being out of the country, because generally you won’t have coverage. Concerning Medicare Advantage, you’ll need to look at your plan to determine if it offers any coverage outside of the US.
Medicare Supplements, however, are different. Above, you’ll see the 4 most common plans. The bottom benefit is called “Foreign Travel Emergency.”
This plan feature offers a $50,000 lifetime benefit for emergency only medical care. It has a $500 deductible and a 20% out of pocket cost for you. After the deductible, the Medicare Supplement plan pays 80%.
Medicare Advantage For Snowbirds
Your Medicare Advantage plan is a bit trickier when it comes to living in multiple states.
First thing, your Medicare Advantage plan is always associated with your primary residence. This is the area in which you pay taxes, vote, and signed up for Medicare.
Most Medicare Advantage plans have networks. The networks are either in an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) or PPO (Preferred Provider Organization.)
- HMO’s tend to have narrow network areas and you will likely be out of network when you are out of state. That means your plan may not work and you’ll pay out of pocket for all treatment. This is true EXCEPT for emergency treatment, but you will pay a higher cost than if you were in network.
- PPO’s are the same. They may have narrow in-networks. However, most PPO’s offer out of network services as well. In this case, they may offer some coverage, but you will be responsible for a higher percentage of the bill. It’s important to look at your coverage to know what you’d be expected to pay.
Frustrated About Medicare?
Get your FREE copy of the “Unofficial Guide to Medicare Private Insurance” and learn all the secrets insurance agents don’t tell you!
Medicare For RVer's and Snowbirds: Best Medigap Companies
Medicare Supplements are in addition to traditional Medicare (Part A & B.) The great thing about them is that you continue to have no networks in most cases.
If you have a Medicare SELECT plan, it’s a little different. Medicare SELECT plans work similarly to an HMO with only certain doctors and hospitals in network. However, these plans are not common and most times that you buy a Medicare Supplement you will not have a network.
The Medicare Supplement plan you chose has rates set based on the area that’s considered your primary residence. Your rates do not increase while you’re traveling.
Medicare Part D For RV
Medicare Part D usually works pretty well. There’s three big takeaways:
- Make sure your Part D plan offers a nationwide chain for your to have your prescriptions filled at. Part D will not offer coverage at pharmacies that are not in your network.
- If you use mail order, you can only get a 90 day prescription fill, at max. So if your trip is longer than that, you may have an issue.
- Forward your mail to your temporary location. The insurance company may send you letters you need to respond to. These can include co-pay increases and dropping prescriptions during the next contract period (that starts in January of every year.) If your drug has changes you might want to look at if switching your plan is a good idea. Finally, if a Part D plan cannot reach you in 6 months, it can legally drop you.
Make sure your RV and traveling fun doesn't go off-road by not be prepared. For a Free Medicare Supplement quote, fill out the form to your RIGHT ---> if on Desktop or hit the "Request Quote" button above if mobile.
Medicare for RVer’s can be challenging if you opt to go on a Medicare Advantage plan. In this case, I usually suggest working with a Medigap plan due to the ease of getting coverage.
Furthermore, if you opt to travel internationally you do usually get a base level of coverage in the event of an emergency.
However, for those that chose to use a Medicare Advantage plan, making sure that your plan either covers providers in other states or has no networks (in the instance of rarely available cost benefit plans and MSA’s) should make your travels safe and provide coverage for any of your health needs.
If you enjoyed this article, don’t forget to share it on your favorite social networks!
