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Changing counties for domicile in Texas?


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Hi --

For many years I have been domiciled at the Escapees Livingston address (great mail service)....like, since 2007.  All financial institutions have that address, I file my taxes from that address, and so on.  Even when I had periods of  sticks-n-bricks residency elsewhere in Texas I used the Escapees address.  Never an issue

Now I would l like to change my Texas address to Travis County where the health insurance options for pre-Medicare are far better.  (In addition that's where my estate lawyer, eye doc, dentist and storage unit are, so I have stronger links to Travis County than Polk County).  I would continue to keep all mail flowing to 77399.

2012-2015 when off the road looking after my parents in Texas, I changed my TxDL and registration insurance to their address, but kept everything else in 77399. So this is the same idea, but ....

QUESTION:   Can I use the address of CMRA (ie mail service) in Travis County for the TxDL, or will that be rejected (we know Livingston is accepted because in theory we could live there).

If I can simply register for a Travis County based  CMRA and use that address for the State of Texas, then that would be perfect. I have no family left there, so no one's address that I can just "borrow."

 

Thanks

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2 hours ago, GreyDawg said:

QUESTION:   Can I use the address of CMRA (ie mail service) in Travis County for the TxDL, or will that be rejected (we know Livingston is accepted because in theory we could live there).

Actually,the view that one could live at the  Escapee address has nothing at all to do with the legality. The reason for it is that the state of Texas allow use of mail service addresses for all purposes. You should be able to just do an  address change. Be sure to have your insurance and vehicle titles to that same address as well as voter registration.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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Please let us know if it works out for you. That's an interesting situation. Have you picked out a mail service yet?

I know exactly what you mean about the pre-medicare options being better in Travis County. For us, making a domicile switch wouldn't be worth giving up the mail service or our Livingston address. As much as we don't like our insurance plan, thankfully BCBS allows us to choose physicians anywhere in Texas. So we chose a primary MD in Kerrville last year, but they weren't great. We may look at practices closer to Austin this year.

Rene & Jim
Exploring North America since 2007. SKP #103,274

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On 1/6/2020 at 10:35 AM, GreyDawg said:

Now I would l like to change my Texas address to Travis County where the health insurance options for pre-Medicare are far better.  (In addition that's where my estate lawyer, eye doc, dentist and storage unit are, so I have stronger links to Travis County than Polk County).  I would continue to keep all mail flowing to 77399.

If you're talking about ACA (aka Obamacare) health insurance, then if you don't reside in Travis County, you could be in for trouble.

The ACA doesn't care about your domicile, it cares about where you actually spend your time. Here are the ACA Residency Requirements.`

SKP #79313 / Full-Timing / 2001 National RV Sea View / 2008 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
www.rvSeniorMoments.com
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Thanks for the replies.  I haven’t selected a Travis County mail service yet.

Kirk —  That’s interesting, and not what I was told years ago when I joined and started using the 77399 address.  I sure wish I could quote chapter and verse the ruling that says in Texas CMRAs are valid for all purposes n case I get push back from the DMV.   Do you have a reference? 

LiveWorkDream:  I wouldn’t give up my mail service or Livingston address for mail etc.  Like GlennWest,  many times in the past I have had two addresses— one where I was living (OR, NC, TX) and a mailing address in 77399.  so two addresses is not an issue.  I just need to confirm that I can use a CMRA in Travis County for my official Texas address (and hence use that address for health insurance in Travis County).  Then I will look very closely at Oscar Health.

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15 hours ago, GreyDawg said:

Do you have a reference? 

At one time I did have that information, but have long since lost or deleted it. I suggest that you just put in a change of address to your new address with the TX-DMV and see what happens. For your driver's license, do that same thing with TX-DPS and also online. If you should run into problems, contact the Escapees business office. When we moved from Ft. Worth to Livingston I did it that way with no problem. I have since that moved again to Smith County and more recently to Dallas County and also online for each change.

Edited by Kirk W

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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On 1/6/2020 at 10:35 AM, GreyDawg said:

Now I would l like to change my Texas address to Travis County where the health insurance options for pre-Medicare are far better.

 

On 1/6/2020 at 7:03 PM, LiveWorkDream said:

I know exactly what you mean about the pre-medicare options being better in Travis County. r.

What good pre-Medicare options are y'all finding in Travis County?  I looked into it, and all the plans that were on the exchange were either PPOs without a nationwide network or HMOs. 

 

On 1/8/2020 at 10:33 AM, Zulu said:

If you're talking about ACA (aka Obamacare) health insurance, then if you don't reside in Travis County, you could be in for trouble.

The ACA doesn't care about your domicile, it cares about where you actually spend your time. Here are the ACA Residency Requirements.`

What if a person doesn't spend time in any place long enough to apply for and get health insurance associated with that location before heading off to the next place? 

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1 hour ago, Blues said:

What if a person doesn't spend time in any place long enough to apply for and get health insurance associated with that location before heading off to the next place? 

It doesn't take a close reading to see that OP has no intent on residing in Travis County. 

He probably won't be caught by the health insurance company as long as he's just paying premiums.

SKP #79313 / Full-Timing / 2001 National RV Sea View / 2008 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
www.rvSeniorMoments.com
DISH TV for RVs

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8 hours ago, Blues said:

What if a person doesn't spend time in any place long enough to apply for and get health insurance associated with that location before heading off to the next place? 

If you don't plan to spend time in that place you probably shouldn't be getting your health insurance there. They are bound to notice if you don't get your annual checkups there then all your procedures take place away from there. What's the point of getting insurance if all claims are going to be denied?.

Linda

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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On 1/12/2020 at 10:56 PM, sandsys said:

If you don't plan to spend time in that place you probably shouldn't be getting your health insurance there. They are bound to notice if you don't get your annual checkups there then all your procedures take place away from there. What's the point of getting insurance if all claims are going to be denied?.

How do you know all claims will be denied?

Where do the over-65 Escapees mail service users get their Medicare supplement policies?  I always assumed it was Livingston, even though I doubt they see doctors there, especially since plenty of them never go to Livingston.  If that's what they do, are their claims denied?

And I have yet to hear of any pre-Medicare people who have Blue Cross based on their Florida domicile having claims denied because they weren't in the area where their domicile is.  Have you?  I would think this would be very important information for the many people who have Blue Cross in Florida in order to have access to a nationwide network.

 

On 1/8/2020 at 8:57 PM, GreyDawg said:

Then I will look very closely at Oscar Health.

Oscar Health has limited networks, and offers policies in only 15 states, and in those states.  And in those states, it appears to be only in major metropolitan areas.  Like in Colorado, it's the Denver area only.  In Arizona, it's Phoenix only. 

Plus I'm not positive that a Texas policy would be "valid" in Colorado.  I have the same question about Ambetter, which offers policies in several states, and might work for a traveling fulltimer IF the policy from one state works in all the other Ambetter states, but I wouldn't sign up without official word from Ambetter that that's how it works. 

But even if it does, neither Oscar nor Ambetter policies provide any out-of-network coverage at all.  Here's what the Oscar website says about getting out-of-network care:

Quote

Not only will you be paying higher prices but your care won't be covered. That means you'll be responsible for the bill, and your payments won't be credited toward your deducible or out-of-pocket max. This could result in thousands of dollars of medical bills even though you have insurance!

 

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2 hours ago, Blues said:

And I have yet to hear of any pre-Medicare people who have Blue Cross based on their Florida domicile having claims denied because they weren't in the area where their domicile is.  Have you? 

No, but one of my wife's friends had to give up her primo Kaiser CA Medicare supplement (or Advantage) medical plan because she actually lives in AZ and kept using her AZ address. BTW, Kaiser did not take any punitive action.

On the other hand, another one of my wife's friends has been living in AZ for over 30 years. However, she still is enrolled in a Kaiser CA Medicare plan and has had a ton of expensive medical work done. Unlike the previous example, this woman had the wherewithal to use her daughter's CA address to maintain coverage.

Blues, if your justification is I-Probably-Won't-Be-Caught, then Ok, Boomer.

Edited by Zulu

SKP #79313 / Full-Timing / 2001 National RV Sea View / 2008 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
www.rvSeniorMoments.com
DISH TV for RVs

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1 hour ago, Zulu said:

No, but one of my wife's friends had to give up her primo Kaiser CA Medicare supplement (or Advantage) medical plan because she actually lives in AZ and kept using her AZ address. BTW, Kaiser did not take any punitive action.

On the other hand, another one of my wife's friends has been living in AZ for over 30 years. However, she still is enrolled in a Kaiser CA Medicare plan and has had a ton of expensive medical work done. Unlike the previous example, this woman had the wherewithal to use her daughter's CA address to maintain coverage.

Blues, if your justification is I-Probably-Won't-Be-Caught, then Ok, Boomer.

Howdy!

Advantage Plans don’t like to you to use out-of-network. I know when I asked about the one my previous employer provided they flat out advised me if I did use it they would cancel. 
 

“Happy Trails”

Chiefneon

"Class of 2007 Fulltimer's"

Gary & karen

Smoochie & Michaela (fur babies)

2018 Chevorlet 3500 HD/LTZ 2L Custom Hauler

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5 hours ago, Blues said:

Where do the over-65 Escapees mail service users get their Medicare supplement policies?  I always assumed it was Livingston, even though I doubt they see doctors there, especially since plenty of them never go to Livingston.  If that's what they do, are their claims denied?

Are you confusing supplements with Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage?).  There are several national supplemental plans, and those plans must meet Medicare standards.   And it depends upon what you are willing to pay out in premiums versus deductible.   And a discussion of Medicare differences, is for a different thread, not this one.  

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net
SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834

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16 hours ago, Blues said:

Where do the over-65 Escapees mail service users get their Medicare supplement policies? 

We got ours out of Livingston, TX and all of the Escapees residing there who I know about do the same.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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8 hours ago, Kirk W said:

We got ours out of Livingston, TX and all of the Escapees residing there who I know about do the same.

That's what I thought.  And I assume nobody has ever had a problem with the insurance company refusing to pay because the insured didn't actually reside in Livingston, or even intend to reside there, but used the mail service address for domicile purposes, including for Medicare and any Medicare supplement.  

The OP is in the same situation, only with under-65 health insurance--using a place as a domicile even though he doesn't reside there or intend to reside there.  Yet people are issuing warnings that claims will be denied, even though the OP would be doing the same thing people with Medicare and Medicare supplements do--use the mail service address as the domicile.

It's true that ACA plans are not Medicare supplement plans, but the underlying issue--where to base the insurance when someone doesn't live anywhere in particular--is the same. 

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Blues, a lot of us get our supplemental as part of our retirement packages.  We use physicians in AZ where we spend time in the winter, but all is billed using our Livingston address and never a problem, if Medicare approves, supplemental pays their portion.  

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net
SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834

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22 hours ago, Zulu said:
On 1/14/2020 at 3:08 PM, Blues said:

And I have yet to hear of any pre-Medicare people who have Blue Cross based on their Florida domicile having claims denied because they weren't in the area where their domicile is.  Have you? 

No

That's what I thought.  But yet you warn, "He probably won't be caught by the health insurance company as long as he's just paying premiums."  I take that to mean there won't be trouble unless he files a claim, even though you don't know of anyone ever having a claim denied on this basis.

 

Quote

but one of my wife's friends had to give up her primo Kaiser CA Medicare supplement (or Advantage) medical plan because she actually lives in AZ and kept using her AZ address. BTW, Kaiser did not take any punitive action.

You wife's friend actually lived in Arizona, and there was no reason for her not to have an Arizona plan.  That's not the case for traveling fulltimers, which is who we're talking about here. 

 

Quote

On the other hand, another one of my wife's friends has been living in AZ for over 30 years. However, she still is enrolled in a Kaiser CA Medicare plan and has had a ton of expensive medical work done. Unlike the previous example, this woman had the wherewithal to use her daughter's CA address to maintain coverage.

I assume she goes to California to receive that care, because Kaiser's website doesn't show plans, or even any providers, in Arizona.  Again, that's not what traveling fulltimers do.  They receive their care where they're living at that moment, using a policy that is based on their domicile because they cannot meet the deadlines and requirements for changing an address and getting a new plan every time they move. 

 

Quote

Blues, if your justification is I-Probably-Won't-Be-Caught, then Ok, Boomer.

No, my justification is that no one has offered any evidence, whether legal or anecdotal, that a person who has a domicile created by using a mail service and uses that domicile to obtain health insurance runs a known risk of having claims denied based solely on having insurance based at that domicile.

ETA:  The ultimate justification is, what other choice does a traveling fulltimer have?

Edited by Blues
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Before I had Medicare I had an employer based plan from UHC based in Colorado.  I routinely saw doctors in AZ and CA.  UHC always paid and never questioned it.  Frequent travel is not just an RV thing.  There are a number of people who frequently travel. It seems like a person could explain they travel a lot and ask will the insurance pay in states beyond where the plan is based.    A direct answer from the insurance provider would be more reliable than a forum discussion based on?

Randy

2001 Volvo VNL 42 Cummins ISX Autoshift

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3 hours ago, Blues said:

No, my justification is that no one has offered any evidence, whether legal or anecdotal, that a person who has a domicile created by using a mail service and uses that domicile to obtain health insurance runs a known risk of having claims denied based solely on having insurance based at that domicile.

One more time . . . the ACA uses where you actually reside to determine health plan eligibility.

If you base you actions on whether or not you'll be caught, then again, Ok, Boomer.

 

3 hours ago, Blues said:

ETA:  The ultimate justification is, what other choice does a traveling fulltimer have?

As Escapees advise in #7 -- Be Physically Present in Your Home State

SKP #79313 / Full-Timing / 2001 National RV Sea View / 2008 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
www.rvSeniorMoments.com
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On 1/15/2020 at 7:50 PM, Zulu said:

One more time . . . the ACA uses where you actually reside to determine health plan eligibility.

But the document you linked to specifically addresses people who meet the residency requirement in more than one location. It doesn't make them change health plans when they move to their summer or winter home. Instead, it actually advises them that they should consider whether they would benefit more from choosing a health plan that has nationwide coverage and using it regardless of where they're living instead of changing their health plan when they go from one residence to the other.

So no, the ACA doesn't strictly use where one "actually resides," because it allows people who "actually reside" in more than one location to choose which one to use to buy health insurance.

And this is in spite of language that says the opposite:
 

Quote

”intends to reside” means that an applicant has a present intent to reside where he or she is living, and intends to remain in the Exchange service area where he or she is seeking coverage.

In the case of a person who splits his time among multiple residences and seeks health insurance based on one of those locations, he doesn't intend to remain in the Exchange area where he gets coverage, and therefore doesn't meet the residency requirement. Yet the ACA allows him to use that location anyway.

Why? Because the goal of the ACA is to provide access to health insurance. In this case, they're actually bending over backwards because for people with a summer home and a winter home, it wouldn't be too terrible to require them to get a different policy in each location, but it would be more burdensome than if they didn't have multiple residences because each time they change their policy, the deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums reset to zero. To avoid this, the ACA allows them to choose to get a policy in a place where they don't actually meet the residency requirement.

Now think about a traveling fulltimer with 50 residences a year. If they're going to let someone with two residences do a pick 'em on where to get health insurance, why would they prohibit the same solution for a traveling fulltimer? At least with two residences, it's conceivable that a person can get a different policy for each location, even if it's a hardship because deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums reset each time. But for someone with 50 residences in a year, or even 12 one-month stays in different locations in a year, not allowing him the same option as a snowbird would be tantamount to denying him insurance because even if he could meet the application deadlines, which he can't, his deductible would reset every single month.

So what's the solution? Take the same reasoning the ACA uses with snowbirds and apply it to traveling fulltimers. In the case of a snowbird, there are obvious locations to base health insurance, and the ACA allows him to choose from among them. In the case of a traveling fulltimer, there are many many residences, none of which are practical. But there is a place where he receives his mail, also known as his domicile.

 

Quote

If you base you actions on whether or not you'll be caught, then again, Ok, Boomer.

Why do you keep calling me "Boomer"?

 

Quote

As Escapees advise in #7 -- Be Physically Present in Your Home State

Well, sure, living fulltime within the boundaries of a state is an obvious way to get health insurance. But as discussed above, the ACA doesn't actually require it in all cases. Never mind that living within the boundaries of a state is explicitly not what traveling fulltime is about.

But okay, be physically present in your home state. Sound advice. So let's get some more advice based on that. At what point can a person travel out of state again, and keep the health insurance from his home state? One week? One month? Three months? A whole year?

And then how often does the person have to come back? Every year? Every other year? Once every three years if the previous visit was between 75 and 90 days, but every five years if the previous visit was at least 180 consecutive days?

Edited by Blues
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On 1/15/2020 at 7:50 PM, Zulu said:

If you base you actions on whether or not you'll be caught, then again, Ok, Boomer.

The majority of boomers are now on Medicare, so the ACA doesn't apply to them.   Is there some reason you feel it is necessary to make a generational taunt?

If someone who is full timing needs to see a health care provider every time they stop, then they really need to re-think what they are doing.   3 times  in the 9 years we were on the road full-time did we see someone beside our primary care physician.   We now travel 6 months of the year and during that time we occasionally have lab work done and faxed back to our primary care physician to adjust meds if necessary.  

 

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net
SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834

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7 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

3 times  in the 9 years we were on the road full-time did we see someone beside our primary care physician.

For us, it was probably a least 5 times in12 years and it was only Pam who had that need. In our first year there was 1 emergency room visit for stitches, the others were all to emergency physician service clinics. After our first 7 years we shifted to Medicare but the experience was no different. 

Edited by Kirk W

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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