JakesCorner

PS. I think it was earlier on in this thread someone mentioned this plan will always try to find a way to identify something as a preexisting condition, to avoid paying out. On the TX BBB site, one user had been on the plan for I believe 7 months before going to the hospital for kidney stones, and the plan declared it a preexisting condition. I must now assume that kidney stones obviously incubate for longer than 7 months before causing pain to their host. I mean, how else could it be a preexisting condition? My point is, just wanted to validate whoever said that.

I'm a tad late to this discussion but ran across it while researching. (Thank you Blues, in particular, for all your work participating in the discussion, and for backing "Mike" into a corner!) It's open enrollment time so this topic is relevant again. Here's what I learned. I, too, was looking into the Philadelphia American fixed-benefit indemnity plan offered by rverinsurance.com (btw, beware they operate under several other website names too, including rvinsurancebenefits.com). I landed there as a result of other travel blogs (Heath and Alyssa, the Wynns, Technomadia, etc.) As a healthy single 40-something year old nomad, I was excited to hear the premiums they offered. My ACA marketplace plan premium is shooting up from $380 to $600 for 2021 so I'm looking for alternatives. I really just want decent coverage in case of a rattlesnake bite or hiking accident. So this plan's <$300 premium (for me) was enticing. And at first glance, reading over the plan details for deductibles, maximums, etc. seemed doable. Then I started googling "Philadelphia American" for reviews, comments, etc. The Texas BBB website was full of complaints of this company not paying anything. A few comments retorted that the plan works, if you know how to use it. Knowing how to use it includes: Finding providers in the PHCS network, calling the plan's concierge service to find providers in that network, being a savvy, well-informed healthcare consumer ahead of time, calling potential providers ahead of time to confirm they really are in PHCS network, negotiating lower cash payments for services ahead of time or afterward. Folks who have the time, energy and mental bandwidth for this kind of thing seem to do okay and enjoy the benefits. But here are the problems with this approach: According to internet chatter, people can rarely find a provider in the PHCS network, and have reported providers saying they've never heard of PHCS This network list gets "updated" every day and providers are always dropping in/out of the network As for the other items (calling ahead, negotiating prices, being well-informed, etc), well those are unworkable because *** When a full-time RVer gets sick or has an accident, you can't do these things!! I surveyed eight rattlesnakes, and 100% of them answered that the would NOT delay their venomous strike while you stop and spend a few hours on the phone to pre-arrange your bite care plan! (They are clearly involved in the healthcare racket themselves, which disappoints me.) I also surveyed 23 folks with broken limbs and rattlesnake bites along the Telegraph Pass hike here in Yuma today, and 22 of them were unable or in too much pain to concentrate on using their phone to find a hospital that would except the reduced rates that this plan says you're supposed to call and magically request ahead of time. Their only words were something like "I'm in too much pain, please call an ambulance, take me to any hospital now, etc". I stopped listening as they were not adding to my research data. I hovered around a while and when their ambulances arrived, I told the medics they needed to go to PHCS-approved hospitals for coverage, and as they were pushing me out of the way they said something like they're taking them to nearest hospital that can save their life, regardless of insurance BS... What I would love to know is if anyone has ever relied solely on one of these fixed-benefit indemnity plans and survived, physically and financially. If there's anything good to say about them, it would be great to hear. Otherwise, it seems like we should run away. Y'all are awesome, Jake