Oregon Health Insurance

[Twotoes]

As a member of Escapees I have a South Dakota Domicle. I also use the Escapees mail forwarding service out of Livingston and used that address to obtain health insurance with Blue Cross Blue Shield of TX. I am now being told by the broker of RVerinsurance that the only national option available for 2017 is in Oregon. What is the process of becoming an Oregon resident? Does anyone know of a mail forwarding service in Oregon?

[LindaH]

Oregon requires that you physically reside in the state for some period of time (6 months, I believe). I don't know the details, though...like will an RV park address be sufficient for establishing residency, or do they require a sticks and bricks house? This is something you'll need to do some research on.

 

You are aware, I suppose, that Oregon has a high personal income tax, although some things aren't taxed (such as Social Security).

 

Once you've established residency in Oregon, you can then get a "Continuous Traveler" designation on your driver's license. Again, I don't know the details of how to go about doing that.

 

I *think* there are some people here who are using Oregon as their domicile state, so perhaps they'll speak up with all the details, including a mail forwarding service.

[D&J]

Have you looked somewhere else within Texas, your going to have a hard time finding any company that has coverage like BCBS nationwide but any PPO plan with have out of network coverage and all individual policies will have emergency care nationwide, it's mandated by the government.

 

Denny

[Zulu]

I am now being told by the broker of RVerinsurance that the only national option available for 2017 is in Oregon.

 

This isn't true. It may be that the agent you talked with can only sell plans in that state.

 

I checked several counties in the following states and there's BCBS PPO plans in all these states: AK, AL, CA, CO, KS (2 counties), LA, MI

 

There are probably more states, but these are the only ones I checked.

 

I assumed that these BCBS PPO plans all have nationwide networks, but that remains to be seen. I found that in many cases there are a lot less health plans this year and that on par all are more or much more expensive than last year.

[hdrider]

Oregon says you need to be in the state 6 months of the year to be a resident. We use a mail forwading service in Jefferso Oregon that also gives us a physical address to use if needed.

[Barbaraok]

Just curious, but why do you need 'nationwide' coverage? If you are so ill that you can't go more that 3 months without seeing your physician, maybe you shouldn't be fulltiming. I believe all of the PPO will cover 'emergencies' then you go back to your primary care physician for follow up. We've used clinics for respiratory infection, etc. while traveling, done blood work and had new Rx called in, etc.

[Kirk W]

Just curious, but why do you need 'nationwide' coverage? If you are so ill that you can't go more that 3 months without seeing your physician, maybe you shouldn't be fulltiming.

Sometimes you may be staying out of your domicile for a long time and yet need care. By your standard we should never have gone on the road since Pam had ongoing health issues before we left. Since we had good health coverage we stayed on the road for 12 years and in that time used doctors in at least 9 different states.

[saydiver]

As a member of Escapees I have a South Dakota Domicle. I also use the Escapees mail forwarding service out of Livingston and used that address to obtain health insurance with Blue Cross Blue Shield of TX. I am now being told by the broker of RVerinsurance that the only national option available for 2017 is in Oregon. What is the process of becoming an Oregon resident? Does anyone know of a mail forwarding service in Oregon?

 

As others have pointed out, the broker is wrong. FL has nationwide networks for their Blue Select and Blue Options plans. See http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=125511 for more info about these plans.

 

Fl Blue requires agents to have a resident insurance license to sell their policies. This is a good thing! Please be aware some people selling insurance are not licensed or may only have a license in certain states and are just partnering with a licensed broker at another company.

 

Sue

[saydiver]

As a member of Escapees I have a South Dakota Domicle. I also use the Escapees mail forwarding service out of Livingston and used that address to obtain health insurance with Blue Cross Blue Shield of TX.

 

Your domicile has to be in Texas, if you're using the Livingston address to get TX BCBS insurance, else it's considered insurance fraud in most cases. If you just moved, there is a 60 day transition period to move your insurance to your domicile state. You can't selectively use one state for registration and driver's license and use another state for health insurance.

[Twotoes]

I guess I didn't state that I am purchasing health insurance on the exchange. According to the broker who is a commercial partner with Escapees the only state plan on the exchange with a qualifying subsidy that offers nationwide coverage is in Oregon. I know that I will be covered for emergencies outside of TX with BCBS of TX but I won't be able to go to a Dr without paying out of my pocket for a severe cold or non emergency care. I am not sick now but want to be covered. I am full time and only stay a couple of months at each stop. I don't have a base location to return to and stay to receive care if I need it. I will check with other brokers regarding the above but my question was "does anyone know of a mail forwarding service in Oregon"?

[Greg Schoenberg]

As a member of Escapees I have a South Dakota Domicle. I also use the Escapees mail forwarding service out of Livingston and used that address to obtain health insurance with Blue Cross Blue Shield of TX. I am now being told by the broker of RVerinsurance that the only national option available for 2017 is in Oregon. What is the process of becoming an Oregon resident? Does anyone know of a mail forwarding service in Oregon?

I'm that broker and I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that Oregon alone offers the only national option. Within the ACA Exchange, Florida Blue offers Blue Card...a national network. Washington, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas do not. I cannot comment authoritatively about the rest of the country, but I suspect most don't.

 

In contrast, Oregon has 5 insurance companies that still offer nationwide networks.

 

Greg

[saydiver]

I guess I didn't state that I am purchasing health insurance on the exchange. According to the broker who is a commercial partner with Escapees the only state plan on the exchange with a qualifying subsidy that offers nationwide coverage is in Oregon. I know that I will be covered for emergencies outside of TX with BCBS of TX but I won't be able to go to a Dr without paying out of my pocket for a severe cold or non emergency care. I am not sick now but want to be covered. I am full time and only stay a couple of months at each stop. I don't have a base location to return to and stay to receive care if I need it. I will check with other brokers regarding the above but my question was "does anyone know of a mail forwarding service in Oregon"?

 

I'm well aware of who you've been dealing with and I can tell you he's wrong!!!!!!!!! Please go to Healthcare.gov and enter zip code 33513, which is Bushnell, FL, the home of Escapees in Florida. There are 26 EPO on-exchange, plans available that have nationwide networks and offer a subsidy. On the heathcare.gov website the plans are listed as EPO, but at FL Blue's website these plans are listed as PPO/EPO. Nowadays it's really important to look at a plan's benefits rather than their classification. These plans are EPO in state and PPO out of state with nationwide network(BlueCard) coverage, except for certain services with Blue Select plans. The savings you get with Blue Select plans over Blue Options plans may pay for these exclusions, but in general for most full-timers, in my opinion, Blue Options plans are a better choice. Please call a FL agent and talk to them.

[Greg Schoenberg]

Have you looked somewhere else within Texas, your going to have a hard time finding any company that has coverage like BCBS nationwide but any PPO plan with have out of network coverage and all individual policies will have emergency care nationwide, it's mandated by the government.

Denny

Out of network coverage often doubles the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum...or eliminates it...leaving a big hole in terms of exposure. Also you can be subject to balance billing.

 

Greg

[Greg Schoenberg]

This isn't true. It may be that the agent you talked with can only sell plans in that state.

 

I checked several counties in the following states and there's BCBS PPO plans in all these states: AK, AL, CA, CO, KS (2 counties), LA, MI

 

There are probably more states, but these are the only ones I checked.

 

I assumed that these BCBS PPO plans all have nationwide networks, but that remains to be seen. I found that in many cases there are a lot less health plans this year and that on par all are more or much more expensive than last year.

Your assumption is incorrect about Exchange Blue Cross plans all having access to nationwide networks. I cite Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Az, and Texas as examples. I suspect there are many more.

 

Just because a plan is a PPO doesn't mean it has contractual access to national networks. Healthcare.gov window shopping feature is a good resource for distinguishing the plans that do with the ones that don't.

 

Greg

[Greg Schoenberg]

Oregon says you need to be in the state 6 months of the year to be a resident. We use a mail forwading service in Jefferso Oregon that also gives us a physical address to use if needed.

I would like to find a cite that substantiates that. My wife is in Oregon resident and she's in the state about three months of the year. Typical Rainbird. I know that I was able to register my jeep and Pup in Oregon without any question about length of time in the state.

 

As to the original post, one client told me they use UPS. Another Postal Connections. Both claimed there was no problems with switching the domicile. Your mileage may vary.

 

Greg

[Zulu]

Your assumption is incorrect about Exchange Blue Cross plans all having access to nationwide networks. I cite Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Az, and Texas as examples. I suspect there are many more.

 

Just because a plan is a PPO doesn't mean it has contractual access to national networks. Healthcare.gov window shopping feature is a good resource for distinguishing the plans that do with the ones that don't.

 

Greg

 

This same conversation is going on at www.irv2.com.

 

Here's my reply to Greg on www.irv2.com.

[hdrider]

I would like to find a cite that substantiates that. My wife is in Oregon resident and she's in the state about three months of the year. Typical Rainbird. I know that I was able to register my jeep and Pup in Oregon without any question about length of time in the state.

 

As to the original post, one client told me they use UPS. Another Postal Connections. Both claimed there was no problems with switching the domicile. Your mileage may vary.

 

Greg

 

You can read it on the DMV site.

[theeyres]

To answer your specific question about a mail forwarding service in OR, go here: http://www.mailforwardingservices.com/ It is a great company. We used it while we full-timed as we were already OR residents. They will gladly answer any questions you have about residency and domiciliary in OR. Their prices are (or were when we used it) much more reasonable than Escapees or the one we started using in SD.

[Zulu]

I'm that broker and I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that Oregon alone offers the only national option. Within the ACA Exchange, Florida Blue offers Blue Card...a national network. Washington, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas do not. I cannot comment authoritatively about the rest of the country, but I suspect most don't.

 

Here's the thing, Greg . . .

 

The 2017 RVer Health Insurance web site gives the impression that you are the go-to guy for ACA plan info. So shouldn't you be an authority?

[Greg Schoenberg]

Here's the thing, Greg . . .

 

The 2017 RVer Health Insurance web site gives the impression that you are the go-to guy for ACA plan info. So shouldn't you be an authority?

I'm a go to guy in certain states....as the web site clearly states. It is not practical nor desirable to learn the individual market in every state. The ones I have keep me plenty busy.

 

Here's the real thing. How about ceasing these unprovoked attacks? Health insurance is complicated stuff. You know quite a bit about it. So do I. Can't we get along and assist those who have questions and concerns?

 

Greg

[Greg Schoenberg]

Oregon says you need to be in the state 6 months of the year to be a resident. We use a mail forwading service in Jefferso Oregon that also gives us a physical address to use if needed.

I've been following your blog for years. Do you stay in Oregon for six months each year? What FT RV-er does...unless they like that liquid sunshine stuff. :-)

 

I wonder if the 6 month rule is an obscure regulation that is not enforced. I do know that I was not asked that question at the DMV last Sepember, nor did any forms I completed say anything about it.

 

An aside. There is one insurance company...Moda...that requires a six month stay.

 

Greg

[hdrider]

I've been following your blog for years. Do you stay in Oregon for six months each year? What FT RV-er does...unless they like that liquid sunshine stuff. :-)

 

I wonder if the 6 month rule is an obscure regulation that is not enforced. I do know that I was not asked that question at the DMV last Sepember, nor did any forms I completed say anything about it.

 

An aside. There is one insurance company...Moda...that requires a six month stay.

 

Greg

 

All I was stating is what it says on the DMV web site and answer the OP's question about a mail forwarding service in Oregon. What a person does with that info is all up to them.

[hdrider]

 

All I was stating is what it says on the DMV web site and answer the OP's question about a mail forwarding service in Oregon. What a person does with that info is all up to them.

 

I will also mention that during our last visit Diane needed to renew her drivers license and WAS questioned about her residency. She ended up getting a drivers license that says "continuous traveler" and uses our mail forwarding as a address so I'm thinking they are not overly concerned . But she does not worry about insurance, she has VA and Medicare.

Next year I will also probably need to do the "continuous traveler" thing when I renew mine.

[Twotoes]

Wow. I didn't mean to start a major controversy over who know insurance best. Sorry everyone. And thanks Greg for all your help. Further research have told me that Oregon can tax my rental income from Calif. I am not going to pay Oregon income tax on income not earned in state so I guess I will have re-think TX and SD health insurance options.

[Daveh]

Yes, and in your planning remember that we are talking about insurance for 2017. Everything after that is now very much up in the air---probably gone (I at least would plan as though it is gone). I can vouch that Michigan has nationwide coverage ppo. If I was researching this issue fresh I would be emailing ZULU and asking for what he has, as he has done the most on this issue that I know of.