Health insurance on trail

imported
#1

after all that talk about the cost of the trail… thought i’d get busy budgeting for my 05 hike. question: anybody pay for their own health insurance while they’re out there? how much does it cost to pay on your own w/out a job? (i will be quitting my job in late january… doing some skiing out west and then hitting the trail mid-late march) and i don’t want to rely on cobra. if anything did happen… that would be super expensive and a pain in the butt. any suggestions? good experience w/ certain companies?
thanks.

greenie

#2

Hey Greenie,

I used temporary health insurance while on the trail. Well, actually, I never had to use it while on the trail, but I had it just in case. COBRA was WAY too expensive for me. I found out about temporary health insurance through the agent who sold my former employer the group policy (I quit my job too, before my hike.) You can also call some of your other insurance agents to see what they have to offer, if anything. I called my car insurance company (State Farm) to get quotes. They are pretty restrictive as far as health insurance goes, usually no riders for certain existing health issues, they decline coverage instead. Read all material carefully to make sure it’s right for you. The policies usually don’t last longer than a year, and some are 6 months maximum.

Since that policy ran out and I was going back to work, I ended up getting a permanent policy through BlueCross and BlueShield. Others are available as well, for individuals, but more expensive than the temporary insurance. Try www.ehealthinsurance.com (I think that’s it) for some estimates.

Good luck!

Wench

#3

I got a term health insurance policy for my thru-hike and I did use it although they paid very little. I think $50 of $1200 for a dis-located shoulder. But I had a $1000 deductable which got the cost for six months down to $268 I think for major medical. The thing is most companies will only let you renew once for a total of a year in my case. Also, if you are a veteran you are eligable for VA health care which I also signed up for while I looked for a job after the hike. They will pay for most emergancy room type treatments no matter where you are if a VA facility isn’t near. Do a Goggle search for term policies. Mine was with Fortis.

Two Scoops

#4

I got Fortis this year for my thru-hike, just in case. Well, 10 days into it, I used them. The first bill was sent to them on March 25th or so. They still havent paid.

In the meantime, my foot injury has cost me over $2K in bills that I know about (the final doctor was the most expensive and I havent seen a bill from him yet). I have paid out all but $100 (which will be paid this morning - I am on a payment plan with the hospital) to keep it from going to a collection agency.

I had a $1K deductible, then 20% coinsurance after that, so I expect to pay a fair share of these bills (FYI, it was a one time premium of $350 for 6 months). This is how a catastrophic plan like this works - it covers you in severe situations like broken bones and heart attacks and whatnot. You will pay a good chunk of money… but you are covered if the expenses become enormous.

The problem right now is that I dont know IF they are even going to cover the claims, and if they do, WHEN they will pay. Everytime I contact them, they are asking more doctors for more medical history, or asking me to dig further back in my history… they are basically looking for reasons not to pay. So now, if I have a problem, I am hesitant to go to the doctor, because who knows if they will cover ANY of this? Its hard to fix your foot problem when you are afraid it will seriously screw you up financially.

Bottom line on Fortis… it is a catastrophic type of insurance to cover you in severe situations. So you will pay a bit of money (deductible and coinsurance). However, you may have to pay A LOT more money (which will eventually get reimbursed… I hope!) to keep the creditors off your back while Fortis takes their good sweet time paying the claims.

Peak-a-Boo

#5

thanks for the info… anyone have any “good” experiences w/ insurance companies??

greenie

#6

I used anthem blue cross temporary insurance. They didn’t pay for everything but they paid for alot, and I visited teh dr. several times on the trail. I paid $50 a month and definitely got my moneys worth from them.

Grassy Ridge

#7

Most people I’ve talked to have used Fortis for a thru-hike. Peal-a-Boo has all the facts straight. If you have a mild injury then you will pay a lot. If something major happens, Fortis will pick up a good chunk of the claim. The best idea I’ve seen was a guy whose wife was working while he hiked the AT. She just kept him on the policy while he was hiking. Even then with an HMO you will not be covered if you need to visit a doctor or were admitted into a hospital due to HMO networks. Then again, it really depends if your policy has out of network benefits. I work for a major insurance company, dont hold it against me :lol.

guru

#8

The problem with short-term health insurance is that while cheap, the max time limit on them is about 6 mos. and they are finite. I picked up one of these this year when my student health insurance ran out (I don’t have benefits at my current job). Blue Cross & Blue Shield, about $319 for six mos with their lowest deductible of $250. Even less if you choose a higher deductible.

Seven days before its expiration date, I was in a severe auto wreck and in ER. The front end of my car was crushed and took blows to both knees. I was very, very, VERY lucky in that I was walking normally in a few short days. But what if I had been laid up longer? Needed surgery, a long regimen of PT, lost use of limbs and needed care, etc.? An agent at Anthem carefully explained that in such situations, your short-term runs out and you basically become uninsurable or can expect to pay an astronomical premium for new insurance – depending on the severity of injuries, if they cover pre-existing conditions, etc. etc.

So…Anthem offers a long-term health insurance where you are locked in a certain rate, prob the same as Wench mentioned. I pay $98/mo with a $500 deduct. There is a lower deduct ($250) and slightly higher monthly premium but the math works out the same. I’m leaving my job, hiking the LT and looking forward to bumming around all of this fall and this is what I’m keeping. More expensive of course, but I will never sign up for a temp plan like that again for this reason, it is too risky.

To follow up with Peak-a-boo’s comments, all this shit hit the fan about the same timeframe as hers (Mar 22) and I am still finagling with the med bills, I think it is pretty standard in the med field esp. when there are claims from various drs – things seem to operate in geologic time. Anthem is far better about covering most med. visits however, including some routine check-ups I did before the wreck.

K. Glo

#9

Just to clarify in my post, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield (where I got BOTH the temp insurance and the long-term option I am on now) are the same company.

K. Glo

#10

I’m 30yo, self employed, single, and have Blue Cross Blue Shield for major medical insurance. The plan I have (H25) is a $2500 deductible & 100% Co-insurance. After the $2500 deductible it covers 100% and has a $10/$30/$50 co-pay on prescriptions. I have it just in case I’m in a car wreck or fall while rock climbing etc… plus the insurance currently saves me $60/month on prescriptions. It costs me $70 a month for the policy…

Nooga

#11

What a list of options!Whatever plan you choose, please do indeed pick one. I just heard today of someone who decided to take a chance; & is now in debt up to their keester cuz of an accident & subsequent surgery. It’s oh so easy to make a mistake… on the trail or not. I bought my own plan for a # of yrs; & pd alot of $ for it…but it was worth it when I had knee surgery; physical therapy, etc. The only bad part was the riders that they put on me; that they said could be lifted; but never were. In order to save some $, in the midst of a yr, I opted to raise my deductable…one month later I had my knee injury. Good luck whatever plan you pick!

leah

#12

What a list of options!Whatever plan you choose, please do indeed pick one. I just heard today of someone who decided to take a chance; & is now in debt up to their keester cuz of an accident & subsequent surgery. It’s oh so easy to make a mistake… on the trail or not. I bought my own plan for a # of yrs; & pd alot of $ for it…but it was worth it when I had knee surgery; physical therapy, etc. The only bad part was the riders that they put on me; that they said could be lifted; but never were. In order to save some $, in the midst of a yr, I opted to raise my deductable…one month later I had my knee injury. Good luck whatever plan you pick!

leah