By Rachel Puryear
One big issue that van/RV lifers generally need to address before embarking on their big journeys, is how to manage the need for their health care on the road.
No matter how healthy you are, or even how careful you are, everyone gets sick or injured at some point - and may require some medical treatment.
However, even if you have insurance coverage, there may be limitations based upon geography or hospital and provider networks - this is notoriously complicated if you live in the USA, for example.
Accordingly, here are a few basics for making sure you can get the care you need, if you're on the road and have a medical issue (this is most applicable to those living in the USA):
Medical van decal.
Check Your Insurance Before You Go
If you have health insurance, then well before you ever fire up that engine and hit the road, review the terms of your policy. See what it says about coverage away from home.
For instance, my husband and I have Kaiser insurance. That's very common here on the West Coast where we live, but Kaiser hospitals and provider networks are only in certain states. However, Kaiser does cover emergency and urgent care worldwide, for most members. However, be sure you know what your health insurance covers out of the geographical area.
If you don't have coverage for where you want to/might travel to, or if you want more coverage, you may need travel insurance - see the next section.
Travel/Supplemental Insurance
If your health coverage doesn't provide (at the very least) emergency and urgent care where you're going, or you need more coverage - and if you have a medical condition or a need for frequent provider visits or prescriptions, you might - then you might consider travel insurance as a supplement.
Of course, travel insurance is typically structured to where you buy a policy for a specific period of time, to a specific destination, and it covers only that. That works if you're taking a week or two off work to take a trip to a particular place.
However, that model doesn't fit as well for many van lifers and RVers, who might travel around for a less defined period of time, without necessarily sticking to a fixed itinerary, and don't have a fixed departure and return date, either.
Accordingly, there is a company which underwrites travel policies specifically with digital nomads in mind - World Nomads Travel Insurance. Here's also Nerd Wallet's breakdown of this company, and what it offers.
See also here for a list and comparison of other travel insurance companies.
Health Care Rights
It's deeply unfortunate that this needs to be said, but in many states in the USA (as well as perhaps some other parts of the world), certain kinds of basic health care are being restricted, or even criminalized.
If you are pregnant or could become pregnant, or if you are a gender-affirming care patient; it's critical to know the current state of health care for people like yourself anywhere you're going. Even if you're pregnant and healthy, things can change at any time - and many reports of preventable sickness, infertility, and death are coming from states with cruel restrictions on maternal care.
Despite these injustices, the majority of the USA population opposes these religious-based laws denying some people health care, and many Americans are working hard to counteract what's going on - and for freedom and justice. Once we succeed, traveling to every state will become better and safer.
Thank you, dear readers, for reading, following, and sharing. Here's to your good health on the road, but also getting the medical care you need. If you enjoyed this post, please "like" and subscribe, if you have not already.
Check out my other blog, too - World Class Hugs, at https://worldclasshugs.com.
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