Where the PPOs are
Full time RVers under age 65 (pre-Medicare) who have to purchase their own health insurance, really need a PPO health plan with a nationwide network of doctors, hospitals, clinics, etc.
Because if you’re traveling around the country in an RV, it’s not practical to return to your home state every time you need to see a doctor. (If you’re over 65 and on Medicare, your health care plan works in every state.)
Also, just because a health plan is called a PPO doesn’t mean the plan has a national provider network. Make sure your PPO plan has a national provider network. Typically this means a Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) health plan.
In fact a national provider network is probably more important that the plan type (PPO). For example, currently BCBS offers EPO plans in Florida that provide a national provider network. Always look at the plan details!
So if you’re under 65 and need to buy your own health insurance, you basically have 3 options:
- Affordable Care Act (ACA or “Obamacare”) — these are called “on-exchange” health plans, and you are eligible for a subsidy in you purchase on plan here (www.healthcare.gov). You can also check out ACA plans here (www.healthsherpa.com).
- Off Exchange — these private health plans are typically offered by health insurance companies, but you will not qualify for a subsidy if you buy an off-exchange health plan. See finder.healthcare.gov.
- Healthshare Ministries — health “sharing” plans offered by religious organizations. These plans are not health insurance, and usually have limitations on pre-existing conditions.
For Option 1 (Obamacare), here are the states with PPO plans for 2015-2016:
These plans will be changed on January 1, 2017. Remember, not all PPO plans offer nationwide networks.
rvSeniorMoments 
Forget Obamacare. Rates have gone sky high (they lied to us) and it’s darn hard to find a doctor that takes it! I went UnitedHealth Care as the rider on my MediCare. Like it cause it costs me $29 per month, doctors take it and they are a very financially stable company.
Remember, first hundred years are the hardest!
OMG What an effin’ mess. Millions will thank you for slogging through this swamp and sharing the info.
Personally, the company I retired from, PPG, has provided a PPO for we retirees.. until the end of 2016. PPG is “…changing the way we provide retiree health coverage to our Medicare-eligible participants by offering access to a variety of individual health and prescription drug plans through a private health insurance marketplace called OneExchange. OneExhange will assist you in choosing new coverage, and when you purchase new coverage through OneExchange, PPG will help you cover the costs with a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA).” Hmmm… me thinks we retirees have lost some ground for health insurance coverage… Hmmmm. How many layers of health care coverage can there be? Is the sky the limit? Seems like a lucrative business .. Hmmmm.
So it begins.
Sister Mary
WOW! It doesn’t pay to be under 65 years young.
When you turn 65, look at Humana Advantage. $91/month plus your required Medicare deduction. It’s a PFFS and good nation wide, full network