Best insurance for a nomad? (plan, coverage, Cigna, Alaska)

[abqpsychlist]

I'm kinda at a loss right now with what to do in regards to health insurance.

I am working seasonal jobs - Alaska in the summer and Colorado / Vermont in the winter.

I tried to sign up in Vermont last December to avoid the ACA penalties for not having insurance, but it turns out they never fully processed my application. I never got billed and my coverage was never effective because it was "payment pending" but I may end up paying it retroactively to avoid stiff tax penalties.

I'm currently in Alaska and here for another month, then going to Vermont for a month and then most likely Colorado for the winter. I went to the healthcare.gov to check out my options for coverage, but they require you to enter a zip code and I don't know which one to enter.

Should I sign up for Alaskan coverage, even though I'm leaving in a month? Should I sign up for Colorado's insurance since I'll most likely be there for a longer amount of time?

I wish there was a very basic, nationwide 'catastrophic coverage' that I could apply for, but I'm not sure that exists.

[SCGamecock]

Your driver's license (or state ID card) and Social Security file should list an address of record. When using the exchange, you sign up and pick a plan based on this. The address you enter on the Healthcare.gov application is compared to these databases for a match.

PPO plans offer the best coverage for those in your situation but they are also the most expensive if you're not eligible for subsidies. They are also becoming harder to find.

You may want to look into something like Liberty HealthShare. They do not use provider networks and are exempt from the ACA penalty.

[Qwerty]

Originally Posted by abqpsychlist

I'm kinda at a loss right now with what to do in regards to health insurance.

I am working seasonal jobs - Alaska in the summer and Colorado / Vermont in the winter.

I tried to sign up in Vermont last December to avoid the ACA penalties for not having insurance, but it turns out they never fully processed my application. I never got billed and my coverage was never effective because it was "payment pending" but I may end up paying it retroactively to avoid stiff tax penalties.

I'm currently in Alaska and here for another month, then going to Vermont for a month and then most likely Colorado for the winter. I went to the healthcare.gov to check out my options for coverage, but they require you to enter a zip code and I don't know which one to enter.

Should I sign up for Alaskan coverage, even though I'm leaving in a month? Should I sign up for Colorado's insurance since I'll most likely be there for a longer amount of time?

I wish there was a very basic, nationwide 'catastrophic coverage' that I could apply for, but I'm not sure that exists.

You need to apply in the state that is your legal residence, the address on your tax returns from 2015 is what they will look at or, if you have officially moved since then with a new driver's license, that is the state in which you need to obtain a plan.

The "Best" plan would be a PPO with a national insurer like Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cigna, etc. that has providers in every state. It will certainly take a lot of work on your end to make sure which ever plan you go with has in-network providers near all of your locations, but it's worth the time an effort--and possible expense--to do so. Do NOT get an HMO plan from anyone!!