For full time Sitters that do not have a base, do you find it difficult to be registered with say a regular doctor, regular dentist etc or what options do you have in place?
Itās really difficult if you donāt have a home. We use the address of where we used to live to keep doctor and dentist registered. Means we regularly have to return for appointments but not much option.
@Julie @Jon-JWalking we found we hit a major brick wall when my husband was diagnosed with a serious illness which required immediate and long term treatment, we had been living in BC, Canada and with no UK base we couldnāt register with a GP which we needed for referral and prolonged hospital stays and out patient visits ā¦ fortunately luck was on our side, our sonās doctor was taking new patients, we gave his address, registered and John began a two year treatment journey. It does make you stop and think about the nomadic and transient lifestyle we choose ā¦ brick walls can happen to anyone and sometimes the Plan B needs to be a full alphabet!
@Angela_L So important to have a āmedicalā address isnāt it? Glad your husband got through ok Angela. We have maintained registration at docs, dens and hosp from the beginning for exactly that reason.
Thatās exactly the scenario I was thinking of @Angela_L
So pleased your hubby got his treatment and recovered well. Always important to think ahead and have some options and plan for those important incidents. I wonder with more people taking a nomadic lifestyle path perhaps, doctors and dentist etc are more aware of these lifestyles.
@Jon-JWalking ah so you perhaps know the people you sold to? What do you do about say letters from docs that go to that address and when the surgery get you to confirm your address when youāre at the desk etc. Just wondering how it all works out
@Julie No we donāt know them, just redirect any mail to our sons address. Had a few issues over the years but to be honest if you have an address they have more important things to worry about.
Yes, thatās true of course. Thereās always a way isnāt there and that sounds a perfect one. Weāll all just have to stay ultra fit and healthy,
You MUST be, all that walking
@Julie Not too bad. We do like a bit of a hike, got a couple of good ones planned for the next few weeks.
Weāve just done a 8 miler in the Lake District! Sarnie pack up
I never said it was easyā:wink:
This is very much a comment on our part that is particular to only our situation and health. Insurance, including medical, is a cost/risk evaluation that each person needs to make for themselves on a regular basis.
We have been in different situations, with medical insurance that covers us in any US state or just specific to one state.
When we have insurance that covers us in any US state (this is when we are limited to US travel because of Shannonās employerās limitations), then the main challenge is continuity of care. Meaning, we donāt usually see the same doctor twice. So, itās our responsibility to manage our own health history and be sure that we always receive and take safe keeping of our medical records.
When weāre not limited to travel within the US only, in the past weāve opted for very basic insurance coverage (which ends up being for only one US state) for a several reasons:
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Even the highest level of coverage (available through the ACA Marketplace medical insurance plans via the USA Gov.) donāt include coverage outside of the United States. (We know we can go private, but see reasons below as to why, for us, it doesnāt make sense.)
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We check to ensure the plan has an emergency clause that includes coverage and medical evacuation in emergencies anywhere in the world.
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Weāre both relatively young and healthy and usually go to the doctor once a year for our physical only.
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We can opt to purchase additional Nomadic type travel insurance if and when our health is worse or more un-predictable ( we hope this is years down the road!)
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Weāve experienced being sick abroad and have always received quicker, more efficient, and less expensive health care (medical appointments, procedures, and medications) in other countries than when fully insured and in the US. (We know that this may not always be the case.) We have a two-part series on our experience of Shannon getting sick and needing medical care and medications while traveling in abroad.
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We run the numbers each year and project what our medical needs will be based on previous experience and future health projections. So far, we always come out ahead purchasing less insurance in advance (premiums, deductibles, co-insurance, etc.) and paying more out of pocket when the need occasionally arises.
This is how it is for us today, however weāre sure this will change in the future and weāll likely opt for nomadic type medical insurance.
@Angela_L So glad to hear that it worked out well for your husband. When thereās an emergency or health scare, the last thing anyone should have to worry about is where to go or how much it will cost.
Thereās also services, at least in the US, that will provide you with a physical mailing address and then scan and securely send you digital images of the outside of your mail. You can then opt to have it held, forwarded to you, or opened and digital sent to you.
Iāve heard of that. Not in the uk though unfortunately, I believe. Mother in Law scans, readdresses and pops to the local Post Office, no charge
Yes, it definitely can be a challenge, but we use a combo of whatās already been mentioned above and itās been working out fine so far. We do our yearly doctorās appointments at our āhome baseā in NYC, because itās a priority for us to return there at least once a year to spend time with family/friends. We use my dadās address as a permanent address. When we are traveling in the U.S. we have NYC based healthcare, which allows for emergency care out of state, but well visits must be done in NYC (not even elsewhere in the state - weāve tried. Itās annoying). Weāve used the coverage for emergency care in other states, and itās been a royal PITA but at least we were covered. When traveling outside of the U.S., we always have nomadic insurance, but itās more for emergencies than well visits or ongoing care.
Also, since we tend to also be in Spain at least once a year, I do things like get my contact lenses there as itās wayyy cheaper. I just order them online and they come in a couple days. So itās kind of a jerry-rigged system but it works for the kind of travel we do and where we go.
You guys sound as if you have everything covered , just goes to show there is always a way.