Health care as a full time traveler isn’t as complicated as it may seem at first glance. Many people who full time RV and need health insurance are over 65, so they use their available Medicare plans. This article focuses on domestic health insurance for full time RVers under 65 that need other options. As a digital nomad, health insurance can range from minimal to full coverage depending on your medical needs.
A simple way to get health insurance as a digital nomad is to have a full time remote job. If you’re keeping your current full time remote job or looking at that for your income source, health insurance will be affordable since your employer will likely cover the majority of it.
When considering self-employment, part time work, gig work, or just taking a break from work, here are a few of our favorite options you can look into for digital nomad insurance:
- Affordable Care Act Plans ($20-1,000+/month)
- These plans are typically dependent on your family size and income. You’ll need to go through the process of obtaining a quote to accurately determine your cost
- Medi-share (completely dependent on your needs)
- K Health ($49+/month; $35/single visit)
- We have K Health in addition to our insurance through Mike’s full time remote job. I highly recommend this as a digital nomad health insurance option because you can easily get treatment while in remote areas as you move through different states.
- Offers pediatric, mental, primary, and urgent care
- Christian Healthcare Ministries ($118-172/month/unit)
- Solidary Healthshare (you can get a quote online)
- galileo ($29/month; $45 single visit)
- Marketplaces through professional memberships (for example, we used to have health insurance is through the Arizona State Bar Health Insurance Exchange because I’m an attorney)
- Your state’s marketplace
- Many RVers use Florida as their domicile for several reasons, and one of the reasons is because there are favorable marketplace options for state insurance.
(none of these are sponsored… all are recommended based on our personal research when starting life on the road)
The truth is… you’ll need to shop around for health insurance plans that meet your needs. Each person has different medical conditions that require different types of insurance.
In addition to these plans, we also recommend GoodRx. It’s a completely free program that offers discounts on prescriptions and compares prices at different pharmacies.
Keep in mind that these options are for digital nomads that need health insurance in the US. If you’re spending a significant time abroad, you will need to look into travel health insurance and the health care policies of the countries you’re visiting. Each one is very different! Some offer free health care, while others require insurance.
Since we became full time travelers, we’ve been sick WAY less often compared to when we were in traditional corporate life. The lower stress and more time outdoors (instead of in an open office environment) has made a world of difference in our health. But, we’ve still been sick. We still go to the doctor for regular check ups. We still have monthly medications we need to be healthy humans.
For a glimpse into what it’s like being sick in an RV, check out this YouTube:
You, of course, have become a digital nomad without health insurance. Many people do this if they’re young and healthy with minimal health care needs. Just know that stuff happens and you may need to pay more in out-of-pocket expenses if you do.
Check out our Job Search Resource Guide for all the sites and apps we use to find income sources on the road and follow along on our YouTube and social media channels for more full time travel and remote income content.