Like taxes, insurance can be complex for many people and particularly nurses who travel. We’re here to assist you with understanding your insurance coverage as a travel nurse. My Private Health Insurance has been operating since 2016 and pride themselves in offering the best health insurance for travel nurses service in the insurance industry, while still providing personalized attention and an enjoyable one-on-one experience for their members.
Do Travel Nurses Get Health Insurance?
Nurses provide care for patients as part of their livelihood; but what happens when nurses themselves need care? Travel nurses take a different route than staff nurses in terms of insurance – due to moving between facilities under temporary contracts they don’t qualify for hospital-sponsored plans; instead private health insurers or agencies often offer health coverage to these professionals.
Short-term Health Insurance
If you need temporary medical coverage, short-term health insurance plans may be your ideal solution. Designed specifically to cater to people between plans or out of enrollment date – for travel nurses moving between agencies or taking breaks following contract completion this can be an excellent choice; though take note that such policies might not offer benefits related to mental health conditions or preexisting medical conditions.
Private and Family Health Insurance
Individuals generally purchase private health insurance from an independent insurance provider; COBRA coverage is often the option used by nurses who travel for work. Although private plans tend to be more costly than agency offerings, private coverage could still provide viable coverage options for nurses who:
- Jump between agencies often
- Take large breaks in between contracts
- Their family depends on their insurance
- They have medical needs that are not covered by agency insurance
Agency Insurance for Travel Nurses
Travel Nurses should secure travel nurse insurance policies through Travel Nurse Agency Insurance for added peace of mind on travel nursing assignments.
Health insurance from agencies for traveling nurses is exactly as it sounds – an insurance provider offers health coverage to their employees. Benefits to obtaining health coverage through your agency may include:
- This insurance is often more affordable than private insurance
- More mental health services are covered
- You don’t have to shop around for insurance plans
- The agency helps with the details of the plan
- Staying onboard with an agency is an easy way to keep your insurance without having to open enroll elsewhere or apply for private insurance.
What You Should Look for in Agency Health Insurance Plans
As you search for an agency, there are a variety of things you must take into consideration, such as jobs and housing options available; benefits for travel nurses; health insurance options provided and much more! One aspect that should not be neglected when looking for the ideal agency are healthcare coverage and benefits provided for travel nurses. No one likes surprises when it comes to their coverage or benefits, yet some organizations fail to meet minimum legal protection requirements and do not cover certain areas such as mental health or other essential considerations. This can be expensive and leave individuals vulnerable in many instances. Before signing any contracts with agencies, make sure you know if you qualify for insurance through them. Some agencies don’t provide coverage after one month has gone by – leaving you either taking out private policies or being without any coverage at all. Do your research by asking relevant questions before making your final decision to sign.
Health Insurance
United Healthcare provides health insurance plans tailored specifically for traveling nurses at competitive rates. With 24/7 care via video conferencing and virtual visits available as well as other health and wellness benefits.
Dental Insurance
United Healthcare can ensure your pearly whites are safe with dental insurance coverage from United Healthcare. Their plan covers preventive and essential treatment as well as major and minor orthodontic work.
Vision Insurance
United Healthcare Vision Insurance offers comprehensive vision coverage at substantial savings on costs, with access to both private and retail locations for practice, plus freedom in selecting glasses of your own choosing.
Life Insurance
Mutual of Omaha provides life insurance policies at no cost to employers who meet our eligibility criteria, for the duration of their employment with us. They will also have access to free life insurance upon becoming eligible – in addition to family and spouse coverage options.
Tips to Manage Your Health While Working as a Travel Nurse
While not everyone needs regular medical treatment from their primary physician, we all may require occasional assistance from one for sudden illnesses or injuries that arise unexpectedly. Being a travel nurse makes these health challenges all the more complicated to address.
As someone who takes daily medications, traveling has been an essential way for me to balance my daily regimen. Before every trip or every three months I needed to make sure I had sufficient supplies at each pharmacy.
Here are a few helpful suggestions to ensure a healthy traveling nurse experience:
- if you take prescription medicines regularly, make sure the pharmacy you use is national in scope. Walgreens, Walmart and CVS all have locations across the US that can fill prescriptions that were initially submitted in one of their partner stores – making life simpler by eliminating the need to maintain files of them on file.
- Finding a primary MD who you feel secure with is essential when traveling abroad, depending on your health needs and travel plans. Knowing your plans well means having someone on board who knows when it’s necessary for blood draws or checkups; when travelling it is possible to change primary doctors every three months so I suggest discussing this option with your current one and seeing if he or she is open to this idea; they could even advise you about matters pertinent to your wellbeing that a regular visit cannot.
- Find recommendations for local healthcare. Even though you might not require the services of a physician in every location, medical care must still be available should illness or trauma strike. Many travel nurse organizations offer excellent insurance plans that cover your entire nation – something we have already covered here as health insurance is an essential aspect of every job – yet being employed at a hospital means having easy access to healthcare – more likely an ER – should an issue arise that requires attention; one of your MD colleagues should know who can assess minor health concerns as they arises – without worrying about being late with care being recommended by them or someone else!
- As always, I strongly suggest keeping a health portfolio with your bag. Keep copies of recent medical histories as well as physical forms and lab results handy to protect both your health and security – particularly helpful if traveling between assignments where new lab tests and test strips may be needed; having copies handy makes life much simpler!