February 9, 2023

Our most frequently asked question by friends and family as we started talking about taking some time off 2 years ago (we aren't there yet) - WHAT ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE?

Well, that is definitely something we've been researching. Please be advised we ARE NOT FINANCIAL or any other ADVISORS - we are NOT GIVING ADVICE. This is simply to share our journey and experiences as we try to plan for a more nomadic lifestyle in the future.

We have tried a few different things so far:

1. Sidecar Health - we joined in September 2022 so we are still trying out the program but so far it's been easy to learn. The program gives you more control. We will update more as we use it.
2. Pharmacy - we've opted out of any pharmacy plans and just use a combination of Costco , GoodRx or Samsclub for now . So far the refills on our medication are actually cheaper than we paid for with our old insurance plans.   
3. Other Pharmacy options that are new that we haven't tried yet but are watching closely: AmazonPrime doesn't cover what we need right now, but we will keep monitoring. CostPlus drugs developed by Shark Tank's Mark Cuban - also doesn't have our prescriptions yet but we are keeping an eye out.
4. Out of pocket - pay yourself - stay healthy. We are prioritizing our health. Wellness, diet, exercise and social interaction is our key factors we are working on. For a few items like dentist visits, urgent care and small expenses - we have paid out of pocket and asked for a discount cash price which has worked out so far (fingers crossed).
5. Last but not least, one of us is a gulf war USMC Veteran and was in Camp Lejune during the indicated times for the PACT Act. After much reading and enrolling online, we were able to activate limited VA health insurance to use as a baseline. An initial physical and full panel of bloodwork, labs, tests were done and so far so good.

For more information you could listen to some of the podcasts episodes we learned from:

• Clark Howard - Spend less on Rx 
• Clark Howard Mark Cuban interview 
• ChooseFI Episode 153R Navigating Health Insurance 
• All The Hacks Podcast #34 - Hacking Healthcare, Prescriptions and Medical Bills 
• All the Hacks - Insurance Hacks Part 2 
• ChooseFI - Planning for Healthcare article