When first starting this transition to travel nursing, I looked to others for a lot of questions. Through blog posts and friends with travel experience, a lot of my questions have been answered but there was always one that was a mystery.
How does the medical insurance work when you are employed by a travel agency?
- How long do I have to work with the Travel Agency before my benefits kick in?
- Do you have to reapply with every new contract?
- Do you pay full premium when you are not on contract?
- Is the insurance nation wide with no out-of network price hikes?
I can not speak for all Travel Agencies, but with Company P, this is what I have learned so far.
I was given the option between 4 different plans that become active on my first day of work. Each plan has varying deductibles and each with “In and Out-of ” Network deductible differences. I do not know what is considered out of network but I was very disappointed in this revelation!
The insurance is active and will remain active without lapse and at the discounted Agency price if I sign and start a new contract within 21 days of completing my last contract.
In the event that I do not start my next contract within 21 days, I will be sent information for COBRA. Cobra will allow me to keep my elected insurance coverage at full price for a specific amount of time. If I sign a new contract, the Travel Agency will have me re-elect my coverage as if I am a new employee and the process starts over again.
The take away from this is…. You are required to be a full time employee to gain any long-term benefits from the Travel Agency. The truth is, I never planned on working back to back contracts but if I enjoy my first contract and enjoy working with Company P, I may have to rethink my plan for the next year. My options are open, I will just have to see where this journey takes me!
