Use a SEPP to pay health insurance

A legitimate concern for younger RVers is how to afford health insurance. Chuck Saletta, writing at the Motley Fool Web site, in "The real reason for to invest for retirement," suggests a way. He says, "Your retirement is far more than simply no longer showing up to work. It's about having the freedom to do what you want in life, and enough control over your personal finances to enjoy that freedom." With a SEPP (Substantially Equal Periodic Payments) plan, you can start withdrawing your retirement money early, without getting socked by penalties.

If you continue working, Saletta suggests, you can switch to a job you love while having the SEPP pay you health insurance. It does mean you have a few things lined up. You would want to have your RV paid for and be out of debt. Rather than $2 million saved to finance a full retirement, Saletta says $400,000 could work. In some areas of the country, the sale of your house could give you all or most of that to work with. You would also need to continue to make enough money to add to your retirement if you plan to eventually stop working. And, once you begin the payments, you must continue to receive them for five years or until you are 59 1/2, whichever is longer.

This could work for some people. It would take planning and saving ahead of time. It would also mean finding higher paying jobs on the road or having your own business. Working at an RV park would probably not cut it. There are other possibilities, though. Workamper is, in fact, having Jobinars (online Job Fairs) this week with companies that pay higher than average wages.

Read the article and decide. Maybe we'll see you out on the road a little earlier! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on higher-paying job possibilities, see Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com.

The risks of traveling full-time without health insurance

The Urban Institute recently published a study showing the effects of lack of health insurance on 25-64 year olds. From 2000 to 2006, about 137,000 adults died because of lack of health insurance. Other studies have shown that in the 55-64 age group, providing them with health insurance would have reduced deaths by around 25%.

According to Ron Pollack, executive director of the nonprofit group Families USA, "The uninsured often go without preventive care, or forego screenings and tests that could detect life-threatening illnesses." Families USA released the results on a state-by-state basis.

If you do not have health insurance, health fairs are one way to get basic blood tests and screenings done at a low cost. By doing a Google search for "Health fairs Illinois," for example, you can often find a schedule. In Arizona, Bashas Supermarket schedules screenings at their stores through out the state.

Because of our large deductible, my late husband Bill (who also did not like going to doctors) delayed checking out symptoms of intestinal gas and discomfort. His colon cancer was inoperable by the time he was diagnosed.

No doubt health care is expensive, but don't forego the basics. Take advantage of low-cost services and don't ignore unusual symptoms. Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak

For more information on finding health insurance and low-cost health care, see Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com.

Massachusetts new universal health insurance coverage law

Massachusetts' law requiring health care coverage of all residents takes effect today. Could it affect Workampers working in this state? While it's not totally clear, even part-time workers who work 35 hours or more per week are included. And employers with 11 or more employees are required to provide insurance. The state provides three plans for part -time and contract employees. You can sort through the explanations at their new Commonwealth Connector website.

For those who want to full-time RV travel before they hit Medicare age, finding affordable insurance can be the major stumbling block. We are long overdue for health care reform but universal coverage is still only a dream. Maine passed a univeral coverage law in 2005 making health insurance more available to the uninsured but it is voluntary, not required like Massachusetts'. California's governor is pushing a law for his state. The huge number of immigrants could make it financially overwhelming for state tax payers.

There are a lot of unanswered questions regarding Massachusetts' new law and how it could apply to Workampers but it does hold some promise. Stay tuned! Jaimie

Resources for finding health insurance can be found in Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed. See RVBookstore.com.