Granted, some have health issues that really do “ground” them. But on the other hand, some who’ve taken the plunge and worked around the obstacles have found that RVing, far from being out of reach because of health problems, has actually helped them have a more positive outlook on their problems, and in some cases, actually decreased their health problems.

We’re moved to comment on this, as yet another RVer with a chronic and serious health issue has been profiled in the media. Years ago, Harvey Wells found out he had kidney trouble. He managed to work his way through it, but things got worse, and in 1988 Harvey had a kidney transplant. Life was pretty good, until 2006, when the transplant failed, and Harvey found himself making three times-a-week visits to a dialysis center. Dialysis appointments definitely put a hang-up on any RVing for Wells and his wife. Harvey reports that while the dialysis kept him alive, it also left him tired and worn out.

Two years ago the picture changed. Harvey got a portable dialysis machine for his own use. Rather than head off to a regional center for his sessions, Wells plugs into his home machine six times a week. More sessions per week, true, but each of those sessions was shorter than when he had to go into a center. And now for Harvey, his “home” sessions are where he parks it. That is, Harvey, his wife, and two grandchildren are now engaged in a cross-country motorhome trek, seeing sights, hitting football games, and spreading the news about his new freedom. He adds, doubling up the number of dialysis sessions per week has actually helped him feel more energetic.

Yes, it took some planning, and no doubt a lot of cooperation with doctors, but Harvey is having a ball. Other friends of ours too, are looking to getting out on the road. An older couple, he who struggles with internal issues that mandate twice monthly injections at the doctor’s office, and she who doesn’t ever know when her energy level will leave her needing the comfort of home, are now preparing to make a snowbird journey to the southwest. By working with his doctor, the gentleman has secured the necessary medications and the training to self-administer. For her, having the motorhome with them is unlike traveling in a car and “moteling it.” If her strength departs her, their own motorhome being readily available simply means staying put “at home on the road,” taking it easy until her body feels ready to go again. And with the clear days of the southwest, we’ll wager easily that her “up days” will probably far outnumber the “down days” she’s struggled with before.

Don’t let the pains and problems of health cause you to think that RVing is out of the question. Question your doctor, tell them what you’d like to do, find out if there’s a way. You’d be suprised how many doctors recommend travel to a healthier climate when the possibility exists.

photo: R&T DeMaris

Hydrate: Dehydration. Heat stroke. Heat exhaustion. Heat cramps. None of them sound fun, and most can be prevented. If your travels take you to hot weather, be sure to prepare. Keeping plenty of water in your system helps. Health experts advise if you don’t have kidney problems that drinking a pint of water an hour if you’re outdoors and exerting yourself. Don’t make alcohol part of your liquid intake, it simply accelerates dehydration.

If your compaion (or yourself) seems confused and they’ve been out in the sun, get medical help.

Watch out for heat related pain. Cramps are brief muscle cramps that happen during work or excercise in the heat. Calves, thighs, abdomen, and shoulders are particular targets.  Exhaustion happens when your body can’t maintain its normal functions because of fluid loss. Heavy sweating, intense thirst, dizziness, nausea, and a pulse either rapid or weak are signals of danger. Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency. As water and salt dwindle in the body, body temperature rises substantially. A body temperature over 104 is a sure sign, although it can happen at lesser temperatures; disorientation, confusion, even coma can result. Call 9-1-1 for help.

Keep safe by keeping cool! Stay in air conditioned areas where possible, and take to the shade if outside.

Suntan Danger: Sun exposure can lead to skin burns, heat rash, even cancers. Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when possible. Wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or greater. Keep your head covered. Apply sunscreen every two hours if you’ve sweated, been swimming, are in the wind, or at high altitude.

Thanks to the US Aif Force for the illustration

First, a bit of a Medicare primar: Medicare is the federal government sponsored health plan for folks 65 or over, or others who are eligible for the plan because of a disability. Medicare has several important “flavors” if you will.  Part A covers hospital stays and “skilled nursing facility” care. Part B is for the day-to-day doctor visits, lab tests, x-rays, and a host of other medical services. Durable medical equipment like canes and walkers fall under Part B. Part D is the most recent Medicare add-on, which helps pay for prescription drugs.

No, we didn’t forget Part C. This is an optional plan, where you can voluntarily sign up for a “Medicare Advantage Plan,” which in many cases actually saves you money. Part C offers a variety of individual health insurance “plans” which often limit who you can see to a given list of medical providers in their “network.” Go out of the network, you may have to pay more. The question fulltimers often raise is simple: Why on earth would you enroll in such a plan if you spend time traveling outside of the network area? With “standard” Medicare Parts A and B, you can go to any doctor, anywhere in the country who accepts Medicare and get help.

It often comes down to money. On standard Medicare, Part B visits (say to the doctor or get X-rays) you’ll pay 20% of the total bill–after you’ve satisfied a yearly deductible amount (presently $135). Need to go to the hospital? Hold on to your wallet! You’ll pay over $1,000 before Medicare starts picking up the bill. However, one RVer we know who carries a Medicare Advantage plan coughs up a co-pay of just $100 a day for being in the hospital. When he visits the doctor he hands over a $20 co-pay (or $30 for a “specialist). How much does he have to pay for the plan? The same amount is deducted from his Social Security check that all other Medicare recipients are docked, and for his plan, he pays nothing else. Prescription drugs? Under his plan, $8.00 a month each for his “generics.”

What about the network restrictions? “On my plan,” he tells us, “I can see any doctor, anywhere in the US who will accept Medicare assignment and whose willing to bill my insurance company. I had surgery in Tucson, seen specialists in Washington State, and if I need to see somebody in Vermont, I won’t have any problems.” But here’s the fine print: The plan isn’t available to everyone on Medicare. What plans are available are based on your residency address. Our RVing friend shows his residence address in a fairly large city in Washington, and his plan is just one choice among many. Another friend of ours who shows residency in Quartzsite, Arizona has few plans to choose from.

For fulltimers, here’s just one more thing to throw into the mix of where to call “home” for tax and insurance purposes. By logging into the Medicare web site, you can investigate what plans are available by logging into medicare.gov. We’ll spell out a specific way to go about this later. You can also compare “medigap” plans on the web site, which are insurance plans that allow you to keep standard Medicare but help pay the difference between what Medicare pays the doctor and what the total bill is.

Doing the research is admittedly a pain in the neck. It can be a frustrating bunch of mumbo-jumbo, but if you stick with it, you’ll find what Medicare option best fits your needs–and your finances.

What to look for: First, you’ll need to evaluate your own priorities. If money is an issue, find out how much the plan costs, both in terms of an up-front monthly payment to the insurance company, and how much individual co-pays are for each type of service. When you check out plans on the Medicare website, you’ll be asked the general state of your health, and the site will provide estimates of your annual cost for each plan. It’s a pretty broad estimate, but at least you can compare plan for plan to see which would likely cost less.

You’ll also need to know what happens if you go out of the network–if the plan has one. Some plans are very tight and only allow you to obtain non-emergency services in the network. Others will allow you to go out of the network for a higher cost. Still others may allow you to see any doctor, anywhere, who’ll accept Medicare assignment.

Be sure to check out how much it will cost you for prescription drugs. Each plan has its own “formulary” of what drugs it allows, and how much you’ll pay for them. If you’re on a lot of drugs, or some expensive ones, it will pay to shop around.

The one RVer cited above who has the “go anywhere” plan, there is another hitch to look for: He can’t be out of his “home” state for more than six months. As a result, in his travels he always plans on being “home” twice a year to meet the plan requirement.

Learning more about Medicare plans: Log on to www.medicare.gov.  Lookfor the option on the left side of the screen labeled, “Plan Choices” (this will also help you sort out Medigap plans) and click on it. Chose the “Medicare Advantage Plans” option. Now look for the choice, “Medicare Options Compare,” and next find “Find and Compare Health Plans.” (Whew! Told you this could be frustrating!). If you click on “General Plan Search” you can enter a zip code for any town in the country you might call “home,” and you’ll find what plans are available and the details.