Finding Healthcare on the Road: A Full-Timer's Guide

We found Moab Regional Hospital in under ten minutes (thank you Google Maps), got X-rays, got a cast, and were back at the RV by 9 PM. Total out-of-pocket with our insurance: $175 copay. Not fun, but manageable. And that experience taught us a lot about being prepared for medical stuff while full-timing with kids.

Insurance First

This is the most important piece. We use a Marketplace (ACA) plan through Ambetter because it has a nationwide network. Before that, we had an HMO through my wife Maria's old job and it was basically useless outside of Texas. If you're going full-time, you need a PPO or a plan with broad network coverage. Period.

We also carry supplemental accident insurance through Aflac — $25/month for the whole family. With three kids who climb everything and fear nothing, it's paid for itself twice over.

Finding Doctors in New Places

Here's our system. When we arrive in a new area where we'll be staying more than a week, Maria looks up three things immediately:

• Nearest urgent care that's in-network (Zocdoc app is great for this)
• Nearest ER — just in case
• Nearest pharmacy (we keep our prescriptions at CVS because they're everywhere)

She saves them all in Google Maps with little star bookmarks so we can find them fast if needed. Takes maybe fifteen minutes and gives us a lot of peace of mind.

Dental and Vision

This is harder to manage on the road. We schedule dental cleanings during our "home base" stays — we spend 6-8 weeks in San Antonio every winter near Maria's parents, and that's when all five of us see the dentist and eye doctor. We book those appointments months in advance.

For dental emergencies, we've used Kool Smiles (now rebranded as DNTL Works) in a couple of cities and they were fine for the kids. Not fancy, but competent and they took our insurance.

Prescriptions and Medications

Our oldest, Marco (11), has ADHD and takes Concerta daily. Keeping that prescription filled on the road was stressful at first. His pediatrician back in San Antonio does telehealth check-ins every three months and sends the prescription to whatever CVS is nearest to us. We use the CVS app to manage transfers. Only had one hiccup — a pharmacy in rural New Mexico didn't have it in stock and we had to drive 45 minutes to the next town. Now we always refill a week early.

We keep a full first-aid kit in the RV that goes way beyond Band-Aids: children's Tylenol, children's Benadryl, hydrocortisone cream, antibiotic ointment, a thermometer, instant cold packs, and an EpiPen for our youngest who's allergic to bee stings. Maria restocks it every two months.

Telehealth is a Lifesaver

For non-emergency stuff — rashes, pink eye, "is this worth going to urgent care?" questions — we use telehealth through our insurance. Most visits are $0-20 copay and the doctors can prescribe basic medications right over the video call. We've used it probably eight or nine times in two years. Saved us a lot of unnecessary ER visits.

Vaccinations and Well Checks

We stay on top of the kids' vaccination schedules through their San Antonio pediatrician during our winter stays. But if we need a flu shot or something mid-trip, Walgreens and CVS MinuteClinic handle those without an appointment. Easy.

Full-timing with kids means you can't wing it on healthcare. Have a plan, know your insurance inside and out, and keep a list of important medical info for each family member in your phone and in a physical folder in the RV. We have allergies, blood types, medication lists, and insurance cards all in one binder.

It sounds like a lot of work. It kind of is. But our kids are healthy, we've handled every medical situation that's come up, and we haven't let healthcare logistics stop us from living this life. That broken arm in Moab? Sofia still talks about it, mostly because the ER doctor let her pick a purple cast and she thought that was the coolest thing ever.