The topic of insurance comes up regularly here which I think is a symptom of general confusion about (health) insurance while long term traveling.
I'm tri national: U.K., Canada, USA. The first two citizenships have universal health care however for Canada at least if your out of the country for more than 6 months you lose your provincial coverage. I think the U.K. Might be the same. Im not sure about these statements and could well be wrong.
So, nomading long term appears to nullify the benefits of universal healthcare offered by two of my passports (fair if I'm not there perhaps, although not if I'm still paying taxes to these countries... as far as I can tell even if continuing to pay tax to CRA while traveling you will still lose your coverage if gone for more than 6 months).
Why am I blabbering on about national health insurance in the context of digital nomad and long term travel? Because as far as I can tell any health insurance plan you have while traveling long term is based upon repatriating you if you get something serious... e.g. cancer or some other long term condition.
If my universal healthcare in both Canada and U.K. Is not active since I'm non resident, then I have no "main" insurance in my "home" country.
The topic of USA health insurance is already well known and discussed. I just choose to not opt for health insurance in the worlds most expensive market when I'm not even in the country!
If we've been on the road for a few years, why do we need North American or western health insurance? Is there a e.g. Thai provider that I could pay to be my "core" health insurance in case I get something serious? Hypothesis being that it would cost less than a North American insurance plan.
Right now I keep a general emergency fund on $10k usd and thankfully have not had to use it for anything so far (been on the road two years).
I would happily pay a couple of hundred dollars a month to a Thai, Taiwanese or Philippines insurer of it was a "base" or "primary" healthcare plan where I could go there if I get something serious, since in my countries of citizenship I'm not covered anyway.
Am I overthinking it? I want to pay money to an insurer every month for core long term health insurance to provide for piece of mind. But surely with geo arbitrage I can get a more economical deal from a SE Asian provider than a western one?
So, smaller, short term accidents I'm opting for out of pocket. But I'm anxious about what i would do if I get something serious.