You're Not Self-Insuring. You're Gambling.
"I self-insure" shows up constantly in nomad forums, usually from people who've never had a claim. Self-insuring is a real strategy. What most people are doing isn't that—it's just hoping nothing happens.
Insurance
What the policy actually says. A retired lawyer reads the whole thing so you don’t have to.
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Your Evacuation Membership Doesn't Go Where You're Going
You bought the evacuation membership. You assumed it travels with you. It doesn't — and the line it won't cross is drawn by the State Department, not by actual danger.
The Medicare Stack
Medicare decisions are confusing enough when you live in one place. When you've left the US and have no intention of going back full-time, the choices get weirder. Here's my full stack — what I chose, what I rejected, and where I'm still uncertain.
If They Didn't Ask About Pre-Existing Conditions, You're Not Covered
If the insurance application didn't ask about your health history, the insurer is reserving the right to deny your claim later. Here's exactly how that trap is set — and how to spot a policy that actually covers you.
The Membership Trick: How to Buy Insurance Without Buying Insurance
Some membership organizations include real travel insurance buried in their benefits. Here's how to find coverage you didn't know you'd already paid for — and what the fine print actually says.
The Shower That Ends Everything
Your friend dies in your Airbnb. Her family sues. You have no renter's insurance. What nomads forget when they drop their homeowner's policy — and why the liability exposure abroad is bigger, not smaller.
If You Can’t Pay, You Don’t Fly
A helicopter off the Everest trail can cost $10,000 before breakfast, and it won’t take off until someone pays. What your policy has to say before you go.