Health Insurance - Texas High Risk Insurance Pool - How to choose an area

[mrschwarz]

I currently live in Texas. We are in the process of putting our house on the market and heading out on the road. I will be retiring at the end of the year and I will have a few years to go before I am 65. I had a heart attack a couple of years ago and now private insurance is out of the question. Texas has a high risk pool for people like me, once my COBRA benefits have been exhausted.

Being a resident of Texas still makes sense for me and I was planning to join Escapees and using Livingston as my domicile. Rates for the high risk pool are set based on 'areas', which are groups of zip codes. The higher the area number, the higher the monthly premium. I currently live in Flower Mound, which is in Area 4. My premium will be $868. Livingston is Area 5. The premium increases to $910.

If I am in Area 1, like in West, my premium would be $693. That's more than $200 per month savings. Does anyone know how to establish a domicile? Is it as simple as getting a mail box in the right zip code?

On the other hand, is anyone else in the same boat as me in a different state? The above premiums are for an individual with $5,000 deductible. What are some of you paying in other states?