Insurance

That wasn't covered in the visa application process?

Europe encompasses 44 countries. Depending where you plan to be may affect what the answer is

Technically, anyone who shows up at a French boarder must prove he has a return ticket, health insurance, proof of accommodation, and financial resources equal to 120€ per day during the entirety of his planned stay. Immigration just does not take the time to ask each arriving visitor, but they could. Ultimately, they just stamp passports.

Those staying in the Schengen zone more than 90 days must apply for a VLS, or Visa long séjour, and it is in that application process that the visitor formally confirms medical insurance coverage. The health insurance you should purchase will be covered in the VLS application.

Please don't click on the link provided by f.peliss above.

Reported to webmaster.

Also, Americans can travel to most countries in Europe for up to 90 days (for tourist purposes) visa-free. (I know that doesn’t cover the OP's question, but f.Peliss is giving bad info.)

Join the expat FaceBook group for whichever country will issue your long-stay visitor visa. The groups have files with this info, and it's a question that comes up often.

I understand from another post that you aren't in any one place for the whole year, traveling just on tourist visas. The only real choice would be to keep your US health insurance and buy an annual travel insurance policy that covers major medical and emergency evacuation.

If you don't have major medical issues already you should be able to get away with not seeing a Dr for a year. If you need a quick visit, you could pay private out of pocket. If something catastrophic happens, your length of care presents visa issues and you'd have to come home.

Some annual travel insurance policies won't cover the whole year, uninterrupted, so check that as you shop.

(And if you do have major medical stuff already it would be excluded as a pre-existing condition for most European private health insurance.)

For Americans and Canadians the maximum stay permitted within the overall territory of most western- and central-European countries without a visa is 90 days within any 180-day rolling period. This is not a limit per country; it is the limit for the entire Schengen area. If you are not aware of this 90-day limitation, you need to do some research on the Schengen area and/or ask more questions here. You cannot simply go to Europe and travel around for a year. Or even for 91 days, unless some of those days are in non-Schengen countries.

annual travel insurance plans have 60 or 90 days limits so you will have to find something else. You usually have to provide insurance information to get an extended stay Visa which you need to spend a year in Europe.

When we did this for Italy years ago we were able to buy into their state health insurance. No idea how it works now but this is a big deal and uyou need to find an insurer probably before getting your visa.