When we first learned that we were pregnant, less than 2 months into our multi-year travels around the world, we had two options: 1) end our travels early and return home or 2) have our baby while we were traveling.

Returning home would end our travels because, as full time travelers, we are exempt from paying for the mandatory U.S. medical insurance required by the Affordable Care Act - as long as we are outside of the country for at least 330 days out of the year. If we were to return, we would not only have to pay for our airfare (roughly $1,250 each from where we would be when we needed to return), but we would also have to back-pay for that medical insurance as we would no longer be exempt. The penalty is either…