I think that health insurance may be the sole reason that we are afraid to retire and enjoy our selves in our RV. We were looking at retiring in 2016 at 62 but not sure that will happen due to insurance. I would like to hear what everyone else does that does not have medicare. Any good recommendations, we are living in New Mexico at present.
Thanks for any reply's and hope to see everyone out there soon.
jswharton said
07:22 PM Jul 17, 2016
Don't think there is an easy or cheap answer. I retired at 60 and if I remember right was not eligible to buy on the exchange because COBRA was available. So I did COBRA for 18 months, this was the most expensive time. Once I got on the exchange the premium was reduced but didn't qualify for the premium credit until year 2, income limits. The health care system is a mess, in 3 years I've had 3 different policies, each one was cancelled by the carrier. So then there are new networks, docs, and pharmacies. It's a real pain. Once I qualified for the premium credit my net premium cost was about 40% of the COBRA premium. I did plan for the cost and think you have to until Medicare kicks in.
After going through all this I'm now a believer in Medicare for all, I now feel the burn! The one thing we did was find a primary Doctor that takes Medicare and that we were comfortable with. That alone helped the stress because almost every network will include these Drs
good luck, it's just takes time and money to make it through the maze
Frac999 said
07:47 PM Jul 17, 2016
Thanks for your help and that was my thoughts as well was i would have to use cobra until something else come along or I get to the age for medicare. I just hate paying those high premiums. Any other suggestion out there will be appreciated very much.
Camper Chronicles said
11:53 AM Jul 19, 2016
I took a buyout from my company and took the COBRA while it was subsidized but dropped it when the premiums were raised to $1K a month. I picked up a catastrophic policy for around $368 a month and will need to pay the tax penalty for the rest of the year. Next year I am planning on using the ACA out of Florida...assuming there are are options that work for us. Here's the thing for me. I just decided I wasn't going to be held hostage by healthcare. Yes we are both in very good health which allows me the ability to make that choice, but also the thought of being forced to keep a job and a lifestyle I don't want just because of healthcare was unacceptable to me. If that is the only thing holding you back, and you are in reasonably good health, I would seriously consider taking a leap of faith.
My two cents...Trace
Frac999 said
10:15 PM Jul 25, 2016
Camper Chronicles wrote:
I took a buyout from my company and took the COBRA while it was subsidized but dropped it when the premiums were raised to $1K a month. I picked up a catastrophic policy for around $368 a month and will need to pay the tax penalty for the rest of the year. Next year I am planning on using the ACA out of Florida...assuming there are are options that work for us. Here's the thing for me. I just decided I wasn't going to be held hostage by healthcare. Yes we are both in very good health which allows me the ability to make that choice, but also the thought of being forced to keep a job and a lifestyle I don't want just because of healthcare was unacceptable to me. If that is the only thing holding you back, and you are in reasonably good health, I would seriously consider taking a leap of faith.
My two cents...Trace
Thank you for your two cents worth, I may do that for awhile until I can find something else that will be reasonable. Thanks again.
SR
Barbaraok said
11:07 PM Jul 25, 2016
You are only looking at 3 years before Medicare, so some careful planning and researching might be what you need to get through the 3 years. Question to ask yourself - will you loose 3 years time when you are very healthy and end up not being able to enjoy fulltiming if you wait?
Cookie Dough said
02:58 PM Jul 26, 2016
Hi
Reverse (?) problem, We'll be able to retire and keep employer health insurance at employee cost, but we currently live in NY and plan to full time mostly in the west. Nothing serious but my wife and I are on a few daily prescription meds, don't really want to come back to a "participating" provider every 3 months for a new RX, or find a new doc
Thanks
Bill
Barbaraok said
03:48 PM Jul 26, 2016
Bill,
Will your employer health plan be secondary to Medicare? If so, it should cover everything that Medicare doesn't. That's what ours does. Also, most fulltimers do a YEARLY visit and have prescriptions written for 90 days with 4 refills which covers the year. Lots of us have found new physicians in area where we spend some time in the winter. Remember, they work FOR YOU
I think that health insurance may be the sole reason that we are afraid to retire and enjoy our selves in our RV. We were looking at retiring in 2016 at 62 but not sure that will happen due to insurance. I would like to hear what everyone else does that does not have medicare. Any good recommendations, we are living in New Mexico at present.
Thanks for any reply's and hope to see everyone out there soon.
Don't think there is an easy or cheap answer. I retired at 60 and if I remember right was not eligible to buy on the exchange because COBRA was available. So I did COBRA for 18 months, this was the most expensive time. Once I got on the exchange the premium was reduced but didn't qualify for the premium credit until year 2, income limits. The health care system is a mess, in 3 years I've had 3 different policies, each one was cancelled by the carrier. So then there are new networks, docs, and pharmacies. It's a real pain. Once I qualified for the premium credit my net premium cost was about 40% of the COBRA premium. I did plan for the cost and think you have to until Medicare kicks in.
After going through all this I'm now a believer in Medicare for all, I now feel the burn! The one thing we did was find a primary Doctor that takes Medicare and that we were comfortable with. That alone helped the stress because almost every network will include these Drs
good luck, it's just takes time and money to make it through the maze
My two cents...Trace
Thank you for your two cents worth, I may do that for awhile until I can find something else that will be reasonable. Thanks again.
SR
Reverse (?) problem, We'll be able to retire and keep employer health insurance at employee cost, but we currently live in NY and plan to full time mostly in the west. Nothing serious but my wife and I are on a few daily prescription meds, don't really want to come back to a "participating" provider every 3 months for a new RX, or find a new doc
Thanks
Bill
Will your employer health plan be secondary to Medicare? If so, it should cover everything that Medicare doesn't. That's what ours does. Also, most fulltimers do a YEARLY visit and have prescriptions written for 90 days with 4 refills which covers the year. Lots of us have found new physicians in area where we spend some time in the winter. Remember, they work FOR YOU