Is anyone here still working only for health insurance benefits?

[HtownRose]

In case anyone's interested in joining me:

Today, October 10, at approximately 3 PM Central, the Customer Rep position will post on Southwest.com for New Hire classes in Chicago, Houston, Oklahoma City, and Phoenix in January.

If you have a passion for helping others, a smile in your voice, and would like to join a Company with a Heart, you can apply at careers.southwestair.com.

 

[gauss]

Not me!

Once the 2012 Presidential election results were known, I had a strong feeling that the ACA was safe and that I could proceed with resigning from my employer of 22 years.

Having access to Community Rated premiums under the ACA is a huge hedge in case one gets really sick.

People often talk about Guarantee Issue with regards to pre-existing conditions, but I feel that the Community Rating of premiums is necessary for this to be of any use. Otherwise medically underwriting of premiums based on health history could effectively price you out of the market.

-gauss
p.s. I have never actually had an ACA policy in that my DW has employer sponsored health insurance.

 

[Gumby]

In a sense, I guess I have been working for health care. We probably could have retired a few years ago, but I was not eligible for retiree health care until this year. It is a gigantic benefit - $27 per month for the same gold-plated Point of Service group plan I have as an active employee, for both me and the young wife. That is worth almost $20,000 per year in avoided premiums.

Now, we can retire when the current school year ends (the young wife is in her 30th year as a high school teacher).

 

[kimcdougc]

When DH retired in March of 2015 we had the option of taking the company health insurance as a retiree. It was $2,400 per month so we chose to go on ACA. Fast forward 3.5 years, we are still on ACA and it is horrible and we pay $1,656 per month for it. He can't go back and get the retiree health insurance. You only had that one chance to sign up for it. Live and learn I guess.

Would we go back to work for insurance if the ACA dropped off? Yes, part time I believe.

 

[Aerides]

Many people ER'd before the ACA, but for sure it does take some of the guess work out.

We started ER planning in the pre-ACA days, but didn't reach our goals until post-ACA. We'll see lower rates with the ACA (first full year will be 2019 for us after using cobra). But I'm going to just count that as a bonus to reduce our SWR until/unless the rates and premiums change significantly.

Depending on how early you wish to ER, vs. how much you need to rely on the stability of the ACA is going to require some extra calculus for those with challenging pre-existing conditions. I mean if I were 45 with a "Pre-aca-uninsurable" condition, yup I'd keep working in some capacity for now, regardless of what happens in the midterms as that can change very 2 years.

But if I were 60? I'd probably risk it. I'm inclined to believe the guts of the ACA will not be undone, and pre-existing is the most popular part of the law. I might be optimistic though.

 

[Fedup]

I don’t believe the pre-existing conditions will be undone either. But I believe some ACA plans are more expensive than others without subsidy. It also depends on the market. In Southern Cal, my sister uses ACA mostly, even though she has access to COBRA.

My kid is very happy with Kaiser, she gets no subsidy even when she was earning less than $47k.

I would still be working if my husband doesn’t have retiree health plan, except I will look for a job with shorter commute. Either that or move closer to work, eliminate the commute. Which was my original plan but my husband didn’t like the area near the work place.

 

[pacergal]

I worked to a certain age in order to qualify for heavily subsidized retiree health care, which will cover until medicare.

 

[marko]

Well, it is not the most important issue for the most amount of people. 90% or so of Americans have coverage through employers, Medicare, and Medicaid. About 3% are on ACA exchanges, and the rest uninsured, though many of those are eligible for Medicaid/subsidized ACA/CHIP insurance.

Well, I'm paying $15K a year for DW so....there's another category.

 

[SumDay]

Yes, I WAS working for healthcare until this fall. DH is a heavy user of medical care, and he's 4 years older than I. My plan was to get him on Medicare, which happened this summer, then I retired two months later so I'd get paid for my unused vacation, which has been a nice cushion while waiting on my pension & SS, and his SS @70.

Luckily, for now, my employer offers retiree medical. As a 30+ year employee, this gives me the rate of $500 a month for my individual policy. I was relieved when I got the enrollment packet for 2019, which means I have coverage through next December. If they don't yank the rug out from under me before 2022, I'll can coast until Medicare kicks in. So, now I'm just worrying about 2020 and 2021 now and hoping congress can get their $hit together.

 

[FireCat]

Well, it is not the most important issue for the most amount of people. 90% or so of Americans have coverage through employers, Medicare, and Medicaid. About 3% are on ACA exchanges, and the rest uninsured, though many of those are eligible for Medicaid/subsidized ACA/CHIP insurance.



A pie chart from 2016 here: SHOW YOUR WORK: Healthcare Coverage Breakout for the Entire U.S. Population in 1 Chart | ACA Signups

That’s just too funny to pass up. USGrant are you kidding me? You must have a nice retirement medical plan keeping you well cared for. I worked 30 years as a fireman in a large metropolitan Fire Dept. I and my beautiful wife retired from nursing early knowing there were no affordable options for us as we don’t have any retirement medical. Oh I could have signed up for the city’s retirement medical plan at $2100 per month but that amounts to over third of our retirement income with high deductibles. Or the ACA with maybe an $18000 premium with $5000 deductibles for each of us. Still I count myself lucky that we are able to find insurance that is affordable. How you might ask. The catch is we have to live or travel outside the US for 180 days or more. We get very good coverage outside or inside the US with a reasonable $1000 deductible. Our total premium for both of us is only $3200 per year. Now that’s affordable. To say that we don’t have a huge healthcare problem with runaway costs ripping off all of us, both those who have healthcare through an employer or otherwise is putting your head in the sand. We feel fortunate that we have the means to travel outside the US and the desire because we have no options for affordable healthcare otherwise.

Peace

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Well, it is not the most important issue for the most amount of people. 90% or so of Americans have coverage through employers, Medicare, and Medicaid. About 3% are on ACA exchanges, and the rest uninsured, though many of those are eligible for Medicaid/subsidized ACA/CHIP insurance.

I respectfully disagree, it is not just limited to those on ACA. Every year whether on employee or Medicare one still has to do something about coverage, even if it is just a rubber stamp. I for one do not relish worrying about whether there is still a plan "F" or whatever, or potentially having to go through underwriting to change a plan.

IMHO it should just be healthcare coverage for life. OLD people should not need to worry if they could or could not afford a Medigap or whatever plan.

It IS the most important thing in the USA for most people. Even those who continually have to qualify for Medicaid. I do not know what VA folks have to do annually, if anything.

 

[Alan]

I worked an extra couple of years to get retiree health insurance. After a few years the subsidies were removed and at $756/month in 2015 for myself and wife I looked into ACA but couldn't get a PPO plan that covered us for all the travel we do so I stuck with the retiree plan until we left the country a year later.

 

[IBWino]

I switched to part-time (3 days a week) in January instead of fully retiring partly due to health insurance. I still get full benefits, and with the ACA's exclusion of pre-existing conditions being threatened, it seemed prudent at the time. My wife has inherited high blood pressure and high cholesterol from her mother's side of the family and been on medication to treat it for the past thirty years. We're both 57, and based on my research, we could still afford the cost of non-ACA insurance if I fully retired, but it would be about $1500/month.

 

[Big_Hitter]

i'm budgeting $2K a month for medical

regarding the question, i'm not sure why i'm still w*rking

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I worked an extra couple of years to get retiree health insurance. After a few years the subsidies were removed and at $756/month in 2015 for myself and wife I looked into ACA but couldn't get a PPO plan that covered us for all the travel we do so I stuck with the retiree plan until we left the country a year later.

We are seriously considering a move "Back to our Original Home" in the next few years also. Then HC will be one thing less to worry about.

 

[Alan]

We are seriously considering a move "Back to our Original Home" in the next few years also. Then HC will be one thing less to worry about.

We have been hitting it fairly hard since we got back especially this last 2 months, with mole incisions (me), cataract surgery (DW) and AFIB treatment and surgery (me). It isn’t why we moved but it is a nice expense not to have. Our taxes are higher but are dwarfed by what we used to pay in HC, and it is a lot easier to plan for taxes in a budget than it is for HC costs.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We have been hitting it fairly hard since we got back especially this last 2 months, with mole incisions (me), cataract surgery (DW) and AFIB treatment and surgery (me). It isn’t why we moved but it is a nice expense not to have. Our taxes are higher but are dwarfed by what we used to pay in HC, and it is a lot easier to plan for taxes in a budget than it is for HC costs.

Are both of you UK Citizens? I am but will have to apply for a Spousal Visa for DW.

 

[Alan]

Are both of you UK Citizens? I am but will have to apply for a Spousal Visa for DW.

We are both dual UK/US citizens. But let’s stick to the original thread topic of working to hang onto health insurance.

 

[Morgan22]

That’s just too funny to pass up. USGrant are you kidding me? You must have a nice retirement medical plan keeping you well cared for. I worked 30 years as a fireman in a large metropolitan Fire Dept. I and my beautiful wife retired from nursing early knowing there were no affordable options for us as we don’t have any retirement medical. Oh I could have signed up for the city’s retirement medical plan at $2100 per month but that amounts to over third of our retirement income with high deductibles. Or the ACA with maybe an $18000 premium with $5000 deductibles for each of us. Still I count myself lucky that we are able to find insurance that is affordable. How you might ask. The catch is we have to live or travel outside the US for 180 days or more. We get very good coverage outside or inside the US with a reasonable $1000 deductible. Our total premium for both of us is only $3200 per year. Now that’s affordable. To say that we don’t have a huge healthcare problem with runaway costs ripping off all of us, both those who have healthcare through an employer or otherwise is putting your head in the sand. We feel fortunate that we have the means to travel outside the US and the desire because we have no options for affordable healthcare otherwise.

Peace

FireCat, what type of insurance is this?

[So if I traveled to Canada and parts of Mexico/South America I could get this low cost health insurance? (I just have to be out of the US for 180 days a year?)]

Sorry if others know about this. This is new info to me. We are currently on an ACA bronze plan. But it's $875/month. It will go up as we get older.

Currently looking for a job to cover health insurance. And there aren't many (if any) part-time jobs out there that offer health insurance where I'm currently living.

 

[MichaelB]

From recent history, we have seen that the ACA marketplace has produced better results in some regions/types of areas than others, so it wouldn't be possible to give a guess about the future that applies everywhere ("Don't worry, you'll find cheap coverage and it will be great!" or "Worry! This thing is falling apart and no one will be spared!")

This is a very important point. Each state has an insurance commission that regulates health care insurance, and many of the differences in policy options and availability among the states is the result of their differing approaches.

 

[HFWR]

I’m paying around $200/mo for medical ($300 or $500 annual deductible, I can’t recall offhand...) and basic dental, available as a retiree for Acme, Inc.

Based on numbers posted here, and the anecdotes of friends, I’m getting a sizable chunk of tax-free benefit. Seemingly unfair, but I’ll take it...

 

[Geld ist Freiheit]

I would walk out the door tomorrow if I thought I had a solid, reliable option for HC. Maybe I need to sharpen the pencil and crunch some hard ACA numbers and just go for it.

 

[Big_Hitter]

I would walk out the door tomorrow if I thought I had a solid, reliable option for HC. Maybe I need to sharpen the pencil and crunch some hard ACA numbers and just go for it.

well you do get cobra for 18 months....

 

[Red Badger]

We are very fortunate. I earned Tricare through my service in the army. I'm on that now. DW is on Tricare for Life (is wraparound after Medicare).

Because DW is a few years my senior, We have to pay for Medicare for her - both A and B. A PITA, but only for a few quarters.

Sadly, without Tricare, my ass would still be at the gristmill pretending I give a sh!t.

 

[MarieIG]

No.

Although employer healthcare is a consideration. I will say back when the ACA came in, my employer at the time got the most horrific health plan under the sun. The deductible was huge, it was basically for catastrophic care. The excuse from the employer was that costs had sky rocketed. A few of the employees were taking their kids to the doctor, but not themselves. A lot of medical care providers wouldn't even take it. A few of the single mom's had their kids on a NYS plan subsidized plan, so those kids got good coverage and dental. One of the partner's kid got cancer and there was a fund raiser for him. (I don't work there anymore, so I don't know if the plan improved.)

No.