You are making me feel MUCH better about working two extra years past financial independence, just so that I qualify for lifetime medical!! I just returned from vacation (actually two vacations, back to back), and really wish they could continue. I only have less than one of those two years to go, though. Still, on Tuesday I'll be singing "hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go".
I am not optimistic about Medicare, and even in the best case I think the premiums for Medicare, Part B, will increase even more dramatically than they already have.