BEFORE ACA - what did retirees do?

[Independent]

I retired at age 60 before ACA. My employer provided post retirement HI on the same terms as regular employees. They had announced a gradual reduction in subsidy, but I figured we'd have a decent deal until Medicare kicked in.

After a few years, 2009 hit, the company lost a lot of money, and that was a good excuse to get out of retiree HI. We got the letter when my wife was in the middle of her chemo treatments.

The company arranged a non-subsidized high risk pool for us. IIRC, the premiums were $18,000 per year with a high deductible.

We eventually switched my wife to an expensive plan not connected to my former employer, and I was able to move to underwritten blue cross.

It was not a good situation. ACA is way better.

[saydiver]

In 2007 after going into remission from leukemia, DH decided to retire, but getting health insurance was an issue, since he was now uninsurable. We wanted to move to Florida, but their health insurance high risk pool was closed to new members. Texas also had a high risk pool and it was open to new members, so we moved to TX. Rather than just moving our domicile to TX and moving directly into a RV, we moved to an apartment for seven months, so California couldn’t question the move.

[ziggy29]

I'm thinking "pray" would be about right, assuming you were of some kind of faith.

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichealKnight Very possible I may retire next year - .....at least I can buy insurance without having an employer. My question.... if ACA goes away - what do early retirees do for insurance?

You always could buy insurance without having an employer; you just have to pay on your own.

That's what we've done for 15 years to the tune of ~$30K (before I was Medicare eligible) and DW still pays about $15K per year for the next 3 years.

[Teacher Terry]

Without a plan from our employer we wouldn’t have been able to retire. Thankfully we worked for the state.

[harllee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko You always could buy insurance without having an employer; you just have to pay on your own. That's what we've done for 15 years to the tune of ~$30K (before I was Medicare eligible) and DW still pays about $15K per year for the next 3 years.

Not true--not everyone could buy insurance before the ACA. Pre ACA my DH had a preexisting condition and no private health insurance company in our state would issue a health insurance plan to him at any cost. He was without health insurance for a while and was thinking of going back to work just to get the insurance. Finally our state started a high risk pool and he was able to get on it but the premium was about $1000 per month and the coverage was very limited (no drug coverage) and the policy had a lifetime cap of $1,000,000. Pre ACA health insurance was practically nonexistent for early retirees with preexisting conditions in many states.

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee Not true--not everyone could buy insurance before the ACA. Pre ACA my DH had a preexisting condition and no private health insurance company in our state would issue a health insurance plan to him at any cost. He was without health insurance for a while and was thinking of going back to work just to get the insurance. Finally our state started a high risk pool and he was able to get on it but the premium was about $1000 per month and the coverage was very limited (no drug coverage) and the policy had a lifetime cap of $1,000,000. Pre ACA health insurance was practically nonexistent for early retirees with preexisting conditions in many states.

It depended on the state. It might have been true for where Marko lives, but pre-existing conditions were issues in all but around 5 states, pre-ACA. If the ACA is repealed, we could be going back to that situation

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee Not true--not everyone could buy insurance before the ACA.

Well, of course. My reply was to the way I read the OP; it implied that pre-ACA, the only way one could get insurance was through an employer as I had bolded in his quote.

[EastWest Gal]

Some people died due to lack of health insurance before the ACA. Some still do.

My mom’s brother died from complications from alcoholism when he was in his early fifties. My aunt remarried not long after. Her husband was older and soon retired. She went uninsured. Then she got colon cancer. Now she was uninsurable. . They paid through nose. Then he died. She had metastatic disease. She was a housewife, and was now too sick to work. Faced with losing a place to live and a poor prognosis, she chose to stop treatment. She died soon after.

Before the ACA, thousands of people in the U.S. died from lack of affordable access to health care. A few studies before the ACA estimated 45,000 people died each year from lack of health insurance.

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko Well, of course. My reply was to the way I read the OP; it implied that pre-ACA, the only way one could get insurance was through an employer as I had bolded in his quote.

Early retirees couldn't buy individual insurance pre-ACA in many states at any price if they had disqualifying pre-existing conditions.

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko Well, of course. My reply was to the way I read the OP; it implied that pre-ACA, the only way one could get insurance was through an employer as I had bolded in his quote.

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort Early retirees couldn't buy individual insurance pre-ACA in many states at any price if they had disqualifying pre-existing conditions.

Yes, I know that. Most people know that. I, myself, had a friend in that situation.

My point was that the OP said: "...I find myself rather thankful that no matter how costly or imperfect ACA plans are at least I can buy insurance without having an employer...." which is incorrect, assuming he has no pre-existing.

A pre-existing condition wasn't in question; it was the false idea that only an employer could buy HI. Yes, if you had a pre-existing, you had to be employed to get HI but that wasn't what I think the OP meant.

[grasshopper]

I only have numbers from 2012 to our both being on Medicare now. Grandfathered BCBS PPO $2500 deductable retired in 2006 ages 53/51.

2012 both $705
2013 both $768
2014 both $861
2015 both $937
2015 both $1026 big age change
2016 Ms.G $472
2017 Ms.G $554
2018 Ms G $616

Now you no why Quicken is our friend.

[socca]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort Early retirees couldn't buy individual insurance pre-ACA in many states at any price if they had disqualifying pre-existing conditions.

BCBS of FL issued me a pre-[A]CA health insurance policy with an addendum that specifically excluded coverage for my pre-existing condition: an unrepaired inguinal hernia. This was either (1) an insurance company being evil; or (2) an insurance company trying to run a business. Check your favorite social media outlet for the spin on this topic that suits your fancy.

P.S. I've told the story before about the BCBS of FL "nurse" who grilled me about my weight during a pre-[A]CA underwriting session. She was worried that my BMI of 19 meant that I had some kind of horrible wasting disease. I assured her that I had been at that weight by choice for years with excellent results. The insurance policy was issued without further ado. I'm still asked for my height and weight during medical underwriting today.

[LimaPop]

I've been using sharing since the mid 1990's, it has worked well for me and my family.

[MichaelB]

When we were planning on moving from NY to Fl I contacted BCBS Fl and they assured me they would give me a policy with a rider to exclude my pre-existing condition. When I applied, a month before the move, they repeated their assurance and said I first had to establish Fl residency. We moved, we applied, and both were immediately rejected, me for the condition I had discussed with them. I later learned my rheumatoid arthris always led to denial of coverage, there was never any intent to cover or add rider. DW was denied coverage for an unrelated health concern even when her physician wrote a letter indicating their concern was totally unfounded.

Denial of health insurance coverage was real and quite systematic. No spin, nothing to do with social media.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB .........Denial of health insurance coverage was real and quite systematic. No spin, nothing to do with social media.

Amen and not to be political, but it is back in the courts but the Federal government is no longer defending the ACA.

[harllee]

My experience pre ACA was that if you had a preexisting condition (even a fairly minor one) you were often totally excluded from individual health insurance. Most companies would not give you a policy at all. I guess if the ACA is repealed we might see this again.

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by socca BCBS of FL issued me a pre-[A]CA health insurance policy with an addendum that specifically excluded coverage for my pre-existing condition: an unrepaired inguinal hernia. This was either (1) an insurance company being evil; or (2) an insurance company trying to run a business. Check your favorite social media outlet for the spin on this topic that suits your fancy.

I don't know what your comment about social media means. Are there any other developed countries other than the U.S that don't have some form of universal health care?

[unclemick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichealKnight I am NOT in any way trying to have a political discussion. I'm seriously curious. Very possible I may retire next year - my age would be 45 and I find myself rather thankful that no matter how costly or imperfect ACA plans are.....at least I can buy insurance without having an employer. Then I see there's some powerful folks trying to end ACA as we speak. My question.... if ACA goes away - what do early retirees do for insurance? Yes, COBRA - but that is only 18 months. If COBRA runs out, and you don't have a job - how do you buy insurance especially with pre-existing condition? Thanks

I went 12 years without health insurance (1993 to 2006) age 50 to 62. Paid cash - one hairline wrist fracture and generic BP pills. Ballpark $298/mo for BC/BS of Kansas City age 62 to 65. Did not have the income in LA. Would have had to go back to work to afford even high deductible.

heh heh heh - I was lucky.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclemick I went 12 years without health insurance (1993 to 2006) age 50 to 62. Paid cash - one hairline wrist fracture and generic BP pills. Ballpark $298/mo for BC/BS of Kansas City age 62 to 65. Did not have the income in LA. Would have had to go back to work to afford even high deductible. heh heh heh - I was lucky.

You also have big, er, manly assets.