leftbucket
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2008
- Messages
- 95
Greetings.
34 year old Firefighter/ Medic in the DC area. DW and
I have 2 kiddos, a 3 yo son and a 6 month old daughter.
So... I'll be eligible to collect a pension in 5 or 6 more years around
the age of 40. Projected to be around 3k/month.
I recognize that this is a great benefit.
House is essentially paid off, DW and I have north of
500k saved up. Even got a throw down job working 1 or 2
days a month to deal with all the pension envy folks or act as an
early retirement question avoider. All ready to "retire"
at 40. BUT...
PROBLEM: like many on this board, health coverage
is a big issue. Both DW and our daughter have semi-serious
long-term conditions that will likely necessitate years of
"Cadillac"-like insurance. There are no retiree health
benefits with my pension, either. Current family costs
to continue insurance are 1600/mo and I can easily
see insurance plan costs overtaking the 3k/mo pension payout
within the next 6-10 years.
Thus, I am considering joining the reserves. I would not
join solely for the health insurance, but I must say that it
is a large factor in my decision making.
Questions, especially for recent military folks.
How good is Tricare/reserve?
Would you guess that the military would continue to offer
health insurance to active reservists for the long term future?
I would hope to be able to stay as an active reservist until
age 60 and then get the military retiree insurance for my family.
I plan to go to seminary anyway and I am considering joining
as a chaplain candidate. If anyone has any serious advice
on which branch of the service... Army/Navy/Air Force would
be best I am all ears. I am actually running into an age limit
issue also, so I will have to decide soon.
Thanks in advance,
LB
34 year old Firefighter/ Medic in the DC area. DW and
I have 2 kiddos, a 3 yo son and a 6 month old daughter.
So... I'll be eligible to collect a pension in 5 or 6 more years around
the age of 40. Projected to be around 3k/month.
I recognize that this is a great benefit.
House is essentially paid off, DW and I have north of
500k saved up. Even got a throw down job working 1 or 2
days a month to deal with all the pension envy folks or act as an
early retirement question avoider. All ready to "retire"
at 40. BUT...
PROBLEM: like many on this board, health coverage
is a big issue. Both DW and our daughter have semi-serious
long-term conditions that will likely necessitate years of
"Cadillac"-like insurance. There are no retiree health
benefits with my pension, either. Current family costs
to continue insurance are 1600/mo and I can easily
see insurance plan costs overtaking the 3k/mo pension payout
within the next 6-10 years.
Thus, I am considering joining the reserves. I would not
join solely for the health insurance, but I must say that it
is a large factor in my decision making.
Questions, especially for recent military folks.
How good is Tricare/reserve?
Would you guess that the military would continue to offer
health insurance to active reservists for the long term future?
I would hope to be able to stay as an active reservist until
age 60 and then get the military retiree insurance for my family.
I plan to go to seminary anyway and I am considering joining
as a chaplain candidate. If anyone has any serious advice
on which branch of the service... Army/Navy/Air Force would
be best I am all ears. I am actually running into an age limit
issue also, so I will have to decide soon.
Thanks in advance,
LB