Poll: How do you handle healthcare in retirement?

[BeachOrCity]

Starting a poll to see how various early retirees are handling healthcare.

 

[MissMolly]

Retiree coverage for a few more months, then on to Medicare in the last quarter.

 

[Walt34]

Medicare is primary for me, former employer's insurance is secondary. That is still primary for DW. Heavily subsidized by the former employer we pay 30% of the premium but it's very good coverage and I'm grateful to have it. All those midnight shifts are paying off.

 

[NoMoreJob]

We've had both subsidized and non-subsidized Obamacare (marketplace) policies and non-subsidized off-marketplace policies since the inception of Obamacare. Which we've chosen has depended on the available coverage and pricing. We are now down to one crappy on-marketplace choice. My wife has that this year....I just went on Medicare. She has 7 more years until Medicare and I'm very concerned about what will be available to her between now and then.

 

[Cayman]

Non subsidized. $2k/month. 13k deductible. Ouch.

 

[pb4uski]

Non-subsidized Obamacare policy. Our state has only had two choices of carriers since even before Obamacare... choices, coverage and networks have been very stable... pricing less stable but price increases much more reasonable than most other parts of the country. 2015 bronze level for two was $720.98.... 2018 same plan for two $969.12.

 

[Just_Steve]

Former employer paid in full medical, dental and vision, becomes secondary when I start medicare plus I will get reimbursed for part B premiums.

 

[SheitlQueen]

Subsidized ACA plan for another year and a half until I go on Medicare.

 

[DrRoy]

Megacorp insurance until 65. Then they provide some $ toward a Medicare plan.

 

[marko]

Just got onto Medicare (plus supplement). For 13 years prior, we just paid the $2K a month. DW has 5.5 more years to go before Medicare but her premium is now $1K/mo.

 

[Dtail]

Subsidized ACA plan for $148 monthly for Silver Blue in Florida. For 2018, able to keep MAGI low and also include brother's income as my dependent. DGF already on Medicare. Lucky for this year.

 

[scrabbler1]

I have been on an ACA plan since 2014. I barely qualified for a subsidy, so it was a small one. But last year, thanks to a large CG distribution, I went over the income cliff and failed to qualify for it. Maybe in 2018 I will resume getting the subsidy (and keeping it).

 

[Dawg52]

Got an individual policy a few months before I retired(10k ded). Cost $140/mo then, $450mo now. Will be on medicare in 16 months. Obamacare was really not an option for me as there was only one choice in my area and it was not good.

 

[jfn111]

Retiree healthcare until 65 then it becomes secondary. $415 a month (for both of us) for medical, dental and optical.

 

[grasshopper]

Ms G on a grandfathered non ACA PPO $616 a month, Medicare for me.

 

[Ronstar]

DW’s former megacorp retiree health insurance.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

ACA been very good for us since 2015.

 

[Freedom56]

Non subsidized policy purchased directly from the insurance company.

 

[RetireAge50]

Like nothing really changed. Before my work paid for Kaiser. Now ACA pays for Kaiser.

Same Kaiser account number and everything.

 

[ocdokie]

I'm an Other. Non-subsidized, non-ACA plan from DH's former employer. This year it's $500 per month for just little old me. From what I read on this forum, it could be a lot more, so I feel lucky.

 

[Sue J]

When DH retired in 2010 we used his retiree insurance, nicely subsidized for both of us by his pension system. There were 3 level options and we chose the Basic, cheap coverage. The cost went up substantially every year. In 2013 they stopped offering the Basic, cheap plan and they only offered the Premium, expensive plan. Our cost increased by $400/mo for that year! And then they stopped subsidizing spouses.

When ACA started in 2014 his retiree insurance was in the "unaffordable" range so we've used ACA since then. Every year our options change so sometimes we've had a Bronze (very high deductible but not HSA eligible) plan, sometimes we have had the option of an HDHP with HSA. Some years there are no HDHPs available with an HSA. Last year we had a nice Silver plan. This year it's a Bronze HDHP with HSA and the largest subsidy we've ever had.

In the 5 years we've used ACA we've had 3 different insurers because plans and costs change wildy every year. And I realize that we are lucky to still have CHOICES of 4 or 5 insurers as some parts of the country have very few choices.

It would have been nice to be able to stay with the retiree plan but that would have been about 1/3 of our income. We appreciate being able to use ACA. Only 2 more years to Medicare!

 

[RE2Boys]

I marked former employer health insurance. I'm on Medicare now but for first 15 of early retirement used the above.

 

[foxfirev5]

Currently we're using my corporate retiree plan. Although expensive, as long as its available I plan to continue with it. The availability of the ACA as a plan B was a factor in choosing to ER. However I'm a little concerned about the future of both.

 

[T-Minus]

COBRA until 6/30/2019, then Obamacare.

 

[BeachOrCity]

Thanks for all the responses.

Thankful that (so far) no respondent is going without insurance!

Surprised that so many can still get insurance from former employers (though lumped w/ military, govt)

A bit stressed because as I transition soon to RE myself, I am looking to join the unsubsidized ACA minority. Nervous about how much higher it could go, and whether insurance might not be available at any price.