Spouse retiring and I'll be without Health Insurance--what did you do? (supplement, community)
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The bolded may not be true. DH's pension plan does not revert back to the single higher rate if I die first. We asked, as we learned some plans do and others don't.
My spouse is planning on retiring next May or June. We talked last night about it and I said that I would be without Health, dental and vision once the retirement happens because I am on spouses insurance at work. My employer (small company) does not offer insurance. My spouse's response was "Oh well, I guess you'll have to go without, get a different job or find a way to pay for private insurance".
I like where I work, what I do and the fact that my place of employment is near my youngest child's HS. (He will be graduating next May)
I don't know how much private insurance costs. I already can't pay for any extra due to the bills I already pay and I am trying to pay off some debt as well.
At almost 56, I dread the thought of changing jobs.
Has this happened to you or someone you know? How did you or they deal with it?
I also asked my spouse if it was possible for me to be on "Cobra" once the retirement happens and the response was. "Nope, I'm not going to do it, too expensive"
I think that in addition to a health insurance issue, you have a serious marriage problem.
I appreciate all of your input everyone.
No, I am not going to get a divorce over this. That's silly.
Yes, I am going to look into my options and if I can't afford to pay the insurance on my own then I will stop paying our cell phone bill. It's 160 a month.
And no, I don't believe we have a "serious marriage problem".
My spouse, however, has a serious short memory on all I have done to let my spouse "be who they really are".
That's all I am going to say on that. Ha!
OP, maybe you could look for a policy through the ACA or find one that, if it doesn't cover preventive stuff, does cover illness & catastrophic. That way you would have a safety net at least. After doing medical billing & patient accounts for 30 years I know that doctors often discount for payment at the time of service. And when you need routine/preventive care look for health fairs, etc. As an example, during October you may find free or low cost mammograms; hospitals get grant money from the Susan G Komen foundation (they do where I live).
And definitely check out some of the faith-based medical bill sharing plans like Medi-Share & others. I went with them after losing my BCBS plan I was very happy with. They stopped selling that policy in 2016. The geniuses who came up with the ACA seem to think I need maternity benefits at age 59.
The geniuses who came up with the ACA seem to think I need maternity benefits at age 59.
Are you under the impression that the age 59 cohort somehow has fewer medical expenses and health-related issues than females of childbearing years? The truth is, they are subsidizing your health insurance.
Would you seriously rather be able to purchase health insurance that didn't include maternity leave but was only available to people over 50? I guarantee you that your policy would be a hell of a lot more expensive than one that includes people of all ages and also includes maternity benefits.
His attitude is appalling! He doesn't care about insuring his wife or children? That's BIZARRE!
My husband and I had this conversation last night because my parents are going through this. Dad is now on Medicare, but mom isn't old enough. She has another year. This year her insurance cost significantly more because it's just her on the policy they bought through the ACA. Dad has to pay for Medicare as well.....so they're now paying more for health insurance than they did their mortgage!
My husband is 5 years older than me and I was like oh crap! What happens to my insurance because it's through him and his company. He can't retire until 70 to collect Social Security so I'll be ok. He'll keep the insurance through work for both of us. i was like that would get ridiculously expensive quickly!
I won't suggest you to buy a medical plan with high deductible. Women in your age will face many health problems. For example, my wife, my sister and my sister-in-law all had uterus fabroid removal at around mid-50s. The medical bills can bankrupt you if you are under-covered.
But you are in catch-22. Problem is you still have 9 years ahead before you are eligible for Medicare. And I agree with some fellow posters that it is too demanding to ask your husband to work for nine more years just to provide coverage for you.
The best option is switch to a job that offers medical insurance. Even though you love your job, frankly, I don't think your employer treasures you much as he refuses to provide health insurance coverage to his full time long term employees.
In most cases, fibroids shrink on their own, as a natural course. Fibroid surgery is often a scam and carried out in many cases so surgeons can make money. There are 100's, if not 1000's of articles, about how fibroids shrink on their own, and about how surgery is often very unnecessary for fibroids, and just a money-making procedure for surgeons.
Women of a certain age do not automatically "face many health problems", as you state Ian_Lee.
When my DH retired, I was 3 years away from Medicare and already retired myself. We planned, together, for this issue and paid for private insurance for me for that time frame. It was very expensive ($750/mo) but this was the only way to go. We signed up, jointly, for vision and dental plans. My husband never blinked an eye. He wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
Have you checked on the government healthcare site to see if your joint income will qualify you for a low-cost ACA plan? You may want to also consult an insurance agent who specializes in this for further advice.
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