Bridge the Gap to Early Retirement
Early retirement among the “baby boomers” is a growing trend – either by choice for those who just can’t wait to start enjoying an active retirement, or due to company cost cutting measures. Either way if you find yourself retired before the age of 65 when Medicare benefits kick in you may also find yourself without health insurance. The last thing you want is to have an accident or illness that can cancel all of those dreams of long and financially secure retirement because of lack of adequate health insurance coverage.
Of course if you choose early retirement you can always continue on your company’s benefits for at least 18 months through COBRA. Depending on how close you are to 65 that may be an option, but COBRA benefits tend to be the most expensive. A better option is so-called Gap Insurance or short-term health insurance. Many of the top health insurance companies out there are recognizing this growing market of early baby boomer retirees and are offering high quality short term insurance products at very affordable rates. For example Humana has recently introduced its Humana One product line of low cost medical insurance products specifically targeting those new to the private health insurance market such as young folks, the self employed, and early retirees. CIGNA, Aetna, “The Blues” and UnitedHealth Group are also offering competitive health plans to these target markets.
Financial planners and health insurance experts alike agree that if you really want to retire early, the best way to do so is to start planing early. And health insurance can actually help you do both. A healthy young person, say in their mid 30’s, can benefit greatly by purchasing a high deductible consumer driven health plan (CDHP) now, coupled with a Heath Savings Account (HSA). The premiums on the health insurance will be low, and the HSA will establish a tax deferred retirement annuity. When the time comes for early retirement the person will not only have health insurance, but have amassed a nice nest egg in the HSA.
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