Health insurance for the pre-Medicare cruising retiree

[HeadedToTexas]

We have a few years to do yet, but I can feel the pull of the water and I doubt seriously that we will make it to Medicare age before retiring and setting sail. What do you younger retirees do for medical insurance until Medicare kicks in? And what problems do you encounter finding "in network" providers while cruising?

 

[Comodave]

We had insurance from my wife’s employer that we kept and started paying the premiums which were staggering. As to in network, if it is an emergency networks generally don’t matter. Routine health care networks do matter. So if you will be cruising out of your local area and not on medicare, then you will need a fairly robust insurance plan. And that is the crap shoot! Trying to figure out what company has the best coverage without being in the insurance business is really difficult. We stayed with the same insurance because we liked the coverage but after this year that won’t be possible so we will have to find new insurance. Ugh!!!

 

[JCM-Houston]

We were able to get an Obamacare (ACA) policy when I retired a few years ago at 61. Look at your state insurance site, or if a state like Texas that offers nothing go to Healthcare.gov.

We lived off cash we had saved after tax the past 4 years so our earned income was pretty low and I've been getting a subsidy the last 3 years so my cost was $200 a month, my wife is on Medicare disability. I'll switch to Medicare in a couple of months and my cost will stay about the same. Unfortunately they base your eligibility for a subsidy on last years income so you may have to pay full price the first year. Most of them only seem to cover emergency services if you are traveling out of network.

 

[caltexflanc]

We were living in Dallas when we took off to go cruising in our mid-fifties. It was a sabbatical, not retirement. I used COBRA from my old company, which was through Blue Cross TX. When that ran out they converted it to a private plan. It worked out fine, IIRC we used a $6,000 deductible and costs for the two of use were around $700 a month. . When ACA came around, I even got a rebate a few times on my premiums due to the maximum profit rules. But that was then, we went on Medicare in late 2015; Ann was back teaching so she used the state plan until Medicare eligible. Blue Cross was nice because it had a vary wide network everywhere we went.

 

[DavidM]

If you have a choice of state residency look at the specific insurance company's network of providers in various states. For example we snowbird between Fl and Ct. Connecticut's Blue Cross affiliate Anthem does not have a network of providers that crosses Ct state lines. But Florida's does. Weird.

So my wife who is a few years from Medicare eligibility uses Florida Blue Cross insurance which works fine for medical care while we are in Connecticut.

In our increasingly mobile society, I wish that Obamacare required insurers to cover patients equally any where in the country. Alas it doesn't. Maybe Medicare for All (if you want it) will.

David

 

[murofrelwart]

What do you younger retirees do for medical insurance until Medicare kicks in?

ACA Insurance plus private travel insurance.

And what problems do you encounter finding "in network" providers while cruising?

The only two ACA providers available in our home area essentially have zero coverage outside of the state. Even in neighboring states the only coverage is emergency room and then only if your are NOT admitted to the hospital. Otherwise you have zero health insurance. Our research found the best additional option was an annual travel insurance policy from AIG. Depending on how much premium you want to spend they cover health care and evacuation services up to reasonable amounts - the mid-tier policy is $50,000 and $500,000 respectively. Pre-existing conditions are not covered and there is a 90 day limit of maximum "trip length" - meaning you have to return home at least every 90 days. Coverage is world-wide with the exception of a few "unsafe" countries.

In our increasingly mobile society, I wish that Obamacare required insurers to cover patients equally any where in the country.
David

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I guess the Admiral and I made the right decisions by working for the Federal Government. We kept our Federal Government Blue Cross/Blue Shield when I retired in 2016. We pay around $300 a month to keep it. I just turned 61 and the Admiral is 9 years older than me. She signed up for the free Medicare at age 65. We are very happy with our choices.

I also retired from the National Guard and started receiving retirement pay at age 60. The Guard offered Tri-Care for Life at no cost. Problem was it is sometimes hard to find a doctor who would accept Tri-Care. When compared to Blue Cross, Tri-Care wasn't as good. So we have stayed with BCBS.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

SE Alaska Medivac

A word of caution for those that cruise Northern BC and SE Alaska. Make sure your insurance policy covers Medivac to Seattle. (for us BCBS covers the cost. Our deductible is $100.)

A Medivac from Juneau to Seattle will run you about $20K without insurance.

 

[Ventana]

A word of caution for those that cruise Northern BC and SE Alaska. Make sure your insurance policy covers Medivac to Seattle. (for us BCBS covers the cost. Our deductible is $100.)

A Medivac from Juneau to Seattle will run you about $20K without insurance.

To piggy-back on that thought, if your insurance does cover evac from Alaska, check which company(s) they cover. There are two Medivac companies out of Sitka, and it is possible to be covered for one but not the other.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Feels darn expensive. Thanks all.

 

[Goldkey]

New here, and by chance, I am a Health Insurance Broker, and its a minefield.
I am only Licensed in CA, and I don't advise for out of state stuff.
Write a fair few "Travel Policies", every year via GeoBlue, including for our family when they/we travel.
The Medivac clause is HUGE!
Whatever anyone does, make sure you have that!


By birth, I am a Brit, and still have that passport, so technically, I could access the NHS in Europe when I am there, but the American system is better in my opinion if you are insured.

One side note, that many people don't know or understand is that if you have an HMO, or EPO, it DOES NOT TRAVEL...
ER only in most cases, apart from that, you will be paying out of pocket.

 

[DavidM]

Goldkey:

Thanks for that warning. Even non HMO or EPO systems have a network that often doesn't cross state lines. See post #5 for an example of the vagaries of the US health system.

David

 

[Goldkey]

In California, the "Blue" networks are split up.
Blue Shield, and Anthem(Blue Cross everywhere else).
They compete against each other, and I regularly move clients between the two for $ and network reasons.
EPO networks are specific, and do not have "Out of Network" Benefits.
Kaiser Permanente is a a large HMO network, but is not in many states, aside from Ca, but Hawaii is one...


Its interesting for sure.