Planning Health Insurance for the Retirement "Insurance Gap"

As we age, it’s quite common to have medical issues that need to be tended to. But if we don’t have the insurance to cover such ailments and issues, then these ailments often go untreated.

People aged 55 to 65 reach the ages when they are either ready to retire, have already retired or are increasingly asked to retire. This decision often comes without the individuals being able to have a say-so. If they don’t other full-time jobs that have benefits (which is easier said than done), they have what’s called an “insurance gap.” And while COBRA often helps out, it only lasts a set number of months and is expensive.

This is an area that goes unnoticed by public officials—and it doesn’t seem to be covered at all by health insurance goals of the current presidential candidates. If something happens to a retiree who is under 65 years old, there’s little that can be done regarding health insurance coverage. They’re left to wait until they turn the magical 65 before they can be covered by Medicare if they can’t afford the pricey gap coverage offered by large insurance corporations.

Retirement-to-65 Transition Insurance Plan Needed

A plan needs to be put into place that either requires large employers to insure older employees at least through the age of 65 or that requires health insurance companies to offer such coverage to workers who are retired but under 65 at a less-expensive price than normally to compensate for their typical lack of income.

Such a proposal should be included in any candidate’s universal health care insurance plan and should not be forgotten about, as so much emphasis is placed on the coverage of the working class and younger non-workers.