If you plan to retire early, health care is a huge problem in the United States. Most of us get health insurance through our employer. What if you retire early? How do you get health insurance? My initial plan was to get health insurance through Healthcare.gov (ACA). However, the Republican Party passed a bill that did not extend the ACA premium tax credit. Premiums for most ACA policies are expected to increase by about 75% next year. That's not good.
I checked out health care. That's not cheap. Increased growth by 75%, and we will pay nearly $3,000 in health insurance in 2026. Damn it!
Fortunately, Mrs. RB40 worked long enough to qualify for (reduced) pensions, and she retired earlier this year. This means we can keep her employer-sponsored health insurance. This was a huge win for us. This year, we pay about $650 a month. Next year, prices will rise, but should not be 75%. Wow, we are lucky.
It's not Wimp who gets older
Health insurance is a big problem, but getting old is a real problem. Mrs. RB40 and I are relatively healthy now, but we will have more problems in the future. We can see it with our parents.
Mrs. RB40 will visit her parents for a month. Her father has liquidity problems and has fallen recently. He has health insurance through his pension. But his primary care physician moved, and the earliest appointment he could get was in January. Mrs. RB40 will try to make an appointment while she is in town. If she can't, she will take him to the doctor urgently. He has other health issues that I don't want to share here. Even if you have health insurance, it is not easy to find a good doctor due to a nationwide shortage. They live in a small town near Palm Springs, and the shortage in rural areas is even worse.
Mrs. RB40's mom is healthier, but she also has some problems. She hit her head a few years ago (falling in the dry pool), and now she can’t see too much of her left eye. They divorced and lived separately. Now that Mrs. RB40 is retired, she plans to spend more time there. Her parents need more help. That's why we planned to move to California after our son finished high school. Her mother also has health insurance for her pension.
My dad is also dealing with some health issues. Suddenly, his left leg could not bear the weight. We really don't know why. He has gout and occasionally opens, but that's the knee. This is not a problem. He lives in Thailand, where they have public health care. He went to the hospital, but they didn't know what the problem was. They will have an MRI next week and do more tests. Additionally, he has high PSA levels and he was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is following up on this, too. Cancer sounds frightening, but prostate cancer usually slows down. There are many treatments. I hope.
My mom suffers from dementia and died in 2023. I still miss her.
It's not Wim that gets older. We need to exercise and eat healthier when we are young. We need more travel and then go see everything we wanted to see in the 50s and 60s. Traveling is more difficult when you are older. I'm glad we achieved financial independence and were able to retire early. Life is short. You need to enjoy it when you are young and healthy.
OK, that's what I got today. Are you planning to retire early? What is your healthcare plan?
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