Health insurance for "gap" before Medicare
 

Any recommendations for insurance plans age 60 - 65? I just want basic emergency room, hospital. I'm in good health so would pay out of pocket for office visit if I need to go in.

Thanks!

Wow. Good luck. You also need insurance for surgery, treatment, and drugs. The hospital will only keep you for a few days and then release you.

I was in this predicament starting at age 52 when I retired from employment supplying me with health insurance. I found a Blue Cross high deductible policy. Initially the premiums weren't bad but they got higher every year. Today I would maybe opt for a $10,000 deductible. Fortunately I never had to use the policy. I was relieved when I hit 65 and got on Medicare with AARP supplemental policies.

My stepson uses Florida Blue which has a lot of plans, they may have something that would work for you. Also I have seen ads on television for this type of coverage, but i have not paid attention to these so I do not recall any details except it was a very low or 0$ deductible.....

Thank you so much for this info!!

I will check them out, thanks!!

You might be looking for "hospital indemnity insurance." You have to submit the claim, and rather than the company paying the hospital, they cut a check to you. And you're still on the hook for the hospital bill(s).

There's also critical illness insurance.

These are intended to be supplemental plans, on top of normal health insurance (non-Medicare). But it might be less expensive to just get a normal health insurance plan, that covers more, with high deductibles and co-pays.

Being "in good health" doesn't mean a darned thing. You could be in good health and discover that you have skin cancer, which can be VERY expensive to treat, and is /not/ an emergency that a hospital insurance plan would cover. Out of pocket consultation, biopsies, diagnosis, surgery, further testing to make sure they got it all, antibiotics and ointments, follow-up visits to remove the stitches, can cost upward to around $8000. And that's for just ONE malignant melanoma spot. Then you have to go back every few months because once you get one, you're at a much higher risk for more. Now, you're out $8000, and you start limping, and go to the doctor to find out why. Boom. Severe arthritis that you've been ignoring for years, has just informed you that you need a hip replacement. That's a $25,000 surgery, not at a hospital, not a critical illness, not an emergency, and not including the scans and MRIs and consultations, which will set you back another $5-10k without insurance.

If you're wealthy enough that you don't have to worry about mundane or other complex non-emergency medical expenses, then you probably can afford to not have hospital insurance. You're much more likely to need mundane non-emergency health care than you are to need emergency health care at your age.

healthcare.gov is the place. Go to the Florida Blue office about 1/4 mile behind CVS ( 466) on the left side in the strip mall. See Samantha Gump and she will enroll you.

Good luck is right!
 

From my 25 years in the health insurance industry, I know that this age range is the most expensive range from an underwriting standpoint. Claim experience during those ages is through the roof and, regardless of your personal health, insurance rates are set reflective of the collective claims for the entire group. That's why employer groups cringe as their employees enter their mid 50s and are moving toward not offering pre and post retirement insurance.

Personal hospital indemnity coverage may make you feel better initially, but hospitals and specialists may not accept the payment arrangements of the plan and may not apply the "contracted discounts" that other health insurers offer. Then, in a few years when the parts really start to wear out, insurance companys will consider you next to un-insurable and if you find one that will accept you, your premiums will rival paying off the national debt.

My advice is to contact a few trusted, reputable agencies (remember that these folks get paid commissions for selling specific policies - just the way the system works) and discuss your dilemma. I would find something to get you into the system and develop a plan going forward. HMOs are likely the most inexpensive options, but there are likely dozens of others. SHINE deals with Medicare eligible folks, but may be able to make suggestions to get you on your way too.

Healthcare.gov is obama care. You can get a decent policy with blue cross. BUT, the subsidy provided is tied to your income for the year. And that is income from both spouses. Do your research, many ins and outs. And you have to guess your income because it is calculated to future income in the next year. Totally a messed up system. But, it does help bridge the gap.

Look into health sharing plans like Medishare or Zion. Zion caps your out of pocket expense to $1,000 per incident. Like you, I am in good health and needed gap coverage from age 57 to 65. These plans worked great for both me and my wife. They are essentially catastrophic plans, but they are not insurance. I have a friend whose spouse developed serious cancer while covered by Zion and they paid the entire bill which was hundreds of thousands. The premium is about $300/month per person. Don't rush it, but you'll be 65 before you know it!

It means squat if you are in good shape or not. If you go out of your house, then anything can happen. I had a friend do some gardening and got bit by something and they almost had to amputate his leg. Do you play sports? I knew a guy who pitched and got hit by a line drive and had to get a specialist to rebuild his face. You can get bit by an animal, hit by a biker/golf cart, by a tennis racquet/pickleball paddle.
You are only in good shape until you aren’t, then it’s too late.
I never understood high deductible plans either, you are trying to save money but in the long run it could cost you more.

We have an ACA ( Obamacare ) plan thru Blue cross with really high deductible. We like it. Contact Samantha Gump at BCBS

I went with United Health Care. I chose an accident policy and a hospitalization policy for a reasonable price.

I am 57 and have had Florida Blue for 7 years. Higher deductible