[ssmith]

Hi to all you Villagers. Enjoy reading all of your postings (except the political one). I feel like I know many of you already...you all seem so fun.

I have a question.

First want to explain that we have visitted x2 and have come for the Life Style Preview. We are totally convinced this is where we want to be. We have a problem in that if we retire now we won't collect Social security yet. This becomes a problem related to Health Insurance Coverage.

Has anyone found a health insurance that is reasonable per month? with good coverage? We don't have any health related problems other than my husband has a h/o high B/P controlled by medicine.

We could continue to work once we are there but prefer not to. Also would guess jobs with benefits are limited.

[chuckinca]

Welcome to TOTV!

We also need insurance and a good paying job with bennies. In the mean time we'll continue in the salt mines for a few more years.


.

Not knowing your situation I'll let you know what worked for us. My wife was a year away from her retirement pension and many years from early Social Security at 62. With retirement came health insurance for which she would pay a mandated share of the cost. We went to the employer and suggested a win-win situation. My wife would take a 1 year leave of absence at no pay and would pay the full-cost of her health insurance for that year. At the end of the year she would return to retire. The employer could then hire a new employee fresh out of college for about 40% of what they would have paid my wife with her 32 years on the job. Everyone was happy with the deal. Thinking out of the box worked for us!

It is my understanding that the employer liked the idea so much that they later offered it to others as an incentive for early retirement with no direct cost to the company.

[texasfal]

Sear Ssmith,

I'm 52 and my husband's 56. We've been here for 5 years. Luckily my husband's retirement includes health insurance for the both of us for less than $500 per month. Don't plan on getting jobs here with benefits. They don't exist. I worked in TV full-time as a paralegal for 4 years and quit last May. Then the market tanked and we figured I'd better start working again. I started looking for a job last Sept. Initially I looked in TV then branched out into Ocala, Leesburg, Wildwood, Tavares, etc. Now I'd settled for a part-time minimum wage job here in TV, but after 6 interviews where I was told I was great but the interviewer had 6-14 more people to interview I've about given up. The Golf Management System HR department told me they get 400+ applications a month. Sooo, my response is procure insurance before you come down here. Sorry to sound so discouraging.

[Number 6]

You can purhcase health insurance here. Some agencies sell BCBS of Florida. You can also contact them directly. If you currently have "credible" coverge they will waive the pre existing conditions clause. There is also COBRA to consider. Your current employer has to offer their coverage to you for 18 months. The government is currently picking up 65% of the cost.
Yes, jobs with benefits are not easy, but not impossible. It took a few months, but both my wife and I found employment (with excellent benefits). It just depends on what skills you offer. If you are, say an RN, I expect you could get employment.
Keep the dream alive.