No. of Recommendations: 3
For dental we have an Aetna discount card that gets us better rates at our dentists.
We used to have this but they apparently pay dentist so poorly that it became too hard to get one that was competent. Finally switched to Delta Dental, allowing us to get someone who gives good service without constantly trying to upcharge us.
If you keep your income low enough - generally easy to do in retirement*...
I had assumed this also, but not the case for us. Could be worse. DH did some consulting, which is a terrific option, and he just finished off selling his remaining stock options. We had retiree healthcare for both of us until he turned 65 and went on Medicare, leaving me to sign up for ACA for 4 years. Not as good as our insurance from work, but not terrible. Dinged up my knee and had to pay for the entire MRI and xrays, but doctor visits, even specialists only cost you a co-pay. Am not crazy about the almost $900/month payment, but it does what it is supposed to do and covers you from catastrophic events. Mine is also a bronze plan. The only thing I am less interested in than this payment is going back to work. While I don't begrudge those who get the subsidies, (well, maybe those like $$Intercst,)I do believe that the subsidies are bandaids that obscure the root problem of escalating medical costs, which will not be addressed any time soon with this bandaid on.
Be careful if you look for plans outside of the ACA. I chose ACA because of guaranteed level of coverage. The first year I signed up with a cheaper non-ACA plan, only realizing part way through that year, and too late to change to ACA, that I really was not covered for over $150K. The devil is always in the details, spelled out in non-intelligible legalese. Our son blew through twice that with a compound fracture to the tibia, and he was only 18 at the time. $150K is nothing. The "cheaper" coverage was darned expensive for what you got. I would self-insure for $150K, and at my age anything that happens is bound to cost way more.
We should have less income next year, but these are also the best years for Roth Conversions for us, pre-SS. That counts as income also. It's a bit of a toss up for which strategy is best in the long-run....other than retiring ASAP.
IP
