I’m going to probably retire in the late fall and I will have 9 months till I’m 65. I have no earthly idea how to search for Obamacare plans. I’ve been working and carrying employer provided insurance for 40 years! I hate to be so stupid, but where do I find the Obamacare plans?
For nine months, can’t you cobra your current plan?
It would be your cheapest/best option.
Agree with the above, but you should also compare your COBRA plan to an Obamacare plan. Go to www.healthcare.gov and it will direct you.
Most ACA plans are HMO-based plans. Agree that if you have a good policy you should see if you can cobra it.
Yes, I could cobra it or actually just stay on it by taking care of the premiums. What they pay plus what I pay is pretty high though, which is why I feel I should look around. Thank you for the info, VeryHappy!
VA…it’s only nine months…might be worth it.
And then you have the wonderfully confusing world of Medicare to look forward to. 
@VaBluebird The 1st thing you need to do is go to medicare.gov and see how much it will cost you to get Medicare Part B. If you plan to keep working, you can opt out or see what the Gov. would charge for Plan B. You can also shop around. Just remember, Medicare Part A is the government supplies, Part B is a requirement, you either opt out, buy it somewhere, or pay what the government bills.
You will be bombarded with mail, calls, spam, everything you can think of with companies trying to sell you their Plan B. However, it is illegal for them to contact you by phone, so you can tell them Medicare does not allow them to phone you, they will stop. You have to make a decision by the time you reach 65. I recently helped someone with this very thing, so I am familiar with it. Good Luck.
Bordertexan…vabluebird isn’t 65 yet…she has nine months until her birthday and is looking for coverage UNTIL Medicare eligible.
Check on groups you may be eligible for as well. AARP??? H is doing the Medicare thing (I get 36 months of COBRA for which we are already paying full cost through a retirement group plan he used when he retired- then I need 3 months). The case for marrying a same age person, I guess, too late now.
btw- when you do Medicare- start the process 3 months before you turn 65 to give yourself time to figure things out. You will pay according to your taxable and nontaxable income for the latest filed taxes. H’s costs will be similar to our current plan, my cousin is paying twice as much for her individual preMedicare plan in CA! At least Medicare is age and income based, not health based like so many plans. Cousin hates CA Blues. We like UnitedHealthcare- based in old state and Medicare offerings here.
Consider your current chronic health issues when considering what your new plan offers. While you are at it look at what the Medicare plans are since you will that soon as well. Looking at the charts for Medicare shows different types of coverage- such as including foreign travel health coverage et al.
So complicated but at least everyone can buy health insurance now. So many uninsurable individually in the past- even diet controlled diabetes was cause for not being able to get coverage, regardless of premium costs! One want health insurance even if “rich” for those hugely expensive potential problems- cancer, broken limbs etc. Choose the deductible based on what you think you can spare to spend.
Wis…so funny that you like anything having to do with UHC. We have had Anthem, Cigna, Aetna…and UHC…and I hated UHC totally. Just an awful company to deal with!
You noticed! With COBRA you have to pay the entire cost of your employer-paid plan, plus I think an administrative fee, so it is expensive. When I lost my job I hung onto COBRA as long as I could, just out of inertia and fear, but when I finally switched to private pay Blue Cross Blue Shield (pre-Obamacare) I wondered why I waited so long. The private policy was much cheaper. Certainly the easiest thing for you would be to stay on the complany plan. To check other options, you should be able to go to the Healthcare.gov website and see policies that are available to you. If you live in a state that has their own healthcare exchange I think the Federal site will link you to your state website.
What state are you in? The exchange plans are not all bad. Just Google “exchange” and your state. I would recommend talking to a reputable agent who can provide lots of info and answer your questions, allowing you to make an informed decision.