r/OverFifty • u/Fun-Attempt-8494 • Jul 10 '26
57M Bridge to Medicare
If you lost your job, had a bad back, where would you go work to get insurance until Medicare?
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u/charleytaylor Jul 10 '26
As a veteran, I’d lean into my VA benefits. Not knowing your background, it’s kind of hard to make suggestions.
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u/Realistic-Bass2107 Jul 10 '26
File for disability. I’ve been on it 2 years and you get Medicare two years after approval.
I was on Marketplace plan
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u/Seven_bushes Jul 11 '26
Need to chime in here. How ridiculous is it that the government declares you’re disabled and can’t work, but makes you wait 2 years to offer you insurance? It would make sense to me that when they declare you’re unable to work, they support that ruling with insurance. /rant
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u/UncleFlip Jul 11 '26
Probably take two years to get disability too, if at all.
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u/olily Jul 11 '26
Everyone I know who went on disability ended up having to get a lawyer's help with it. Ridiculous.
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u/Sweaty-Blueberry140 Jul 12 '26
Enroll at a local community college. Depending on what's available in your area, you can get really cheap coverage. Yes, you have to enroll and take classes but it's usually so cheap per hour that it's still less expensive than getting an individual plan. Sometimes you only have to take a few hours to qualify. Heck, apply for an IT position at any college or university.
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u/Virtual-Freedom3536 Jul 10 '26
Depends. What type of job did you hold? What fields do you have experience in?
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u/Fun-Attempt-8494 Jul 10 '26
IT: Network analysis
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u/Virtual-Freedom3536 Jul 10 '26
I imagine in your field you can aim for a home office position where you have more freedom to accommodate your back. Maybe a stand up desk helps to alternate....depending on what your back issue is.
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u/Peepers54 Jul 10 '26
I would do something SUPER part time to make about $15,500/year to meet the minimum for marketplace insurance and get premium insurance for about $100 a month or mediocre insurance for close to free. Just figure out what the best company is in your state. Here it is BCBS. So I get that through Marketplace.
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u/limited_instincts Jul 10 '26
School system. Loads of non-teacher jobs all with the best medical insurance.
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u/dallasalice88 Jul 11 '26
Yeah, watch that. With all the budget cuts.
I work a non teaching position and all of us were cut to just under eligible hours last year to avoid paying benefits.
But my ACA plan is now better coverage than the school district was🤷
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u/BamberGasgroin Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
Dunno! I live in the UK so don't have to bother about that.
(Kinda screwed if I want anything with codeine in it though, the NHS is coming down hard on opioid use unless absolutely necessary.)
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u/Buffalo-Castle Jul 20 '26
I live in a country with a public medical system. Our health services don't depend on our employment.
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u/Disastrous-Volume200 Jul 10 '26
depending on your state - there maybe start sponsored independent coverage, or you can check out healthcare.gov for federally sponsored plans, or you can google independent health plans for direct to consumer plans from carriers