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When do you plan to retire and first trip

Passepartout

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Yeah, seems very similar, just smaller pool.

If my ship comes in, I could see going the Concierge route but I don't think that is in the cards for me.
Yep. And by having no preventatives and tests covered by the group and having a high deductible, they sidestep the rules under ACA. It has no appeal to me, but as a 'bridge' while a relatively healthy retiree waits to qualify for Medicare, it might beat no coverage at all.
 

WinniWoman

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How is 'medical sharing' different than traditional insurance. With insurance, the premiums collected from healthy subscribers pays the bills of those with claims. Isn't that 'sharing' the risk among a large pool?

It's cheaper.
 

VacationForever

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Health sharing co-op members share similar values for healthy living, and some are affiliated with Christian groups. Lower administrative costs, healthier members and high deductibles. When I looked at these plans, they cost $160 to $220 per month.
 

easyrider

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For those that retired from a rewarding career did you end up missing the energy and successes you had?

Did you feel differently 3 months, 6 months after you retired?

Yes. I really missed my business. I started my business in 1980 and was at the top of the game when I quit. I'm still missing it but have found other things to keep me busy. It is odd to me that I find satisfaction in tasks as simple as mowing the lawn. I use to make fun of my father in law after he retired and started gardening. I get it now, lol.

Bill
 

controller1

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Yes. I really missed my business. I started my business in 1980 and was at the top of the game when I quit. I'm still missing it but have found other things to keep me busy. It is odd to me that I find satisfaction in tasks as simple as mowing the lawn. I use to make fun of my father in law after he retired and started gardening. I get it now, lol.

Bill

Funny you should say that. Every few weeks I would take an afternoon off and would be asked what I was going to do. I would remark "mow the lawn". People thought I was crazy. In my field of expertise there were so many decisions that I would make each day that would take 10-20 years before I would know if it had been a good decision. I received immediate satisfaction from mowing the lawn!
 

geekette

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Funny you should say that. Every few weeks I would take an afternoon off and would be asked what I was going to do. I would remark "mow the lawn". People thought I was crazy. In my field of expertise there were so many decisions that I would make each day that would take 10-20 years before I would know if it had been a good decision. I received immediate satisfaction from mowing the lawn!
Similar yet different. Most of my work product via career was intangible. I am appreciating hands-on creative arts for getting to see and feel the results of my work. Lawn and garden care is similar - I can see it and it feels good to make it look good. Yes, more satisfaction in toiling for my own life than there ever was in a job.
 

DaveNV

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Similar yet different. Most of my work product via career was intangible. I am appreciating hands-on creative arts for getting to see and feel the results of my work. Lawn and garden care is similar - I can see it and it feels good to make it look good. Yes, more satisfaction in toiling for my own life than there ever was in a job.

Im looking forward to retiring just so I CAN take on yardwork and gardening. I have a self-written honey do list of home projects I want to tackle, but that have been too much to want to take on while working full time.

Dave
 
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Steve Fatula

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How is 'medical sharing' different than traditional insurance. With insurance, the premiums collected from healthy subscribers pays the bills of those with claims. Isn't that 'sharing' the risk among a large pool?

For profit vs no profit is the main difference. Thus, while coverage differences do exist, sharing is typically way cheaper premium wise. Early last year, two of us had identical rotator cuff surgeries. My friend, with insurance (ACA) was out around 30 grand (including premiums). I, with health sharing, was out $2,500 including premiums for the year. His premiums were vastly higher than mine. But my part of the surgery was $500 (annual deductible and 0% copay after that), and that included physical therapy. I was therefore extremely pleased I did not have an ACA plan.

Now, that's one example, and people with expensive prescriptions are typically not candidates unless something like GoodRx is cheap for same medications, which happens sometimes. Definitely takes some care to research and figure out. Most things are covered under sharing, but, maintenance prescriptions are the biggest non covered. And that's a non starter for some.
 
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Steve Fatula

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Yep. And by having no preventatives and tests covered by the group and having a high deductible, they sidestep the rules under ACA. It has no appeal to me, but as a 'bridge' while a relatively healthy retiree waits to qualify for Medicare, it might beat no coverage at all.

Hmm, what tests are you speaking of? I've had many tests covered. They are not sidestepping, in fact, they were part of the final law and in the discussion when it was crafted. Perhaps different companies do it differently.

For me, my choice is/was ~$800/month for far worse ACA coverage, or, just over $200/month for much better coverage. But every situation is different for sure. I have yet to have any situation that was medical and not covered.
 

Passepartout

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Hmm, what tests are you speaking of? I've had many tests covered. They are not sidestepping, in fact, they were part of the final law and in the discussion when it was crafted. Perhaps different companies do it differently.

For me, my choice is/was ~$800/month for far worse ACA coverage, or, just over $200/month for much better coverage. But every situation is different for sure. I have yet to have any situation that was medical and not covered.
I'm happy that it works for you. I have not needed to check what's available where I live. My Medicare Advantage is in the $200/mo neighborhood and has covered me through heart & lung disease, skin cancers, DWs leukemia & chemo drugs that are $5,000 a month and she'll be on as long as she lives. Mine works for me and apparently you're happy with yours. Keep traveling and enjoy the bounty. Life is good!

Jim
 

MOXJO7282

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Funny you should say that. Every few weeks I would take an afternoon off and would be asked what I was going to do. I would remark "mow the lawn". People thought I was crazy. In my field of expertise there were so many decisions that I would make each day that would take 10-20 years before I would know if it had been a good decision. I received immediate satisfaction from mowing the lawn!
I was just saying to a friend that I'm an odd ball and like yard work and have done all my own for 26 years of home ownership. That is all the mowing and trimming, gardening and every leaf picked up over that time. To me it's work that gets you outside, saves you alot of money and the visual satisfaction of a nicely manicured lawn really is something i enjoy accomplishing. Just in from 3 hours today of backyard clean up.
 

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For profit vs no profit is the main difference. Thus, while coverage differences do exist, sharing is typically way cheaper premium wise. Early last year, two of us had identical rotator cuff surgeries. My friend, with insurance (ACA) was out around 30 grand (including premiums). I, with health sharing, was out $2,500 including premiums for the year. His premiums were vastly higher than mine. But my part of the surgery was $500 (annual deductible and 0% copay after that), and that included physical therapy. I was therefore extremely pleased I did not have an ACA plan.

Now, that's one example, and people with expensive prescriptions are typically not candidates unless something like GoodRx is cheap for same medications, which happens sometimes. Definitely takes some care to research and figure out. Most things are covered under sharing, but, maintenance prescriptions are the biggest non covered. And that's a non starter for some.

actually the difference for religious health sharing ministries is more than "profit" vs "no profit"

"when it was time to pay the bills, they learned that the products they bought through health care sharing ministry (HCSM) — faith-based co-ops in which members agree to pay one another’s medical bills weren’t insurance at all — and that the cost of their care wasn’t covered."

https://khn.org/news/sham-sharing-ministries-test-faith-of-patients-and-insurance-regulators/
 

Steve Fatula

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I'm happy that it works for you. I have not needed to check what's available where I live. My Medicare Advantage is in the $200/mo neighborhood and has covered me through heart & lung disease, skin cancers, DWs leukemia & chemo drugs that are $5,000 a month and she'll be on as long as she lives. Mine works for me and apparently you're happy with yours. Keep traveling and enjoy the bounty. Life is good!

Jim

The main use of a sharing or aca plan is pre medicare, was not suggesting it is for Medicare eligible folks. I am not Medicare age yet, and therefore am in need of some type of health insurance. For early retirees who have no company insurance benefits, were self employed, etc., that gap can be very expensive and prevent one from retiring early. It most certainly would have caused me to work longer, instead, I was able to retire well before Medicare age, which definitely makes life good as you mentioned. Those are who my information was intended for, thought you were one of those by your comment.
 

Steve Fatula

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actually the difference for religious health sharing ministries is more than "profit" vs "no profit"

"when it was time to pay the bills, they learned that the products they bought through health care sharing ministry (HCSM) — faith-based co-ops in which members agree to pay one another’s medical bills weren’t insurance at all — and that the cost of their care wasn’t covered."

https://khn.org/news/sham-sharing-ministries-test-faith-of-patients-and-insurance-regulators/

i have debunked your information previously. I understand you are very much against this product, that's fine. Keep trying to tell me it doesn't work for me and many others, lol. I feel you do a great dis-service though for those who cannot possibly pay absurd ACA rates.

In this example, an organization claimed it was something it was not. That does not in any way have anything to do with health sharing being bad. It has to do with a company mis-representing itself. I have always maintained the product is not for everyone. But neither is any specific medical plan either. And it's not difficult to find thousands of examples of insurance companies who do not serve their members, deny claims, etc. But that doesn't mean go without insurance either, does it?
 
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Brett

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i have debunked your information previously. I understand you are very much against this product, that's fine. Keep trying to tell me it doesn't work for me and many others, lol. I feel you do a great dis-service though for those who cannot possibly pay absurd ACA rates.

In this example, an organization claimed it was something it was not. That does not in any way have anything to do with health sharing being bad. It has to do with a company mis-representing itself. I have always maintained the product is not for everyone. But neither is any specific medical plan either.

the previous "debunking" !!

even the Wall Street Journal cautions against religious health sharing
https://www.wsj.com/articles/groups...-drawing-more-membersand-scrutiny-11560177134

.
"Then came the financial shock: about $50,000 in medical bills and it was ineligible for treatment under the ministry’s guidelines."
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/christian-health-ministry-obamacare_n_5a9d66fee4b0a0ba4ad6754b
 

Steve Fatula

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the previous "debunking" !!

even the Wall Street Journal cautions against religious health sharing
https://www.wsj.com/articles/groups...-drawing-more-membersand-scrutiny-11560177134

.
"Then came the financial shock: about $50,000 in medical bills and it was ineligible for treatment under the ministry’s guidelines."
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/christian-health-ministry-obamacare_n_5a9d66fee4b0a0ba4ad6754b

Brett, I understand you have a problem with one of the words in "religious health sharing". As you should realize, there is zero point to saying I have an article that says it's bad, but another has an article that says it is good. Surely you realize this is just like political arguments, no? You are welcome to believe all the bad news you want, I certainly don't mind. It's useful for people to hear competing views of course. There are plenty of counter articles, but it's a pointless exercise. Only bad articles count for you as you want to believe as you do. Unlike you, I have extensive experience and am an actual user too, and, am aware of many folks in various such programs. So, instead of saying I'm right you're wrong, let's just leave it at that.

To me, an almost perfect match is timeshare discussions or "news". You have a very large vocal group of people, media, etc. in this world that say how terrible timeshares are. And, you have many if not most Tuggers who would claim otherwise. You will (almost) never convince the naysayers they are wrong. And they will continue on. But that's ok. They do serve some purpose and hopefully at a minimum cause people to be more vigilant.
 
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Brett

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Brett, I understand you have a problem with one of the words in "religious health sharing". As you should realize, there is zero point to saying I have an article that says it's bad, but another has an article that says it is good. Surely you realize this is just like political arguments, no? You are welcome to believe all the bad news you want, I certainly don't mind. It's useful for people to hear competing views of course. There are plenty of counter articles, but it's a pointless exercise. Only bad articles count for you as you want to believe as you do. Unlike you, I have extensive experience and am an actual user too, and, am aware of many folks in various such programs. So, instead of saying I'm right you're wrong, let's just leave it at that.

To me, an almost perfect match is timeshare discussions or "news". You have a very large vocal group of people, media, etc. in this world that say how terrible timeshares are. And, you have many if not most Tuggers who would claim otherwise. You will (almost) never convince the naysayers they are wrong. And they will continue on. But that's ok. They do serve some purpose and hopefully at a minimum cause people to be more vigilant.

... fake news media ... "political arguments" ...


yes, people should be vigilant

https://www.wsj.com/articles/groups...-drawing-more-membersand-scrutiny-11560177134
https://khn.org/news/sham-sharing-ministries-test-faith-of-patients-and-insurance-regulators/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/christian-health-ministry-obamacare_n_5a9d66fee4b0a0ba4ad6754b
 

slip

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After using timeshares over the years, I knew that I would retire to a condo and watch others do the maintenance and yard work while I watch from the lanai.:cool:
 
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bogey21

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Health sharing co-op members share similar values for healthy living, and some are affiliated with Christian groups. Lower administrative costs, healthier members and high deductibles. When I looked at these plans, they cost $160 to $220 per month.

My ex-wife came with a Son age 5 who lived with us most of the 20 years we were married. He is now roughly 50 years old, doesn't work and lives with her. Over the years I have paid for Health Insurance for him. The cost of insurance for him is getting so expensive I am considering buying a "Catastrophic Coverage" Policy from one of these Co-Ops, a well rated one. They offer $5,000 and $10,000 deductible policies that pay either 70% or 80% on everything above the deductible at a cost of somewhere around $200 to $250 per month. I need to dig into this more before I pull the trigger but there is a chance I will. I'm sure some of you will ask why I am willing to do this. The answer is simple. Number One is that because he has no income ObamaCare forces him into Medicaid which in their State in next to worthless. And Second, I can easily afford it and it helps me maintain a good relationship with my ex-wife, the Mother of our 3 kids...

George
 
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CalGalTraveler

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I wonder if it would be cheaper to buy an annual travel policy for around $600/year and travel continuously around the U.S. in Timeshares, mobile homes, or stay at your second home? Kind of like those people who live on cruise ships that find it cheaper than care facilities. I know you have to be a certain number of miles away from your primary home, but I wonder if it excludes second homes or mobile homes? If you are retired, there is no reason to stay at home.
 
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Steve Fatula

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yes, people should be vigilant

On this we agree, people should take care when making major decisions. As they should for any health insurance company they might use, and possibly a little extra. When a semi major Texas HMO went bankrupt (from memory) about 20? years ago, we had nothing but trouble from bill collectors, etc. trying to get us to pay what they did not and were obligated to pay. Your other words are not accurate, I never employed the term fake news. Biased news perhaps or maybe misleading headline news, or maybe cherry picked news, or maybe even accurate news for a specific outlier where someone messed up, fake, certainly not! I seriously doubt any specific example was made up. But I will not start posting pro articles, they are simple to find from a wide variety of publications from all persuasions. I find such discussions useless, they have infected social media for years now.

Your logic is to gloss over anything that anyone says like they paid my bill, etc. I presume that means you agree and are not disputing that. I seriously doubt you would say my friend who paid around 30 times my out of pocket for the same surgery from the same doctor at the same hospital and at the same PT office mind you, made the better choice? I assume you agree that they do help some people (at a minimum me, perhaps I am special somehow). I presume you would agree that having no insurance is likely a bad choice for the most part. I assume you would agree people with ACA insurance or pre ACA insurance have had claims denied, and articles written about it. And I assume you agree with every other point I have made that you have not explicitly countered.

I of course would agree there are bad examples as well. I will just continue to point out, you have zero experience in this area, an outsider. But, this means you are reflective of a view some or many hold. I do appreciate you are at least pointing out nothing in healthcare is simple, and when making a major change, definitely talk to people, etc.

I almost get the impression you might think I work for one of those companies, or sell, or whatever lol. Several here on TUG have met me in person, including 2 on my last trip. I think you will find I am just a person who admittedly is passionate about saving money, who actually really does do well with a health sharing company. But at a minimum, please note I have repeatedly agreed it's not for everyone.
 

VacationForever

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I wonder if it would be cheaper to buy an annual travel policy for around $600/year and travel continuously around the U.S. in Timeshares, mobile homes, or stay at your second home? Kind of like those people who live on cruise ships that find it cheaper than care facilities. I know you have to be a certain number of miles away from your primary home, but I wonder if it excludes second homes or mobile homes? If you are retired, there is no reason to stay at home.
Most travel insurance policies limit travel up to 30 days continuous.
 

VacationForever

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... fake news media ... "political arguments" ...
yes, people should be vigilant
I have met Steve and his wife. They are real people and Steve is sharing his experience with Health Sharing. You need to get over your personal bias and accept that there are legitimate health share organizations. Everyone needs to evaluate what works for them and be vigilant in whatever they select.
 
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