Assuming they confirm a justice and then declare the ACA unconstitutional...what's the plan for those of us who are FIREd and dependent on the protections and relative affordability that the ACA provides?
Getting a job with health benefits to bridge the decade until we are eligible for Medicare is a depressing thought right now...any other ideas?
This is why I affectionately tell my spouse he will be my health care sugar daddy when I retire in the next 2-3 years. He’s the one who wants to keep working! But hopefully the ACA stays intact because we may need it one day.
A working spouse is our backup plan as well. In fact, my SO has no plans to retire unless healthcare is guaranteed by his employer (which will happen in 15 years, at age 55), or the US government passes universal coverage in the form of a public option or Medicare For All.
The other alternatives that I can think of, in no particular order, are --
1. Vote in representatives that will protect and expand healthcare.
2. Plan to pony up unsubsidized rates for marketplace insurance plans.
3. Go uninsured and hope that you don't suffer a health catastrophe that bankrupts you.
4. Return to the workforce just for healthcare benefits.
5. Move to a locale with additional coverage options.
In the long term, #1 is what will solve this dilemma, but given how long the ACA has been under assault, I don't trust that a public option or Medicare For All won't be rescinded as soon as the political winds shift -- especially if the current administration succeeds in jamming another conservative onto the Supreme Court for life. It's really hard not to feel hopeless and helpless right now, especially if you'd like to retire with pre-existing conditions or a leanFIRE stash.