After working for over 30 years and earning health care under my pension, it appears that I will be losing my health care benefits at the end of this year. The pension fund has filed a lawsuit based on the fact that health care befefits are part of retirement benefits and earned retirements benefits can not be diminished  or impaired. I an not optimistic that the pension find will win this lawsuit. Bottom line, since I am 62 and not eligible for Medicare, I will be forced to purchase private health care in the market place. I looked at Obama Care and it is a disaster with high premiums and a high out of pocket expense. I am looking for an international health care program that will cover me in Thailand and in the U.S.. I would be interested if anyone has come across a private health care plan that they consider reasonable and good value for their money.

  

  

Looking myself. the so called Affordable Health Care Act is a joke. Should be Called the Unaffordable Health Care Act.

The way I understand it is that retirement benefits that are part of a pension can not be arbitrarily reduced , except in the situation where the fund is under bankruptcy and any adjustments are made under the supervision of the bankruptcy court.  And even in such case most pension funds are insured under the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. 

So I would not panic as of yet,

My understanding is that changes to the retirement fund can be made upon voting of the membership to insure the future viability of the fund, but that such changes are not retroactive and would only affect  those joining in the future.

THIS IS ONLY MY UNDERSTANDING. As someone that could find himself in a similar situation in the future, I could stand a better education on the subject.

I am now 59 years old, and plan to retire at 62. My insurance will not cover me in Thailand and any insurance I purchase in Thailand would not cover preexisting conditions, and become prohibitively expensive as old age advances.

So I plan to follow this Thread with interest.  

7 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Looking myself. the so called Affordable Health Care Act is a joke. Should be Called the Unaffordable Health Care Act.

 

Why do you expect a free ride? If you feel it is too expensive then by all means go and purchase an alternative option. You have three options don't you?

1. private health care

2. no insurance with payment of the   small penalty that covers the costs of those who are uninsured and end up receiving  free healthcare from state hospitals.

3. be part of an exempt group who already have their own plans  such as veterans, or  state reciprocals,  natives and those who  are poor and are  therefore personal tax exempt.

 

An insurance policy is a transfer of risk. You are entering into a contract where  a third party will assume the risk subject to a cost. If you believe that your risk is small then retain your risk. Don't buy insurance.  In case you missed it, health care is  expensive in the USA. That's not the fault of the ACA, but is the way America operates. If you think the 1 million+ US citizens who have heart attacks or strokes ebvery year can be treated for  under $695, then by all means self insure. Unfortunately, that medical care easily exceeds $250,000 per patient. If you think you can   carry the costs of the typical  cancer treatment  that is in excess of $100,000, then by all means you go right ahead and do that. Apparently, over  1 million US  citizens cannot and the government  is obliged to pay.

 

A post containing an offensive hyperbolic image has been removed. 

 

Moving this to the Home Country forum for discussion.