Choosing a health insurance plan can present some tough questions. Planning for retirement can involve a maze of complicated decisions. Put the two together, and you might feel lost.

If you’re retiring before the age of Medicare eligibility (65), you will have to decide upon some type of healthcare plan. And if your spouse is even younger than you – particularly if a large age gap exists – this issue takes on even more importance.

Luckily, you do have a few options.

Sign up for a healthcare plan through your spouse’s employer. If their company offers health insurance, this might feel like the obvious solution for both your spouse and you (since you could be covered on their plan as well, if you’re not yet 65 years old). Just remember to investigate your plan options carefully. Some employers have switched to high-deductible, lower-premium group health plan, meaning you should plan your budget to include this deductible each year.

Shop for a health insurance plan on the market. If your spouse does not work, or if their employer does not offer health insurance, they can still enroll in a policy. We can help you compare plans that will cover both of you as a couple, or just your spouse if you’re eligible for Medicare at this point.

Some couples try to go without health insurance until they reach Medicare eligibility, but we strongly recommend against taking this risk. All it takes is one serious illness or injury, and your entire retirement plan could be at stake. This is especially true if your spouse is much younger than you are; in the ten or twenty years before they’re eligible for Medicare, there will be plenty of opportunities for high medical bills.

Give us a call and we can consult with you regarding your options. For just about any need, there is a health insurance plan to match it. As your independent insurance broker, our job is to help you weigh your options and identify that plan.