Ill effects

In this "Issues in Brief" paper from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, Richard W. Johnson, a research associate, examines the health insurance dilemma many Americans face when they retire. In "What Happens To Health Benefits after Retirement?" Johnson notes that "retirement often disrupts health insurance coverage." He also points out that rising care costs and an aging workforce have resulted in companies either decreasing medical coverage for future retirees or raising insurance premiums. Many retirees without health coverage from their employers are forced to wait until they become eligible for Medicare or opt to purchase private non-group insurance, which is costly. In the decades to come, Johnson says, retirees will need to invest ever–increasing proportions of their limited assets in health care coverage.