Health Insurance for Early Retirees

Early retirees who leave the workforce before becoming eligible for Medicare coverage are among the largest groups of uninsured Americans.  Early retiree access to health insurance is especially important to professional fire fighters because they retire earlier than those in other occupations. Not only do fire fighters often lose their health insurance when they retire, they also find it more difficult than other Americans to purchase affordable health insurance because of health ailments associated with the occupation.

Several legislative proposals have been introduced in recent years to give early retirees more health insurance options.  One such proposal, the Medicare Early Access Act, would give individuals ages 55 to 64 the option to purchase Medicare coverage. 

For more information about proposed legislation to address early retiree access to health care, click here:  Fact Sheet  

Learn more about why expanding health insurance options for early retirees is critical for our nation's fire fighters:  Key Points