MS and close to retirement
Does anyone still work but close to early retirement? I have worked 35 years at my job and will be 55 in 2 years. I feel physically it’s time to go. Work days ware me out and I have no energy left for anything else. I was diagnosed at age 29 and have continued full time work. The of course biggest issue is healthcare. I would I suppose have to purchase a healthcare plan with a large deductible in order to be able to afford the premiums. It basically be a catastrophic insurance. If I had to have surgery or something. Everything else would be out of pocket.
Has anyone else retired early? What did you do about health coverage?? Thanks in advance for your response. I want to quit while I still feel fairly well. I think I could concentrate much more on my health. Right now I am too wiped out by work to do .. anything really.
Hi
. Have you considered meeting with an insurance agent now to find out what your options are? There are so many policies and plans to choose from that it can be pretty overwhelming. You can get a pretty good policy for about $6,000 a year, but you would want to make sure that it covers the things you need, like prescriptions. That is still cheaper than paying out of pocket for surgery. You might also consider part-time work. There are some companies that provide insurance or at least access to cheaper insurance for part-time employees. I wish we had some kind of tiered system that allowed you to buy into Medicare at a reasonable cost at a younger age. You have worked so long with your MS. You deserve a good retirement. I hope you get some input from other community members who have been in your situation. Wishing you the best. - Lori (Team Member) 
Yes, I 'retired' early, but did it by SSDI. My neuro advised by to put myself and health first; we never know what is down the road for us. My symptoms definately justified me being on disability and fortunately my company had a disability plan. MS fatigue is definately a qualifying symptom. (My neuro supported me.) While my income certainly dropped, having the health care available was huge. Perhaps this is a road you can evaluate if your employer has a disability plan. Best wishes, Debbie (Team Member)
