Are you planning to work past the age of 65?

You aren't alone. A study by the American Enterprise Institute shows that the average retirement age in the United States rose from 62.6 to 65.6 between 1991 and 2022. With the recent Social Security age requirement increases to be fully vested in retirement benefits, workers are seeing an increased incentive to work longer while covered by their employer-sponsored health insurance plan.

But is that the most cost-effective option? Not always, according to Teresa Jones, Medicare manager at AAA Western and Central New York. "It's no surprise that the cost of health insurance is going up. It's an expensive benefit for employers to offer, and it's also costing workers more out of their paychecks," Jones said. "Not just from a premium perspective, but in most cases, employer-sponsored plans have a deductible that must be met up front before you get to pay lower out-of-pocket copays."

Choosing your best course of action may seem daunting, but AAA's licensed insurance agents can handle the Medicare math for you while connecting you with trusted Medicare carriers, including:

• Aetna®
• Anthem (Empire BlueCross BlueShield)
• CDPHP (Capital District Physicians' Health Plan Inc.)
• Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
• Highmark® Blue Cross Blue Shield Western New York
• Highmark® Blue Shield Northeastern New York
• Humana
• Independent Health
• MVP Health Care
• SilverScript (now part of Aetna Medicare)
• UnitedHealthcare (including AARP)
• Univera® Healthcare
• Wellcare™

Before making any decisions about when to retire or enroll in Medicare, turn to a AAA Medicare licensed agent. Count on their expertise to help you make the best decision for your health and financial needs.

AAA Medicare