Medicare or Employer Provided Healthcare?

If you’re planning to continue your employer’s health insurance when you turn age 65 you may want to reconsider. Often Medicare can be more beneficial by providing better access to specialists, lower premiums and out of pocket costs and better coverage. How important is it to you to maximize your choices when it comes to selecting providers to address your healthcare needs? Original Medicare (Parts A&B) has no network. You are able to choose any physician or facility that accepts you as a Medicare patient, anywhere in the U.S.. Most employer plans will have a network of physicians to choose from referred to as "in-network", generally the deductible and out-of-pocket costs are much less expensive than the "out of network" costs which are in addition to the "in-network" costs. The "in-network" is specific to the plan and a geographic area that is usually no larger than the state you reside in and more likely the county or metro city you reside in. Medicare on the other hand, has no cost differential to the Medicare beneficiary (you) for treatment costs from one specialist or physician near your home or to a similar specialist or physician in another State. If you seek simplicity, transparency and flexibilty in your healthcare at this stage of your life then Medicare may be a better option for you. Camparing the overall costs of your employer plan to the overall costs of Medicare will provide more information so you are able to decide what is best for you.