Paperback
Health Insurance for the Solo Early Retiree
The years between your last paycheck and Medicare are the expensive ones, and a household of one has no second plan to fall back on. This book prices the options rather than describing them.
- ✓The Marketplace plan by plan, COBRA and when it's worth it, and the short-term traps
- ✓How premium tax credits work now, and what changed for 2026
- ✓A fill-in MAGI worksheet you run on your own numbers, and what counts toward it
- ✓Six solo scenarios worked end to end, with the math shown step by step
- ✓A year-by-year plan to 65, the enrollment windows, and the handoff to Medicare
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The gap nobody warns you about
You retired early — now you have to insure yourself until Medicare, alone
Leaving work before 65 means leaving employer health coverage behind, and if you're a household of one there's no spouse's plan to fall back on. The years between early retirement and Medicare are where a lot of careful plans quietly spring a leak — a single wrong move on income or enrollment can cost you thousands in premiums or lost subsidies. This book is the plain-English guide to crossing that gap on your own.
It's written specifically for the solo early retiree: one person, one income, no fallback plan. Instead of generic advice, it walks through your real options — the Marketplace, COBRA, and how the 2026 subsidy rules actually work — and shows you how the choices fit together year by year until you reach 65.
Why it matters
Watch: could a health scare undo your plan?
The gap before Medicare is where a lot of early retirements come apart — especially if you're single. You can bridge those years on purpose, with confidence, instead of by guessing.
- ✓ What coverage actually costs before 65
- ✓ Bridge the gap on purpose — not by guessing
- ✓ Captioned · 25 sec · watch right here
The part most guides skip
The MAGI control game — the lever that quietly sets your premium
For an early retiree, your Modified Adjusted Gross Income doesn't just affect your taxes — it decides how much help you get paying for coverage, and one dollar over a threshold can cost you thousands. The book breaks down how MAGI is calculated, where the 2026 cliffs sit, and the levers you actually control, with six worked case studies and a fill-in Solo MAGI worksheet so you can run your own numbers.
Six worked case studies insideWhat you'll work through
What's inside — your real options, in depth
Your coverage options
- The Marketplace, plan by plan
- COBRA — when it's worth it
- Bridging gaps and short-term traps
The 2026 subsidy rules
- How premium tax credits work now
- Where the income cliffs sit
- What changed for 2026
The MAGI control game
- What counts toward your income
- Levers you actually control
- A fill-in Solo MAGI worksheet
Six worked case studies
- Real solo-retiree scenarios
- The math, step by step
- What each one should do
Your timeline to 65
- A year-by-year plan
- Enrollment windows you can't miss
- The handoff to Medicare
Built for a household of one
- No spouse's plan assumed
- One income, one decision-maker
- Written to you, not a family
What readers say
“If you are retired and cannot yet get Medicare, this book is for you!”
If you retire early to enjoy yourself, health insurance can be an issue. This book helps you understand how to bridge the gap until Medicare is available. This book is aimed at single people that have done all the hard work to retire before 65 years old but now need medical coverage for this gap. This is a practical guide that provides a wealth of information so that you do not overpay. The first part of the book explains the landscape and the options, while the second part of the book talks strategy. The third part of the book gets into the execution year-by-year so you can make it to 65 successfully and with some money in your pockets. This book is short and does not need to be read cover-to-cover but can be used as a resource and a guide, so grab your copy.
Theresa, Amazon reader · Jul 2026
“Good book for discussing health options”
This is a good book for solo retirees who do not have access to a partner's/spouse benefits. Explains the rules of the IRS and healthcare in simple language. Discusses COBRA, HSA and other options. Highly recommend for those who do not understand all the complicated jargon.
Love, Amazon reader · Jul 2026
“Very informative and detailed”
Wow, this book is packed with useful information and detailed explanations. It even gives many real life scenarios to assist the reader in making the correct derision on the insurance options. I would highly recommend it.
Audrey, Amazon reader · Jul 2026
Good to know
Common questions
What are my health insurance options before Medicare?
Four, realistically: an ACA Marketplace plan, COBRA from the job you left, a spouse's plan, or going without and paying cash. For a household of one there is no spouse's plan, which is why this book compares the two that are left, plan by plan, and says when COBRA is genuinely the cheaper answer — it sometimes is, and usually isn't.
Is COBRA or a Marketplace plan cheaper if I retire early?
Usually the Marketplace, because a premium tax credit follows your income and COBRA doesn't — COBRA charges you the whole group premium plus an administrative fee, the share your employer used to pay included. COBRA wins in specific cases: a deductible you've already met mid-year, a drug or specialist only your old network covers, and short gaps. Six worked case studies do the math, and the free calculator runs your own numbers.
How does my income affect my ACA subsidy after I retire?
Your premium tax credit is set by your modified adjusted gross income for the year, not by what you used to earn — which means an early retiree controls it in a way a salaried worker never could. Which withdrawals you take, from which account, in which year, moves the number. The book calls it the MAGI control game and gives you a fill-in worksheet; the free ACA Subsidy Calculator shows what each choice costs before you commit to it.
Do I need to read the whole thing, or can I just run my numbers?
Both work. There's a free Health Insurance & ACA Subsidy Calculator that compares COBRA against a Marketplace plan year-by-year to Medicare, with 2026 subsidies built in — start there for the numbers, then use the book to understand the options in depth and make the call.
Is the information current for 2026?
Yes — the book is built around the 2026 subsidy and income-cliff rules, which changed meaningfully for early retirees. Because tax and health-insurance rules change, treat it as an educational guide and confirm current figures with the official source or a professional before you file or enroll.
Is this financial or tax advice?
No. It's an educational guide written to help you understand your options and ask better questions — not financial, tax, or legal advice. Size any decision with a fiduciary or CPA. It's published under the pen name M. E. Hart.
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Free Tool
See your numbers before you buy
Use our free Health Insurance & ACA Subsidy Calculator to compare COBRA against a Marketplace plan year-by-year to Medicare — with 2026 subsidies and the income cliff built in. Then this book walks you through every option in depth.
Open the free calculator →More free tools: Medicare Enrollment Calendar · Senior Discounts · Brain Games
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Start getting retirement in order — one simple checklist at a time
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- What to gather
- What to update
- What to share with family
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