is particularly backwards and brutal. Chaining people to jobs to work for health care keeps them from starting their own businesses, taking innovative risks with their careers (learning something new, trying to expand horizons, etc.) and, as this study shows, getting out of the work force if they want to in order to enjoy their retirement. It's sick.

Older, highly experienced workers could make ideal independent consultants and / or entrepreneurs. They could even become "job creators".

If people don't retire, there are fewer job openings, our system just totally suckd.

He was going to retire next month, but now has to stay at his job because his blood work is looking like his leukemia has returned. He has worked hard his whole life including weekends and overtime to pay off the house and make investments toward retirement. Now he can't even consider retirement because insurance and medical costs will eat through all the carefully saved money.

To all of you in this time of crisis.

That's terrible. I'm sorry. I hope he makes a full recovery.

We all thought he was so mean he kicked it's butt.

The latest round of blood tests are just not looking good.

He receives long term disability pay from his employer but no insurance of any kind. We had to get private insurance. It is now costing us $925/month in premiums for our family of four to have medical insurance. We also still have our 20% deductible on top of that. Then there's the dental and my life insurance. He was denied life insurance. He had life insurance when he worked for a company, but when he applied to a private life insurance company he was denied. It has affected or finances dramatically. We don't spend any money on discretionary spending anymore, and I only shop for groceries when there are store sales and I have coupons. If you have to get out in the private market for insurance you are pretty much just screwed.

in most states, hefty premium support on the way

Right now I'm thinking about today and tomorrow. I can't afford to think about next year.

as a test run. It's basically Medicaid and free. Your state might have something like that and it is available now but of course tricky if you have to let go insurance to get it. I think that might be workable with the grace period most companies offer, not sure.

There is no way we would qualify for Medicaid. We make too much money. Just not enough to spend $925/month on insurance premiums.

I just got a 20% increase so I'm looking at all alternatives, just to get me to 2014. I'm afraid to do without but should since I spend so much for nothing.

effectively, if you want to switch jobs you have to be willing to go 90 days without insurance or pay the COBRA...which we couldn't afford at more than $2000 a month.

this needs to be mandated. you hire someone, you cover them. period. anything less is asking people to risk their lives and lives of their family for a job.