By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

According to “The New Retirement Study,” a report by Merrill Lynch, health insurance ranks among the top concerns of people in or entering retirement.

While some companies offer pensions or continued health benefits to their  retirees, many have recently been cutting those benefits and raising premiums. Additionally, some companies are asking retirees to pay deductibles and co-pays for the first time.

‘It’s all here’
When Harvey Dwoskin moved to Cedar Crest, in Pompton Plains, last  October, he immediately switched from Horizon BlueCross BlueShield of New Jersey to Erickson’s health insurance plan. Erickson Advantage® is a Medicare Advantage plan only available to residents of Erickson Retirement Communities.

Though he says he didn’t need to change health care providers at the time, he’s glad he did. “I recently found out that my old health insurance is now more expensive than it was when I switched,” he says. Dwoskin also started using Erickson HealthSM doctors, medical staff, and the pharmacy on campus.

“I thought it would be advantageous to have all my health care needs right where I live in case an emergency came up,” he says. “The staff is unreal as to the amount of attention they give you. And when I need to see a doctor, I’m in  and out within five, ten, or fifteen minutes, depending on what I’m there for,” he says. “You can’t find that anywhere else.”

Experts: Plan ahead
Financial planners say not enough people consider their health care costs when calculating how much money they’ll need in retirement.

“People are being put in a very difficult situation,” says Paul Fronstin, director of health research for the nonprofit Employee Benefit Research Institute in Washington, D.C. “Most don’t realize how much money it’s going to take to cover what they’ll need for out-of-pocket costs.”