It is one of the most discussed reasons people refuse to retire before age 65. There are plenty of reasons someone may not retire, including a lack of income, the fear of running out of money, the loss of identity, boredom, no longer having a sense of purpose. Surprisingly one of the biggest ones we encounter is health insurance. As we age, the presence of health insurance becomes just as much a necessity as income. Some view it as a higher priority, allowing insurance to dictate if/when they can retire.
You can start collecting Social Security as young as age 62 or as late as age 70. However, you can’t go on Medicare until age 65. The gap between age 62 and 65 forces a lot of pre-retirees to postpone retirement until they can go on Medicare to make sure they have adequate health insurance. But this may not have to be the case.