I love getting and answering questions. This week I received a question from a reader of my “Weekend Reading on Your Federal Benefits” newsletter named Roberta who said: I was chatting with a coworker today about some of our colleagues taking early retirement. One of the things we are not clear on is what these early retirees will do for healthcare until they are eligible for Medicare. Will they be able to continue their current discounted coverage, or will they have to fill in the gap with private insurance? Let's look at their options.