According to www.healthcare.gov, a 62-year-old couple would pay $2,102 per month for an insurance plan with a deductible of $10,400 (which is in addition to the monthly premiums). Before, you have a heart attack (and have to use your health insurance!), I’d like to show you how these premiums can be reduced to less than $500 per month (or lower) with some advanced planning.

The Premium Tax Credit is only available for insurance policies purchased through the Marketplace (which can be found at www.healthcare.gov for Wisconsin residents). The amount of the credit is based on the number of people in your household and your household income. For example, a two person household would qualify for the Premium Tax Credit if their income is less than $67,640.

The credit itself is based on a formula so the lower your income, the higher the credit. The couple paying $2,102 per month in premiums would receive a credit of $1,658 resulting in a net cost of $444 with an annual income of $60,000. If their income was $45,000, the net cost would drop to $284 per month.

The credit has nothing to do with how much you may have in investment or retirement accounts, which creates an opportunity to rely on certain assets to minimize your income. So while you might not think you could cover all your expenses with $45,000 to $60,000 per year of income, consider drawing from savings accounts or other non-retirement assets that don’t generate taxable income. Another option would be to withdraw money from your Roth IRA which is treated as tax-free income.