Health insurance transitions after retirement : did HIPAA expand coverage for retirees?

The near elderly are a vulnerable segment of the population with high-expected medical expenses. Individuals who retire before Medicare eligibility may lose employer provided health insurance, and may face a potentially costly uninsured period. We use data from the Health and Retirement Study from 1992 to 2002 to profile the insurance status of workers who retire. We also evaluate the role of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in reducing the number of uninsured among the near elderly. We find that a relatively small proportion of workers lose health insurance on retirement; however, we find no evidence that HIPAA has helped these workers to remain insured.