Hi, I am still married to my estranged husband for the past 16 years. I am now 62 years old. He is 73 years old. I don't know if he is retired, but after my knee replacement, I wish to retire. How much of his social security payment can I get if I apply for retirement. Also, what can I do for medical insurance?

Hi. Assuming that your husband is collecting Social Security retirement benefits, if you apply for benefits at your full retirement age (FRA) you could likely qualify for the higher of a) your own primary insurance amount (PIA), or b) 50% of your husband's PIA. A person's PIA is equal to their Social Security retirement benefit rate if they start drawing their benefits at full retirement age (FRA).

However, if you apply for benefits at age 62 then your benefit rate would be reduced for age by 30% to 35%. You may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully compare and analyze all of your options so that you can determine your best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

As for health insurance, you won't be eligible for Medicare until you reach age 65, unless you qualify for Social Security disability benefits or if you are diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). My expertise doesn't extend to private and public health insurance options, so I can't give you advice in that regard.

Best, Jerry