This family would have all the options available to the person described in the above example, including plans on Healthcare.gov. For this family, Dad and Mom are in Scottsdale, Arizona and their 24-year old adult child is in Nashville.

Mom and Dad could expect to pay upwards of $24,000 a year in premiums for a plan that included annual financial exposure, including deductibles and coinsurance, that capped out at around $13,000.

If their 24-year-old had an annual income less than $48,000, he would likely be eligible for tax credits to lower their premium. If their annual taxable income is more than $48,000, then they could expect to pay about $400 per month for a plan with a $5,000 deductible.

All in, this family could expect to pay $60,000 to $70,000 over the next 2 years, and then the expected health-care costs would drop to about $20,000 per year once Dad enrolled in Medicare.

For this family, one other option to consider would be COBRA. Anyone considering early retirement who has fewer than 18 months before turning 65 can consider continuing his or her employer-based coverage for up to 18 months.

In this scenario, the family would still be on the employer health plan, but instead of the employer paying part of the premium, the family would be on the proverbial hook for 100 percent of the premium, plus a 2 percent administrative fee. Depending on the coverage, this may or may not be a good option for one or more of the family members. To get it right, a spreadsheet of options will help.

Where To Start For Your Clients

If you have key clients considering early retirement, here are a few steps to take:

1. Create profiles on Healthcare.gov on your client's behalf. Make sure you evaluate not only premiums, but also prescription drug formularies and provider networks. Pay special attention to whether the plans being considered allow your client to seek out-of-network care if that's important to them.

2. Check out any options they may still have through their employer. If age 65 is fewer than 18 months away, compare COBRA to the options on Healthcare.gov.