Encore: Work that matters in the second half of life.

In an op-ed in the Washington Post, two Democratic strategists loft an innovative proposal to help ease the health insurance crunch for older adults who don’t yet qualify for Medicare.

Emanuel, a congressman from Illinois, and Reed, president of the Democratic Leadership Council, helpfully link the challenge of insuring 55-64-year-olds to that of insuring low-income children, which gets far more attention. As they point out, “In 2005, Americans ages 55 to 64 were the fastest-growing segment of the population to become uninsured” and those that do have insurance often pay exorbitant premiums.

Lack of insurance leaves many older adults vulnerable to financial catastrophe, and the fear of losing coverage keeps many people in jobs they’d rather leave — for example to pursue an encore career with more personal meaning and social benefit.

Emanuel and Reed propose that employers seeking to shed their health care burdens (such as GM, which recently cut a deal with the UAW to offload retiree health obligations to a union-administered trust) be allowed to enroll their retirees in Medicare. The plan wouldn’t cost taxpayers, because employers would cover most the costs; employees would likely also pay a share of the premiums.

“Taxpayers would also benefit, because the more we can do to make Americans healthier from 55 to 64, the less Medicare will have to spend on chronic conditions later,” they write.

“America’s economic prospects and competitive standing will be a lot healthier when we let employers buy their early retirees into Medicare,” the piece concludes. “Quality, affordable coverage will make those retirees a lot healthier. It’s the least we can do for people who’ve worked their whole lives to do right by their companies and their country, and it’s a great chance for employers to do right by them.”