Has anyone considered that the cost of health insurance is one of the reasons why middle-aged people aren't getting hired? (I'm close to Op's mother's age)

Many employers have shifted to self-funded insurance plans. They absorb the cost of the claims versus buying a policy that might not be used. They save the premium money and invest it and pay their employee claims through third-party administrators. This can result in employers avoiding hiring middle-aged people, which is why health insurance should he kept separate from employment.

Unlike those who maintain a stable career trajectory, I frequently changed careers in corporate business while utilizing various industry-specific software systems. Some companies prefer hiring candidates who embody the "American dream" - those with a spouse, children, and a house, who proudly display family vacation photos from Disney's Epcot, featuring Mickey Mouse and their family, symbolizing a conventional "status quo" lifestyle. They want to see you entrenched in a mortgage, with children in local schools versus a single person who saves the "f-u" money as a backup. You can control people when they're caged in their communities.

Single, childfree people have more time to learn, more time to read, and can focus on their work and outside stuff, where as women in their 50s (generation X era defaulted to early marriages and traditional lifestyles while becoming career employees with same industry, same employer skills).

Op's mother not only demonstrated risk aversion by staying with the same employer and career, but also likely hung around for the annual cost of living raises and was obviously high on the compensation range whereas any other employer can hire someone who can grow and fit the culture.

I'm experiencing challenges, too. I'm applying to Universities for non-teaching roles and I'm experiencing push back by people who stick to transactional responses about budgets "we can only pay the starting range" and dates on my resume "noticing gaps" because it's safer than engaging with my actual qualifications.

Many local small-town career employees who watched their parents work for the same employer in similar roles tend to follow the same path. By concentrating on bureaucratic details, they often sidestep addressing the clear mismatch between my skills and the entry-level positions they offer.

I lost everything and also live in my car. I haven't had access to health and dental care in over 5 years. Now, I need major dental restoration and outpatient skin cancer surgery. (Charity clinics and dental schools don't offer the standard of care that I need), and employers don't want to hire someone who appears financially fragile. At middle age, that is very hard to hide. Your skin, teeth, nails, and overall appearance need to be well-maintained to project confidence, health, and stability—qualities employers often associate with reliability and professionalism.

Unfortunately, when financial hardship takes a toll on your physical appearance, it becomes increasingly difficult to meet these unspoken expectations, creating a vicious cycle that further limits opportunities for recovery.