Healthcare Costs Are Rising – Do You Have a Strategy for Retirement?

It seems like the cost of everything is going up, especially when it comes to the cost of healthcare. For those nearing or in retirement, these increases can have a big impact on retirement income and warrant developing a solid strategy to plan for both unexpected and routine medical care.

A recent Fidelity studyestimates that an average couple is expected to spend $315,000 on healthcare costs during retirement. Let’s take a look at how you can start preparing now to make that number more manageable: 

• Use Your HSA (healthcare savings account): If you have an HSA, after years of saving money, you can utilize those funds during retirement towards eligible medical expenses.¹
• Defer Social Security: This isn’t an option for everyone, but if you can postpone retirement or save enough to cover healthcare expenses until you become eligible for Medicare at 65, you may be able to collect more from Social Security.
• Understand the ins and outs of Medicare: Medicare has four main parts – A (covers hospital costs after you meet a deductible), B (is optional for medical expenses and requires an annual premium), C (alternate ways to receive Medicare benefits), and D (provides prescription drug coverage). Medicare also has supplement plans you can consider.

My team has deep experience designing strategies to manage your -- and your family members’ — future health care expenses. We find that this is one of the most complicated and least addressed aspects of many retirement income plans as it requires understanding a range of savings and protection vehicles and knowing how to apply those to your individual circumstances. If you’d like to learn more or review your unique situation, feel free to reach out and we’ll set up a time to talk! 

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