We have multiple insurance programs – based on age and income, there are differences among the states, who pays how much is a mess – many seniors pay more than younger Americans at the same income level.
Enrollment periods and rules differ by type of coverage. Out of pocket costs frequently ignore ability to pay. Employers try to mask costs via FSAs, HSAs and HRAs – if you can afford to contribute. Trying to deal with out-of-pocket costs jeopardizes the ability to save for retirement.

You are planning to get another tattoo, it costs $200.
You are going to take your best friend out for fine dining, it will cost $175.
You promised your children to take them to a local theme park, $200.
You receive a bill from your doctor because you hadn’t met your deductible, $200.
Which expense is unaffordable?
Okay, a bit of a trick question, but there is no doubt the answer is nearly always the medical expense is unaffordable.

ONE OF THE biggest health risks seniors face recently happened to me. I tripped in a parking lot and fell. It was a pretty serious fall. I hurt my left shoulder, left wrist, right elbow and right knee. There was a lot of scraping on the asphalt and lots of blood. To add insult to injury, the left side of my head hit the right taillight of a Subaru, smashing the lens and running a nice pair of sunglasses.

In an hour or so we are off to the hospital for Connie’s surgery. Frankly, I’m nervous. All surgery has some risk, but more so if you are 85. I asked the doctor to remember that while he sees an 85 year old patient, to me she is my 25 year old bride.
As if medical issues were not enough to stress you, the unbelievable paperwork, regulations, duplication of information is beyond frustrating. Medical offices can’t share info because of privacy rules.

IT PAINS ME TO SAY this, but I hurt—everywhere. I’ll start at the bottom and work my way up. My feet hurt, my knees hurt, my hips hurt, my back hurts and my shoulders hurt. One more thing: I can’t remember. My memory is in decline.

Cataract surgery improved my eyesight. Hearing aids mean my grandkids don’t have to be two rooms over when we watch TV together. Exercise seems to reduce my pain slightly and increase mobility.

My mother-in-law has Alzheimer’s. It’s very advanced, and over the last year, her husband (my husband’s stepfather) has been unable to keep handling her care on his own. We would help, but they live 400 miles away from us, and we’re still working.
His plan was to move them into a senior living community (just a 55+ community, not a CCRC), remodel the unit, and hire in-home caregivers as needed. He even added an extra bed and bath to their new unit so a caregiver could live in or sleep over.

I am 60 and my wife is 61, both in good health.  Like most everyone, we want to stay in our home as long as possible.  Long term care (LTC) is expensive and restrictive.  However, there’s an option local to us in Lancaster PA from a very reputable and long-standing Continuous Care Retirement Community.  They have a program called SmartLife (SmartLife VIA Willow Valley – Central PA’s True Life Plan at Home Program (smartlifewv.org)) where you pay a one-time up-front fee and then a monthly charge,

IN A NEW YEAR’S article, I offered eight ways to potentially become a super-ager. A super-ager is a person age 80 or older who has the memory of someone 20 to 30 years younger. Vigorous exercise, a good diet and getting enough sleep were considered some of the key ingredients.
Or is it just luck? A new study conducted in Spain and published in The Journal of Neuroscience examined the world of super-agers by following two groups for five years: 64 super-agers and 55 typical older adults.

WHEN I WAS A KID, I would hear “old people” say, “If you have your health, you have just about everything.” I heard it. I understood it. But in truth, I didn’t really understand it—until I joined the “old people” category.
Looking back, I realize I’ve been blessed with good health. I’ve never broken any bones. I’ve never spent a night in the hospital. I’ve never had any long-lasting illnesses. I don’t regularly take medication,

WHEN MY FATHER DIED, my mother moved to be closer to me. I didn’t know anything about Medicare, but I knew she needed health-care coverage.
I would call up Medicare and ask questions, and the phone reps would read me a script. I’d ask another question and they’d read me the same script. Rephrase the question, and I’d get the same useless scripted responses.
I had no idea about the difference between traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

I HAD A REVELATION while shoveling snow earlier this year. When I was age 40 or so, digging out after a snowstorm was always an ordeal for me, even with the aid of a snowblower. I’d need to take frequent breaks and would be wiped out for the rest of the day. Multiple body aches would appear over the next 24 hours, and full recovery might take a few days.
But in January, at age 61,

I RECENTLY STUMBLED on a retirement planning blog listing the top 10 regrets of retirees. Planning for health care costs was among the things that people wish they’d handled differently.
The site had this suggestion: “Before you retire, you should get a reasonable estimate of your health care costs and make sure you can afford them. Medicare does not cover everything and most people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket health care expenses in retirement—not even including funding a long-term-care need.”
This statement is scary—and very misleading.

THE HEADLINES SCREAM that retirees should learn a new skill to stave off dementia. Start playing a musical instrument. Learn a new language.
The reality: Gender in languages baffles me. I can’t carry a tune. I have no rhythm. Which is why you’ll find me on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons in a repurposed warehouse learning tai chi. I was drawn to tai chi since it’s a form of meditation, and I’m aware of meditation’s medical and mental health benefits.

MANY YEARS AGO, a Wall Street Journal article quoted a source as saying, and I paraphrase, “Young-old age should last as long as possible, while old-old age should last 15 minutes.” Those of us who have visited nursing homes can all relate to this.
Public health initiatives and medical breakthroughs have extended lifespans significantly over the past 100 years. In his bestselling book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, Peter Attia argues that we should focus not just on lifespan,

I’M STILL KICKING myself for not getting a new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan during the enrollment period for 2023, even though our premium had gone up significantly. Most people, it seems, are like me: They stick with their current plan, rather than shopping for one that meets their needs at a lower cost.
For 2024, I vowed to do better.
Medicare’s open enrollment period ran from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2023.