Have You Planned for Retirement's Biggest Surprise?
Your advisor should be planning for what healthcare actually costs, not what looks good on a projection.
A gap in your healthcare strategy is a gap in your retirement plan. The details that get overlooked today can become the expenses that derail you tomorrow.
Medicare & Beyond
A well-designed healthcare plan starts with you. Our specialist works hand-in-hand with your CFP to guide you through every option, including:
Original Medicare (Parts A & B)
The foundation. Hospital, medical, and what it does and doesn’t cover.
Medicare Supplement (Medigap)
Plan options G, N, high-deductible and more. How they work alongside Original Medicare, and why they tend to suit affluent clients who value predictability and provider freedom.
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
Network tradeoffs, prior authorization concerns, and why the “zero premium” appeal can be misleading for high-net-worth clients.
Medicare (Part D)
Prescription Drug Coverage
IRMAA (Surcharge for High Income Families)
Medicare premium surcharges based on income; a critical planning point for clients with significant distributions or considering Roth conversions.
Nursing & Home Healthcare
Traditional Long Term Care insurance, hybrid life/LTC policies, and self-insuring strategies. Especially important for families with higher asset levels.
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Pre-Medicare accumulation strategy, tax-triple advantage, and coordinating the transition to Medicare without penalty.
Bridge Coverage (Pre-Medicare)
For clients retiring before 65: COBRA, ACA marketplace plans, and managing costs during the gap years.
Dental, Vision & Hearing
Often overlooked; not covered by Original Medicare, and increasingly important in retirement lifestyle planning.
Healthcare Cost Projections
Lifetime out-of-pocket estimates, inflation assumptions, and integrating healthcare into the broader retirement income plan.
The Long Term Care Conversation
70% of people turning 65 will need some form of long-term care in their lifetime. At a national median of over $114,000 per year for a nursing home, it’s one of the most significant financial risks in retirement, and one of the least planned for.
The Probability Reality
Most people assume long-term care happens to someone else. Nearly 1 in 5 people turning 65 will face more than $200,000 in care expenses over their lifetime. That’s not a risk a complete plan ignores.
Self-Insuring
Many financial planners tell their high-net-worth clients they have enough money to self-insure, and for some, that’s true. But many families want more certainty in their retirement plan. The leverage created by transferring that risk often makes more sense than leaving the portfolio exposed.
What Are Your Options?
Traditional LTC insurance, hybrid life/LTC policies, annuities with enhanced care riders, and HSAs each have a role. The real question is, which one fits your situation? A well-built retirement plan doesn’t just identify the options, it helps show which one makes the most sense for you.
(Sources: Long-Term Care Statistics 2025…Inszone Insurance, CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey…Genworth Financial)
The Cost Reality
According to Fidelity’s 2025 estimate, the average couple will spend $345,000 on healthcare in retirement — and that doesn’t include long-term care. For most people, it’s the largest expense nobody planned for.
(Source: Fidelity Investments 2025 Retiree Health Care Cost Estimate)
The Number You’re Not Planning For
Healthcare costs in retirement are almost always higher than what appears in a financial projection. Premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and gaps in coverage can catch even well-prepared retirees off guard. Having a clear picture of those costs over time can significantly impact your decisions today.
The Tax Side Nobody Talks About
What you pay for Medicare isn’t fixed. Higher income in retirement triggers IRMAA surcharges that can significantly increase your premiums. How you structure your income, your Roth conversions, and your distributions has a direct impact on what your healthcare actually costs.
The Years That Cost the Most
Healthcare spending in retirement isn’t linear. The years before Medicare eligibility, the transition into coverage, and the later stages of retirement each carry a different cost profile. A plan that accounts for all three looks very different from one that doesn’t.
Is your healthcare plan being treated as a line item or a cornerstone? Let’s find out.