When critics warn seniors that health care reform will decimate their Medicare, what they’re really talking about is the proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage–the all-in-one private Medicare option. The legislation moving through Congress is funded, in part, by cutting $154 billion over 10 years from federal reimbursements to Advantage plans. That has opened the door [...] [...more]
The exploding cost of health care poses one of the most serious threats to retirement security–even with Medicare covering everyone over age 65. The pressures have accelerated in recent years as health care costs accelerate. Today, Fidelity Investments reported that a 65-year-old couple retiring in 2009 will need approximately $240,000 to cover medical expenses in [...] [...more]
For journalists, the new year is a time for crystal ball gazing, despite our miserable track record as forecasters. Making predictions for 2009 is especially treacherous, considering the instability we’re living through. That hasn’t stopped me from assembling my forecast for this year’s top 10 retirement trends. However, hoping to improve my odds–or maybe just [...] [...more]
There was a time-not long ago-when we didn’t use computers or digital media players to manage our music collections or watch TV. Now we could be approaching something like an era of iPods for aging. At least, that’s Eric Dishman’s vision of the near-term future. Dishman spearheads a major initiative to develop “personal health technologies” [...] [...more]
Boomers will see their retirement savings eroded by the skyrocketing cost of health care, according to new research by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. When Medicare premiums, co-payments and other expenses are considered, the average individual will need to set aside $102,000 for retirement health expenses; for couples, the number rises to [...] [...more]
