Projected health-care expenses during retirement reach record high

A 65-year old planning to retire this year can expect to dig deep to pay for health care and medical expenses. An opposite-gender couple is likely spend $300,000 throughout retirement. For single retirees, the 2021 estimate is $157,000 for women and $143,000 for men. This year’s estimates mark a new record high, up 30 percent from a decade ago, according to research by Fidelity Investments.

“While this past year has certainly made protecting our health today a priority, we need to do the same when planning for future health care needs,” said Hope Manion, senior vice president of Fidelity Workplace Consulting.

“Covering health care costs is one of the most significant, yet unpredictable, aspects of retirement planning. By providing this estimate for retirees, we want to increase awareness among people of all ages to help them proactively get more engaged in saving and investing so they can be better prepared in years to come.”

Nearly six in 10 employees say they have spent little or no time thinking about what they need to cover in retirement. Even among those who have thought about it, half believe they’ll need just $50,000 or less to meet health care expenses.

However, saving for both retirement and health care is on the rise.

“While higher savings rates and growing balances are good news, the goal of saving toward a significant amount like $300,000 can be daunting,” Marion said. “But it is achievable with some planning. We continue to see many HSA owners not using these accounts to their full potential, in particular not using the power of investing to potentially grow their savings. And that’s the step that can make a big difference, especially for younger people with time on their side.”

More than 80 percent of Americans say the pandemic has affected their retirement plans. Twenty-two percent of those within 10 years of retirement say they are accelerating their timeline to leave the workforce. Eighty percent of this group are under age 65, while means they will have to bridge their health care options before becoming eligible for Medicare.

Fidelity encourages workers to take full advantage of available resources as they prepare for retirement.

• Meet with your employer’s HR department. While still employed, look into what health care benefits, if any, an employer may offer in retirement. Even having access to group coverage or professional support in choosing bridge health care options or a Medicare plan when the time comes can be valuable benefits.
• Talk with a financial professional. In addition to overall retirement and health care planning support, long-term care needs are difficult to predict and are not included in Fidelity’s retirement health care estimates. It’s recommended that pre-retirees meet with a financial professional to discuss potential needs based on their current health, family history and other personal factors. The earlier people start to explore options, the more affordable policies may be.