Medicare or medical costs are rising year on year. As a matter of fact, inflation in medicare is higher than inflation in food and other articles. While inflation in food and clothing is in single digits, medicare costs usually escalate in double digits. For an individual who hasn't saved that much money, arranging for funds at the eleventh hour can be a task. This is particularly daunting for seniors, given that most ailments strike at an advanced age.

One way to provide for health-related / medical emergencies is by taking health insurance. Health insurance offers considerable flexibility in terms of disease / ailment coverage. For instance, certain health insurance plans cover as many as 30 critical illnesses and over 80 surgical procedures. The insurance plan disburses the payment towards surgery/illness regardless of actual medical expenses. The policy continues even after the benefit payment on selected illnesses.