I recently received a Gallup survey regarding the cost of healthcare where I live. One question asked whether I'd ever been unable to afford a prescription medication. That question got me thinking. Picking up a prescription often feels like pulling the lever on a slot machine. You don't know what you'll pay until the pharmacist scans the order and the number appears on the register. Luckily, I’ve never been unable to afford my prescriptions, even when the price was more than

Nine months into early retirement , managing healthcare costs is still top of mind. Health insurance options in early retirement are limited—and expensive. The bigger worry, though, has always been what happens if we have an expensive medical procedure. A single medical episode can derail even a solid FIRE plan . It gets scarier when the safety net of a steady paycheck is no longer there. That’s why maintaining and improving our health has been such a big focus for us. But