华人就是担心多，我看西人想得开，谈到老了医疗费付不起怎么办，很多人的想法是再怎么存意外的支出也是负担不了的，还是别操心

Healthcare costs are a major expense in retirement and, for many, a big surprise when it comes to retirement plan savings. But Perkins says it's not worth worrying about.

"To put it bluntly, no amount of savings available to most people will cover the costliest healthcare you might possibly need," he writes. He cites million-dollar cancer treatments and his father's $50,000-per-night hospital stay as examples.

While Medicare and its supplements can make healthcare more affordable, there's no way to save for the worst possible scenarios. "Uninsured medical care is so expensive, it won't make any real difference for the vast majority of us whether we save for it or not," he writes.

Ultimately, Perkins feels this money is better spent when you're younger. "It is much smarter to spend your healthcare money on the front end (to maintain your health and try to prevent disease) than to spend it at the end, when you get a lot less bang for every buck," he writes.