Have you seriously thought about what health care might cost you in your retirement years? If your answer is no, then you're not alone.


An AARP survey of 1,000 people found just 36 percent of older Americans have planned and saved for out-of-pocket health care expenses after retirement. Even with Medicare, older Americans face thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket medical expenses, with couples needing approximately $250,000 according to one study.


To help retirement age individuals prepare for health costs down the road, AARP has just unveiled a freeHealth Care Costs Calculator. By plugging in your basic information, including age, height, weight, and medical conditions, the calculator will quickly estimate your expected health care costs after retirement.


senior health care


The calculator will give you a breakdown of costs covered by Medicare under parts A,B, and D, expected out-of-pocket expenses, and also planning recommendations. After you have calculated your estimate expenses, you can create a customized plan for retirement savings and to achieve health goals to help lower your costs. The estimates are based off of a database of $136 million in actual health care claims and the costs of 82 different medical conditions.


“The free Health Care Costs Calculator can play an important and often overlooked role as families and individuals plan for retirement,” said AARP Vice President for Financial Security Jean Setzfand in a release. “Health care costs can have a significant impact on retirement savings. With this calculator, AARP aims to help more Americans confidently plan for and achieve retirement goals.”


Visit here to estimate your costs.



Earlier on HuffPost50:




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  • EKG


    Electrocardiograms, better known as EKGs, made the Choosing Wisely list. The painless test is "done routinely during a physical, even when there is no sign of heart trouble," <em> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/health/doctor-panels-urge-fewer-routine-tests.html">The New York Times</em> reports</a>.




  • Proton Pump Inhibitors


    These strong drugs prescribed for severe heartburn often make their way into the hands of of those with only a slight case of discomfort. "High doses of [proton pump inhibitors], and taking them for a year or longer, has been linked to an increased risk of bone fractures. Long-term use might also deplete magnesium blood levels, which, in turn, can trigger muscle spasms, irregular heartbeats, and convulsions," <a href="http://consumerhealthchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ChoosingWiselyHeartburnAGA2.pdf">Choosing Wisely reports</a>.




  • M.R.I.


    When it comes to lower back pain, doctors shouldn't use M.R.I.s within the first six weeks of a patient's complaints unless "red flags are present," <a href="http://choosingwisely.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/5things_12_factsheet_Amer_Acad_Fam_Phys.pdf"> according to the American Academy of Family Physicians</a>.




  • Antibiotics


    That flareup of sinusitis -- an inflammation of the sinuses -- probably doesn't need a round of antibiotics for treatment, the report found.




  • Pap Tests


    "Women older than 65 who have had several normal Pap tests can stop having the test," <a href="http://consumerhealthchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ChoosingWiselyPapTestsAAFP.pdf">according to Choosing Wisely</a>.




  • Echocardiograms


    Now doctors are advised to not use this test "as a routine follow-up for mild, asymptomatic native valve disease in adult patients with no change in signs or symptoms," <a href="http://choosingwisely.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/5things_12_factsheet_Amer_Coll_Cardio.pdf">according to the Choose Wisely report</a>.




  • CT Scans


    Getting imaging tests like CT scans for headaches are not terribly helpful. "Research shows that for people with a normal medical history and neurological exam, imaging tests are unlikely to reveal a more serious underlying problem," <a href="http://consumerhealthchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ChoosingWiselyHeadachesACR.pdf">according to the Choosing Wisely report</a>.




  • Bone Density Imaging


    If you don't have a high risk for weak bones (70 years old for men and 65 for women), you may want to demur if your doctor recommends bone density imaging. The test can lead to a diagnosis of osteopenia, a condition with risky drug prescriptions that can lead to side effects such as thigh fractures and abnormal heart rhythms, <a href="http://consumerhealthchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ChoosingWiselyBoneDensityAAFP.pdf">the Choosing Wisely report found</a>.




  • Exercise Stress Test


    Besides being expensive, an unnecessary exercise stress test "can produce inaccurate results that trigger follow-up tests that can pose
    risks," the report found.




  • Surveillance Testing (Biomarkers)


    While this form of testing can help colorectal cancer sufferers, doctors are now advised not to use it on breast cancer patients who are being treated with "curative intent." "False-positive tests can lead to harm through unnecessary invasive procedures, over-treatment, unnecessary radiation exposure, and misdiagnosis," <a href="http://choosingwisely.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/5things_12_factsheet_Amer_Soc_Clin_Onc.pdf">the report found</a>.




  • Chronic Dialysis


    "Kidney disease doctors are urged not to start chronic dialysis before having a serious discussion with the patient and family," <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/health/doctor-panels-urge-fewer-routine-tests.html"><em>The New York Times</em> reports</a>.




  • Acid Reflux Medicine


    "The American Gastroenterological Association is urging its physicians to prescribe the lowest doses of medication needed to control acid reflux disease," <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/health/doctor-panels-urge-fewer-routine-tests.html"><em>The New York Times</em> reports</a>.




  • Chest Radiography


    If a patient isn't exhibiting any heart and lung disease symptoms, chest radiography should not be performed. "Preoperative chest radiography rarely provides any meaningful changes in management
    or improved patient outcomes," <a href="http://choosingwisely.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/5things_12_factsheet_Amer_College_Phys.pdf">the American College of Physicians found.</a>




  • White Blood Cell Stimulating Factor


    For patients with neutropenia (a condition characterized by "<a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/neutropenia/MY00110">an abnormally low count of neutrophils</a>, white blood cells that help your immune system fight off infections"), doctors shouldn't inject white blood cell stimulating factor to stave off fever if they have a less than 20 percent risk for this complication.




  • Colorectal Cancer Screening


    Patients don't need to have a "repeat colorectal cancer screening (by any method) for 10 years after a high-quality colonoscopy is negative in average-risk individuals," <a href="http://choosingwisely.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/5things_12_factsheet_AGA.pdf" target="_hplink">advises the American Gastroenterological Association</a>.




  • Endoscopy


    If a patient with <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002128/">Barrett's esophagus</a>'s first endoscopy reveals zero signs of cell change, doctors should only use an endoscope once every three years, the report found. "If these cellular changes occur, they do so very slowly."