In the world of business it is common for the successful executive to plan his financial future in two phases after he has reached his maximally productive stage. (Said to be reached at about age 49).
In the first phase, called the Transition Stage, the successful businessperson plans an effective and well-counseled way into The Golden Years, or retirement itself. It is prudent and customary to employ an investment planner for the economic planning that will ensure a proper income for the retirement stage. There is often a plan to sell out a business, plan the acquisition of proper investments for a secure future and plan for the transfer of assets to the heirs.
The need for a Transition Stage is no less important in assessing one's own health. The difficulty is that few men, even those with a forceful presence in their business communities, are willing to face head-on the possilities of illness, disabilities and death. They excuse themselves for their behaviors, and walk right into those kinds of problems, and call them "unexpected". They undermine their own financial plans and the financial securities of their families with their health problems. They refuse to confront their need for preventive maintenance, and treat their cars better than they treat themselves. They may live long enough to become a serious burden to their caregivers. Next year I will have been at work for my tenth year in this aging crucible we call a retirement community, and I know of no greater way to confront our healthcare futures than to stick with a well-designed plan for preventive maintenance.