5) Risk, Protection & Longevity (Playing the Long Game)
Create emergency plans (prepare for the worst)
Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Designate a Medical Power of Attorney—a trusted person in the U.S. who can make medical decisions if you're unconscious. This should be a friend or colleague who can physically get to the hospital, not family back home. Set up Emergency ID on your phone with your blood type, allergies, medications, and emergency contacts—paramedics check this if you're unresponsive. When visiting your home country, get international travel insurance that covers medical evacuation—a flight back to the U.S. on a stretcher costs $50,000-$100,000 without insurance. If you're between jobs or visas, understand your health coverage gaps: COBRA lets you continue employer insurance (expensive but comprehensive), or short-term health plans provide temporary coverage. Never be uninsured—one accident can bankrupt you.
Most insurance plans reset their deductibles on January 1st. You can use this to your advantage.
- If you have already hit your deductible in November, every medical service for the rest of the year is much cheaper or free. This is the time to get that lingering knee issue checked or buy those expensive prescription glasses.
- If you start an expensive treatment in December and it continues into January, you will have to pay your deductible twice, once for the old year and once for the new one.
Free Resource: Why Your Deductible Reset Date is the Most Important Day of the Year
Resources
Record your progress
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