When you reach your mid-fifties, hospital stories naturally become a common topic at meal gatherings.

"I had a health check-up after a long time, and they said I have cancer..." "I suddenly collapsed, and it was a brain hemorrhage..."

After hearing such stories, the most common reaction is this.

"Ah, I should have gotten insurance..."

I am 55 years old this year. I still have to work, think about retirement, take care of my parents in the hospital, and educate my children, so I am quite overwhelmed.

In the process, my health always takes a back seat. The problem is that when you are really sick, not having money makes it even worse.

I would like to summarize the "insurance options that you won't regret when you get seriously ill" for Korean men like me living in the United States.

This is not an insurance advertisement, just realistic advice.

Medical Expense Reimbursement Insurance / Supplemental Health Insurance

In Korea, it is often referred to as "실비보험". In the U.S., this concept is generally included in employer group health plans, Medicare Supplement, or private supplemental insurance. Simply put, it is insurance that reimburses a portion of the actual money spent at the hospital. For example, if you have high out-of-pocket costs for CT scans, MRIs, emergency room visits, surgery, or hospitalization, this insurance covers a significant portion.

The important point is that the premiums increase as you age. It is cheaper to maintain if you get it when you are young and healthy.

Cancer Insurance

If medical expense insurance covers hospital bills, cancer insurance provides a lump sum cash benefit upon diagnosis. The payout structure is between $10,000 and $50,000 or more at once. This money is not only for treatment costs but also serves as living expenses, caregiving costs, and replacement income when your income is interrupted. Nowadays, there are plans with different coverage amounts based on the type of cancer, so it is good to choose selectively based on family history or personal health status. U.S. insurance companies like Aflac, Mutual of Omaha, and Cigna sell these plans.

Stroke & Heart Attack Insurance

In American terms, this is sometimes included under Critical Illness Insurance or separated into Heart/Stroke Insurance products.

For men over 50, the risk of heart disease (Heart Attack) and stroke (Stroke) significantly increases. The problem is that the aftermath, rehabilitation, and income gaps during the time you cannot work are often greater than the treatment costs. In fact, a friend of mine collapsed from a cerebral infarction and could not return to work for over two years, incurring caregiving and rehabilitation costs that even led to mortgaging his house. Seeing that made me acutely aware of the necessity of this insurance.

Long-Term Care Insurance

Honestly, this is insurance I had no interest in when I was younger. But as I age, the thought of 'who will take care of me' keeps circling in my mind. When diseases like dementia, Parkinson's, or strokes occur, living alone at home becomes impossible.

That's when Long-Term Care Insurance becomes necessary. In the U.S., major providers include Genworth, Mutual of Omaha, and Transamerica. Typically, if you are unable to perform two or more Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), the insurance benefits are paid monthly. For example: eating, bathing, dressing, using the restroom, etc.

Wellness-Based Plans / Usage-Based Insurance

Nowadays, there are many programs in the U.S. that offer discounts on premiums based on health management results.

For example, if your blood pressure/cholesterol levels improve, you get a premium discount; if you walk 10,000 steps daily linked to a fitness app, you receive rewards; and if you successfully lose weight, you get a premium discount, etc. Companies like United Healthcare and Aetna operate such Wellness Rewards programs. Since you can receive tangible financial benefits while managing your health, these programs are definitely worth looking into.

Hospital costs in the U.S. are truly outrageous.

Just one visit to the emergency room can cost thousands of dollars, and hospitalization can easily exceed ten thousand dollars. By the time you think about insurance, it may already be too late.

While it is important for insurance to cover hospital bills when I am sick, it is even more crucial to fill the income gap when I cannot earn due to illness.

Now is not the age to be complacent just because you are healthy.

Instead of thinking "someday," you should prepare "now" to have fewer regrets.

And remember, insurance is a right that can only be obtained when you are healthy.

Once you are sick, no matter how much money you have, it is impossible to sign up.

So, take a good look at insurance before it's too late.

So that later in the hospital, you can say, 'Ah, I'm really glad I got this...'