US retirees need US$130,000 just to cover healthcare

New York

TODAY'S 65-year-olds in the US can expect to spend an average of US$130,000 on healthcare during their retirement, from premiums to co-payments to eyeglasses, according to new estimates.

The average single 65-year-old woman can expect to need US$135,000 to spend on healthcare in retirement, while a man will spend US$125,000, according to estimates from Fidelity Investments. (The difference is because the woman is expected to live longer - an additional 22 years, versus 20 years more for the man.)

Every year, Fidelity estimates how much it will cost for today's average 65-year-olds to cover healthcare expenses for the rest of their lives if they retire now. For a while, it looked as if healthcare costs were holding steady, but…