The protection health insurance offers today is highly dependent on the policy purchased. An insured person who becomes seriously ill might have to pay thousands, or tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for needed care. For many consumers that range represents the difference between health security and financial catastrophe.

The impact of health care reform may have a substantial impact on your "out-of-pocket" costs. Federal funding for Medicare Advantage plans will be the hardest hit. Over the next few years the retirees enrolled in these plans will start to see less insurers participating in the market and those insurers who continue to offer coverage will be forced to pass along higher premiums and cost sharing to their members.