It's also the quality and availability of care. I have a friend on Medicaid and finding a hospital that will accept his plan, and can give him an appointment in any kind of reasonable timeframe is exceptionally difficult.

Medicaid != Medicare.

What do you mean? He's not sick, so far as this reporting is concerned; he's just saving against possible expenses.

I should've been more clear, sorry. By "expected costs", I mean speculative costs. Medicare probably is not sufficient if this particular person has such worries, no? Either he's irrationally paranoid or Medicare isn't as comprehensive as it should be.