Medical expenses

Americans pay more for health care than in many other developed nations. A look at what the high cost of colonoscopies revealed about our health care system.

For the first time, the total bill for the typical family of four with an employer-sponsored health-care plan (a preferred provider plan with co-pays and deductibles) breached $20,000 in 2012.

The mutual fund giant Fidelity calculates that a 65-year-old couple retiring in 2012 will need around $240,000 to cover medical expenses through their retirement. Ouch!