“One health scare shouldn’t erase a lifetime of work. You shouldn’t have to choose between chemo and keeping your house.”

A few months ago over brunch, my friend Nicole told me about her mom’s hospital stay. She thought Medicare would cover everything… until the bills started rolling in.

Room fees. Specialists. Rehab costs. A “non-covered” item here, an “adjustment” there. By the end, her mom owed tens of thousands of dollars. Nicole told me, “I thought Medicare was supposed to handle this!”

That’s when I realized most women have no idea how many holes are hiding in their “safety net.”

So, pour yourself a cup of something cozy, because we’re going to have a long talk about what Medicare really covers, what it doesn’t, and how to protect your nest egg before you retire.

Why Listen to Me?

Hi, I’m Sarah Nicole Nadler, and as a licensed insurance agent and financial coach who’s helped create six millionaires, I pay attention when I see GoFundMe’s online from women 55+ who were blindsided by a health hiccup that turned into a financial disaster.

These aren’t women who were “bad with money”.

They’re women who worked hard, saved diligently, and trusted that Medicare—or their retirement accounts—would protect them. But one hospital stay, one rehab bill, or one unexpected diagnosis later… everything changed.

I’ve seen it happen too many times. And it breaks my heart every single time.

That’s why I’m so passionate about teaching women how to protect what they’ve built. Not just from market crashes or taxes—but from the hidden costs of aging that no one likes to talk about.

Through my Fear to Fierce Financial Formula, I help women:

• Profit – Making sure you pay yourself first and prioritize revenue streams.

• Prepare – Ensuring you are ready for disaster preparedness and unexpected expenses.

• Eliminate – Paying off debt and building strong credit to create financial freedom.

• Protect – Safeguarding your assets and ensuring your financial security.

• Grow – Building long-term wealth and creating passive income streams.

This week, we're diving into Step 4: PROTECT, using real strategies I recommend to my clients to build retirement plans that allow you to live your boujee best life. Because protecting your money from medical costs is every bit as important as growing it.

And to do that, I’ll share a few strategies, including one I teach my clients called the OWL Method (Opulent Wealth Loop)—a smart way to keep your money working for you while also keeping it safe when life throws you a curveball.

Because you’ve worked too hard to let one hospital bill wreck your retirement.

Lovely, let’s get wise about your wealth.

With every episode of Fierce Feminine Finance, I like to empower you with a POWERFUL free resource that goes with the episode which you can implement right away to create some of the same results, if not better, in your business.

This week, since we are talking about protecting your wealth from unexpected medical expenses, I want to invite you to check out my Ultimate Guide To Financially Bulletproof Your Family for Female Entrepreneurs to help you implement the strategies I talk about here...and a few extra I didn't mention!

After going through this free guide you will be able to identify the missing pieces in your family's financial strategy. So you can start taking steps right away to secure your future!

You can download it right away by clicking here or on the photo above 👆

The information contained in this article is NOT financial advice. It's my strategy based on my own financial situation and experience, and is not the advice I would give to every client. If you'd like the support of a financial advisor to work out your own plan, click here to connect with my team.

What Medicare Actually Covers (and What It Doesn’t)

Think of Medicare like a brunch menu. You get a few good basics at the basic price—but the avocado toast, latte art, and bottomless mimosas? Those cost extra.

Here’s the quick rundown:

• Part A pays for hospital stays, skilled nursing after a hospital stay, and hospice.
  

• Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, and preventive services.
  

• Part C (Medicare Advantage) bundles A and B with some extras, but limits you to certain doctors and hospitals.
  

• Part D adds prescription drug coverage.
  
  

Sounds simple, right? The catch is in the fine print.

Costs Medicare Won’t Pay For (The “Oh No” List)

Here’s what Medicare doesn’t pay for:

• Long-term care or assisted living (aka the nursing home bill that can reach six figures)
  

• Dental, hearing aids, and vision
  

• Help with dressing, bathing, or daily care
  

• Most home-based custodial care
  

• Health care outside the United States
  
  

So if you’re imagining Medicare as a warm blanket that covers everything from checkups to nursing care, it’s more like a cute throw that only covers your knees.

Why This Hits Women Harder

Let’s be honest—we live longer, which means more time for our bodies (and budgets) to need maintenance. We’re often caregivers for everyone else, and by the time it’s our turn, the savings account is thinner than the patience of a woman on hold with Social Security.

Studies show we ladies are likely to spend over $150,000 on medical care once we hit 60+, even with Medicare. And if you outlive your spouse? You shoulder that cost alone.

That’s why it’s so important to understand these gaps before they become emergencies.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

Here’s what usually happens: you assume you’re covered, a hospital visit happens, and suddenly you’re dipping into savings meant for travel, grandkids, or that cozy dream home in the country.

One health scare shouldn’t erase a lifetime of work.

You shouldn’t have to choose between chemo and keeping your house. But that’s exactly what happens when your “coverage” has more holes than a crochet blanket.

So, what’s a wise woman to do?

Best Ways to Cover Long-Term-Care Costs Medicare Won’t Pay For

If you still have decades before retirement and plenty of funds to start saving… first, well done on reading this blog! I wish more women were curious enough to inform themselves early on.

One option you have to cover long-term-care costs that medicare won’t pay for is having a Health Savings Account (HSA). These are awesome because not only do they provide a fund in retirement (and beforehand) for health-related costs, they’re also the only triple-tax advantaged account available in the US. You can learn more in the article I wrote here.

Your other option, for women who have less years before retirement but a little extra cash to save, is to use my OWL Method.

Meet the OWL Method (Your Opulent Wealth Loop)

This is one of my favorite financial tools. The OWL is a fantastic strategy I teach my clients when they want to protect their money without adding more stress.

Here’s the simple idea: it’s a private account for your wealth—a way to grow and protect your money at the same time. Inside the OWL, you can build a personal reserve that quietly earns for you, but is also available when life throws you a curveball (like a medical bill Medicare shrugs at).

Think of it like your own financial nest, tucked safely away, gaining strength each year. When emergencies happen, you can borrow from your nest instead of draining your savings or paying sky-high interest.

And when you no longer need it? The rest becomes a gift to your family, tax-free and full of love.

It’s tax-advantaged, it’s wealth protective, and guess what—the largest banks in the US place roughly 20% of their reserves in this type of account!

How It Works (Without Giving You A Math Headache)

1. You set aside money in your “OWL.”
   

2. It quietly grows at the same rate as the market average, but your growth is guaranteed against loss from market drops.
   

3. You can access it for anything—medical care, home upgrades, even travel—without triggering taxes or penalties (no matter your age).
   

4. Your balance keeps working for you in the background.
   
   

So while other investments rise and fall with the market, your OWL perches calmly, earning steady returns and waiting to swoop in when you need it.

It’s the kind of calm confidence that comes from knowing your bases are covered—and your nest is unbreakable.

These types of accounts aren't new… but few Americans have ever heard of them (only a wealthy few). Yet OWLs can be structured for nearly any size budget and are sheltered against market dips. There is estimated to be over $200 billion dollars saved in these accounts collectively!

(no quiz later, I promise!)

How To Cover The Hidden Gaps in Medicare If You’re Already Retired

Picture this: you’re sipping tea one morning, scrolling through the news, and you stumble across another story about how expensive assisted living has become.

You glance at your retirement account and think, “Surely I won’t need that much help…”

But here’s the thing—Medicare isn’t designed to cover everything. It’s great for hospital stays and doctor visits, but when it comes to long-term care—the kind of help you’d need if you couldn’t bathe, dress, or get around on your own—Medicare quietly steps aside and hands you the bill.

That’s where a Long-Term Care (LTC) rider can be your secret financial superhero. Think of it like a built-in safety feature you can add to your OWL.

Long-Term-Care gives you the ability to tap into your OWL’s value while you’re still alive if you ever need care later in life. It’s not just for nursing homes, either—it can help pay for home caregivers, assisted living, or rehab services after an illness or injury.

Here’s how it works in real life:

1. You stay in control. If you ever need help with everyday activities—like bathing, dressing, or eating—you can start receiving funds from your OWL to cover those costs.
   
   

2. You get choices. You decide whether that money goes toward in-home care, assisted living, or a nursing facility.
   
   

3. You protect your savings. Instead of draining your retirement accounts or relying on family, you use your own policy benefits to fund care on your terms.
   
   

It’s not about planning for the worst—it’s about giving your future self options.

Because here’s the thing: if you’ve already retired, you’ve likely built your nest egg with care. A Long-Term Care rider is how you make sure one unexpected health event doesn’t blow it all apart.

In nature, owls don’t panic when a storm hits—they perch higher and ride it out. With my OWL Strategy, you can do the same thing. 🦉

Summary

So there you have it! Three strategies for protecting your wealth and retirement savings from unexpected medical costs not covered by Medicare. You worked too hard to lose it to the costs of aging. You deserve to keep, grow, and enjoy your wealth.

✨ Your challenge this week: Pick ONE of these strategies and take action. Are you starting to see the possibilities? Open that HSA, research Long-Term-Care riders, or hop on a call with my team about opening your own OWL account.

If this article helped you, DM me on Instagram (@sarahnicolenadler) and let me know your biggest takeaway!