Planning for Healthcare Costs in Retirement

In this special episode of the Shares podcast, recorded live at The College’s Horizons 2025 conference, Lindsey Lewis, MBA, CFP®, ChFC®, managing director and chair of the American College Center for Women in Financial Services, speaks with healthcare professional turned financial educator Carolyn McClanahan, CFP® on how financial professionals can work with clients to maximize their healthcare benefits and avoid costly mistakes. They also discuss the unique challenges facing women in situations where spouses require long-term care or other financial considerations, as well as important elements to focus on in planning with clients such as Medicare/Medicaid, deductibles, tax implications, and more.

Carolyn McClanahan, CFP® is the founder of Life Planning Partners, Inc., and a financial planner, physician, educator, and contributing writer to Forbes and CNBC. She specializes in financial planning, health and finance issues, and elder care issues. She completed her undergraduate degree at Mississippi University for Women, medical school at the University of Mississippi, and residency in Family Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University. In 1998, she was recruited to teach at the University of Florida, Jacksonville, and transitioned to the financial services industry with the founding of Life Planning Partners in 2004.

McClanahan is a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, the Financial Planning Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. She volunteers as a physician with Volunteers in Medicine Jacksonville, providing health care for the working uninsured. She speaks nationally to financial planners and physicians on the interplay between health and financial issues. She serves on the CNBC Financial Advisor Council and is an Investopedia Top 100 advisor. She is quoted regularly in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. She has appeared on CNBC, Hardball, and NPR.

Any views or opinions expressed in this podcast are the hosts’ and guests' own and do not necessarily represent those of The American College of Financial Services.

More From The College

• Secure specialized expertise in retirement income planning with the Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®) Program
• Give your clients a free educational resource with The Retirement Course™
• See how you can get involved with the American College Center for Women in Financial Services