Planning for healthcare costs is essential in today's inflationary environment, especially as medical inflation is currently at 12-14%, significantly outpacing general inflation, which is around 5%. Chartered Accountant Nitin Kaushik emphasizes that a medical procedure costing ₹5 lakh in 2026 could rise to approximately ₹27 lakh by 2041, highlighting the need for proactive financial planning. While health insurance provides a buffer against medical expenses, it often does not cover all costs, including diagnostics, medicines, and income loss during illness. Therefore, building a separate health fund is crucial. Financial experts suggest that this fund should ideally be 50% of your health insurance cover. For example, if your insurance coverage is ₹10 lakh, your health fund should be around ₹5 lakh. This fund should be easily accessible in emergencies and can be maintained in a dedicated savings account or through safe investment vehicles like fixed deposits and debt mutual funds.