Live Better Longer Take advantage of Medicare's new preventive health care. Diabetes, asthma, heart disease and other chronic health conditions can ruin your plans for an active, fulfilling retirement. Beyond limiting what you can do, such disorders are very costly and may cut deeply into your retirement funds. Preventive care can help on both counts — now it's more affordable than ever. Medicare expanded its roster of free preventive services in 2010, eliminating co-payments and deductibles for many of them.