Make medical and financial preparations.

• Position: Hospitalization

Whether you or a loved one is going for a scheduled hospital stay, do not stop with your doctor's orders--get your financial orders in place, too. While most people exit the hospital without incident, no matter what your age, it is important to have an action plan in place if you become disabled or die after surgery or other treatment. Actually, it makes sense to have these elements in place even if you are not facing any immediate medical need. Make it part of your family disaster plan, advises the Financial Planning Association, Denver, Colo.:

Check insurance coverage. Contact your provider well in advance to determine out-of-pocket costs for surgery or treatment and be certain you have all necessary pre-approvals for that work. If additional cash is needed to cover deductibles, put that money aside where it can be accessed. Also, check disability coverage--hopefully you have personal coverage to extend the reach of limited coverage at work--to make sure you understand the effective date and the range of benefits. Above all, see that you are up-to-date on premiums for health, disability, life, and long-term care coverage, and that all beneficiaries are current.

Designate a family member as your primary contact. This person may or may not be your health power of attorney, but you should have one person designated to keep in touch with the family, friends, and employers you designate they call. This person also could see that your bills get paid if you are out of commission longer than anticipated.

Get health care directives in place. A health care directive--also called an advance directive--specifies your...