Not everyone retires with a large income and some couples have a fixed income that is so small when they retired that they may feel themselves unable to cover things like the cost of Medicare or Medicare supplements when they get sick. The good thing about Medicare is that for people who have very low incomes, the program does assist with health care costs and the Department of Health in each state is the place to go for this information. There are also some savings available to individuals who have higher incomes and aren't at a poverty level.