Thought about taking a trip to Vegas. But not much into the gambling, drinking scene. And tickets for Bette Midler's show, the few left, were going for about $250 apiece.

Fortunately, if I want a mix of risk, puzzlement and blinding flashes of light, all I have to do is look at the news. For example, in Oregon, the uninsured had a chance recently to enter their names in a lottery. The prize: being allowed to apply for coverage under the Oregon Health Plan.

Nearly 92,000 "players" hope they're lucky enough to get into the once-fully funded plan that targets those who don't qualify for Medicaid or Medicare and cannot pay for private coverage. Oregon imposed a cap on enrollment to reduce costs -- 24,000 people can be enrolled, and there are currently 7,000 openings in that number, media reports say.

Apparently, federal anti-discrimination statutes say you can't pick people based on severity of health needs. But lotteries are OK. 

While we're on the subject, a new study by Fidelity Investments projects  that a couple retiring this year (at age 65) will need about $225,000 to cover medical costs (that's medical costs ALONE) in retirement. That amount is up 4.7% from last year, the Associated Press reported.

Luck, longevity or lots of lucre. Be careful what you wish for.