Six out of ten American workers do not have a financial plan in place to deal with an unexpected and costly life event such as a medical emergency, according to a new national study from Aflac. The 2011 Aflac WorkForces Report, released June 8, found that 51 percent of workers said they are not very or not at all prepared to pay for out-of-pocket expenses not covered by major medical insurance.

Additionally, 31 percent have less than $500 in savings for emergency expenses. And for the most part, U.S. workers don't worry about additional expenses because they don't believe an accident or illness could impact them or a family member. The report reveals just 19 percent of employees think it is likely they or a family member will be diagnosed with a chronic illness, such as heart disease or diabetes, and 13 percent said they think a serious illness like cancer will occur or that there will be a need for long-term care.

[Read "Survey: Seniors clueless on out-of-pocket medical costs."]