Q & A
Q: I recently discovered that my mother hit the doughnut hole in her Part D drug plan last year and then ran up her credit card to pay for her drugs. Her Social Security is too low to pay more than the minimum on her credit card and she will need to purchase medications in the coverage gap again this year since she didn't switch plans. What can we do?

Ask the Advisor
Q: Are you pushing to get Part D placed under original Medicare where it belongs? The government has a bigger bargaining chip to negotiate prices, than private industry. Private sector companies have no incentive to provide drugs at lower cost other than to compete with each other for enrollees. Also studies have proven over and over again that Medicare is far more cost-efficient than private plans.

Congressional Corner: Senior Matters
My office floor looks more like landscaping, with a pile of envelopes from the bank, a stack of medical statements, and a mound of other documents cluttering the room

The Hidden Cost Of Selling Your Home
Watch out for a big new hidden cost to your Medicare premiums if you sell a home or other asset in which you've built up significant capital gain.

Legislative Update: Social Security and Medicare Commission Proposed - Will It Take A Bite Out of Your Benefits?
Seniors may be hearing some big proposals to cut Social Security and Medicare soon.

Notch Bulletin: Notch Babies May Qualify For Medicare Savings Programs
It may be one of the government's best-kept secrets - programs that pay your Medicare Part B premiums.

Immigration Proposals Would Add Billions In New Costs
Immigration proposals that stalled a year ago are coming back to life.

Middle-Income Seniors Could Be Affected By Medicare Means Testing Under President's Proposed Cuts
President Bush recently called for the deepest Medicare cuts of his six years in office.

CBO Forecast for 2008 — 1.5% COLA — High Medicare Spending
If forecasts prove correct, there's trouble ahead for millions of seniors in 2008.