Therefore, in effect, U.S. government is telling its citizens (depending on their caloric intake) that it's perfectly OK to have equivalent of 2 Big Macs or more every day. I don't know about you but if I ate like that I'd gain weight. A lot of weight. I'd be looking in mirror saying "Hello Chubby!" And then I'd have to force myself to run like 50 miles a day just to lose extra weight and keep it off.

Based on FDA guidelines government must want us all to be fat. And, considering already overweight population and epidemic of obesity in America, regarding fat content in our diet it looks like politicians and health officials in Washington are out to lunch. Perhaps at McDonald's.

Maya Pinion is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, a contributing editor at News4Net, and a big fan of DestinyFinders.com

Your Prescription Costs/What It'll Cost You/You Pay/You Save $225-------------------------$645-------------100%---$0 $1,000-----------------------$839-------------84%----$161 $1,500-----------------------$964-------------64%----$536 $2,000-----------------------$1,089-----------55%----$911 $3,000-----------------------$1,920-----------64%----$1,080 $4,000-----------------------$2,920-----------73%----$1,080 $5,000-----------------------$3,920-----------78%----$1,080

Final Thought:

Beginning January 1, 2006 your Medicare costs, as detailed in new plan passed by congress and current administration, may increase significantly.

We believe congress should have done better than this for our seniors.

Remember, it's only after you spend $5,100 in Medicare-cover healthcare costs that catastrophic support starts. Even then, you'd still be responsible for 5% of your costs.

As it stands, it will take about $800 of prescriptions in a year just to break even! Then, your out-of-pocket expenses go down. However they come right back up once you hit donut hole, where you pay 100% again.