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.

Students will always enjoy food. So you may want to include some food items they can't find easily on campus or healthy items that you bake. If you are sending perishables wait until weather is cool. Goods will easily spoil in hot weather. Cookies can be baked, layered on sheets of wax paper and place in a cardboard gift box (like inexpensive Xmas boxes). Place this box inside a sturdier heavy duty cardboard box, add padding and your other items. Your student may enjoy baked chips, granola bars, nuts, and other tasty items that won't spoil easily.

Tuck in extras like a first aid kit, sewing notions, tea bags, good coffee, a thesaurus, gift certificate to online vendors like Amazon, or to local shops and restaurants, greetings from family, CD's, stamps, stationary, phone card, mug, oversized tees,etc. personalize it to your student's interests.

Pack everything carefully being sure to tape down caps of any lotions you are including to make them leak proof. Be sure you have plenty of padding in box. Have UPS pick it up at your door by calling their direct 800 number or take it to UPS or to Post Office.

That's kind of package that shows you really care!

Lee Mellott is the webhost for The PATH Weight Loss: www.fatfallacy.com.