At Last! Retiring for GOOD!

Part A - Check Part G - Check Part D - Check Ironically, the one that Medicare administers is the one that I've had the hardest time getting verified. I've spent several hours online and on the phone, but can't get an employee to check the system, and tell me whether my coverage is in process. In contrast, the private sector, responsible for Parts G and D, have been quick - responding to me within hours, carefully making sure that my questions are answered, and generally performing quite well.

Notice, however, this is hitting the people behind the schemes, not the possibly tricked elderly. Fraud taking money from government programs is a HUGE (YUGE?) thing. They range from doctors billing for non-existent treatment, to over-prescribing drugs for participants, to luring patients in with the promise of FREE stuff (mobility devices for ALL!). It's not free - it is spending money that taxpayers don't have, to enrich people with no conscience. With government programs, if you don't pay for something, it's not the same as getting it for FREE! Someone - perhaps younger or future taxpayers - is paying for it. Free stuff comes at a cost - that money won't be available for other needs - defense of our borders, care for veterans, paying back the money that is already owed (here is a link to the National Debt Clock - the upper left hand corner shows the overall tally - other parts put that figure in context). That's all money SOMEONE has to pay for - and...

Coffee - Bad? Apparently, NOT. This process has been going on for many years: Some medical study is made about health. Popularizers exaggerate the effects shown in the study, and inflate the core results into a program to improve/extend healthy lives. Eventually, the government gets on board, and mandates changes to diet, exercise, medication regimens, or medical procedures. After years of pushing the system on the general public, an honest re-evaluation of the effects is made, and - guess what? The advice is found to be completely wrong. Repeat Repeat Repeat Diet advice has gone from: Calorie reduction Exercise Low-fat High-carb Low-carb At the present, the low-carb forces appear to be on top. Never fear, they'll find out eventually that positive effects have been exaggerated, and the negatives minimized. Same with exercise. I'm not against regular movement and activity. What I'm against is mandating the same thing for everyone. The down side...