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My pulmonologist ordered a CT scan, but the person scheduling appointments said they first had to check my insurance. Is this correct? I'm covered by Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan. I thought I would be covered for any medically necessary CT scan..punitive tax penalty..Fresh is not always more healthful than frozen. From the moment fruits and vegetables are harvested, they begin to lose nutrients. Fruits and vegetables grown in North America may spend up to 5 days in transit before arriving at a distribution center, and another 1-3 days on display prior to purchase. Consumers may keep their produce for up to 7 days prior to consumption. Consequently, fresh produce can lose a considerable amount of nutrients before consumption. A University of California study found, for example, that vitamin C losses in vegetables stored 7 days range from 15% for green peas, to 77% for green beans. Unless you are harvesting and consuming your own home grown fruits and vegetables within a few hours of picking, frozen choices may be just as high in nutrients..Congress recently ended two Social Security claiming strategies that helped couples maximize their retirement income. The strategies being eliminated allowed individuals to claim a spousal benefit while their own retirement benefits continued to grow. The "file and suspend" option is no longer available for people who will be younger than age 66 on April 30, 201Those older than age 66 on that date are grandfathered in and still able to use the claiming strategy. If you and your husband won't be 66 until later in the year, your husband would not be able to file and suspend as planned..While you may be familiar with the problem of our government using a price index that reflects the inflation experience of younger workers rather than retired people over the age of 62, you quite likely have not heard very much about the specifics of how our government calculates price indexes. What the average person thinks of as a straight - forward mathematical calculation, the federal government can approach in convoluted ways..June 2006.From 1950 through 1974, Social Security benefits were increased 11 times through separate pieces of ad hoc legislation at irregular intervals. The increases varied just as they do today but averaged 8% per year over the 24-year period although there were long lapses between COLAs during some periods..I am 92 years old and live on Social Security. I live with my son and his wife so am not hurting too badly. But the rise in health insurance is taking a good-sized chunk of my only source of income. My doctor refused to take the insurance I had, so I was forced into taking what he would accept. I tried to find a different doctor but was refused because NO one is taking patients my age on Medicare. I am a Notch Victim as was my husband. I would like to see the Notch Victims get the proper amount of Social Security due them..Immigration Bill Approved by Senate Committee