One of the main topics discussed today is the high cost of health care. The costs are rising everyday and Medicare has become of the largest cost categories in the US federal budget. This has brought the management of senior citizen health care expenses to the forefront. It has also brought the plight of many of the country's oldest citizens into the light of day. Medicare does not cover all the costs of health care but many seniors live on a fixed income that leaves no money to pay for prescriptions and deductibles. The more financially secure will buy supplemental health insurance but that is not an option for many. In fact, AARP has completed studies that seem to indicate the cost of health care is the cause of poverty in a large number of cases. Anyone who knows a senior citizen in need of health care of should discuss the various options with a hospital counselor or government social workers. Sometimes the law can help insure an aging citizen gets necessary medical help or can prevent bankruptcy due to medical expenses. As a minimum the senior has access to a number of private and public government funded agencies that offer financial and medical assistance. There are seniors right now living in poverty who could qualify for Medicaid to supplement Medicare but they or their families don't know how to maneuver the complex bureaucratic system.