Real median household income remained unchanged between 2003 and 2004 at $44,389, according to a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Meanwhile, the nation’s official poverty rate rose from 12.5 percent in 2003 to 12.7 percent in 2004. The percentage of the nation’s population without health insurance coverage remained stable, at 15.7 percent in 2004. More...

Medicare supplement insurance helps some Texans, but not every senior citizen needs it. I belong to the latter group. My Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) covers most needs of my wife and I, and we feel comfortable with the reasonable co-payments.