According to a New York Times report, Mr. Romney’s Medicare plans draws a stark contrast with President Obama’s, and that deep difference of opinion will likely play into a more expansive healthcare debate between the two candidates this election season.
Under Mr. Romney’s current proposal, the federal government would contribute a fixed amount of money for each Medicare beneficiary, and beneficiaries could either use the money to buy private insurance or pay for traditional Medicare.
President Obama says Mr. Romney’s plan would fail because annual government contributions to Medicare would not keep up with soaring healthcare costs, which would mean those elderly and disabled citizens who rely on Medicare would be stuck paying more money for it.
With 49 million Americans on Medicare, and with millions of others concerned about the growing cost of the federal healthcare program, it’s predictable both candidates will make Medicare reform a hot-button issue this summer and fall.
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