Polls: Obama has an edge over Romney on Medicare

(CBS News) A series of polls released today and over the weekend show the presidential contest remains close but suggest President Obama may have an edge over Mitt Romney on the issue of who would best handle Medicare.

A Gallup swing state poll released Monday shows that voters in 12 key states trust Mr. Obama over Romney to address issues facing Medicare, 50 percent to 44 percent.

While always an important election issue, the future of Medicare became a more prominent campaign matter when Romney chose Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate. The House Budget Committee chairman authored the House GOP's plan to overhaul the popular government health care program for seniors, which would give seniors the choice of using a voucher to purchase private insurance. Still, the Gallup poll shows swing state voters are more likely to believe (51 percent to 44 percent) that Mr. Obama's campaign has a specific plan for Medicare than to believe that the Romney campaign does.

The Gallup poll, conducted Sept. 11-17, surveyed voters in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday shows that Mr. Obama is gaining ground among Americans who are at least 60 years old (Medicare recipients must be at least 65 years old). While Romney once had a 20-point advantage among that age group, the Reuters poll now shows Mr. Obama trailing by fewer than four points.

Reuters reports, "Romney's double-digit advantages among older voters on the issues of healthcare and Medicare - the nation's health insurance program for those over 65 and the disabled - also have evaporated, and Obama has begun to build an advantage in both areas."

Another national poll, however, shows Romney holding onto his strong lead among seniors. The Politico /George Washington University poll, conducted Sept. 16 - 20, shows Romney leading among voters 65 and older, 58 percent to 38 percent.

Voters overall say Mr. Obama would do a better job handling Medicare, according to the Politico poll, 52 percent to 43 percent. Aside from the federal budget and spending, Mr. Obama ties or has an edge over Romney on who is best to handle every major issue.

The poll shows Mr. Obama leading Romney 50 percent to 47 percent among national voters, though Romney has a two-point edge among independents.

A Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times poll shows that voters in Florida are nearly split over who they trust to keep Medicare financially stable, with 49 percent choosing Mr. Obama and 47 percent choosing Romney. Voters in the battleground state are also split over who to support -- 48 percent say they're backing Mr. Obama, while Romney wins 47 percent support. Independents in Florida back Mr. Obama by a margin of 11 percent.

In the Buckeye State, the Ohio Newspaper Poll shows Mr. Obama with a lead of 51 percent to Romney's 46 percent among likely voters.

In the swing state of Pennsylvania, the latest Susquehanna Polling & Research survey shows Mr. Obama leading 47 percent to Romney's 45 percent.

[Carly_EngageAmerica]

Medicare currently represents a losing equation for young and old, seniors and taxpayers. Medicare is spending taxpayers' money faster than any other government program. It is facing insolvency in its hospitalization program, and it is generating trillions of dollars of massive long-term debt.
Congress and the American people will have to make a choice. Medicare's current course is disastrous, for seniors and taxpayers alike. There are finite resources available to reverse the current course, but the faster that policymakers act, the less difficult the task will be.
There is a better alternative. That alternative rests in harnessing the market forces of choice and competition, and making them the centerpiece of reform, while targeting aid to those who need it most.

[nohater]

personally trust the lives of my grandparents in obama's hands. romney and ryan would see to it that my grandparents met with an early death because it seems that to romney/ryan the aged are expendable asap.

[BethNewdigate]

Hardly.
Obama will have them wiped out in an act of genocide, dude. Trust me.

All of mine are in the cemetery as a result of gathering evidence against him for his hate crimes.

When the press conceals and makes things glow before the public - it can be harmful when it is not truthful.

In this case, this article isn't truthful.
And...Americans have to be willing to hear the facts as they really are.

(Sorry, Stephanie)

[johnlockesghost]

Instead of the so-called Affordable Care Act, Obama and the dumbocrats should have spent the money on massive infrastructure projects. It would have solved the unemployment problem, put billions of dollars into circulation within the United States and provided sufficient incomes to people allowing them to purchase their share of health care. Medicare does not need an overhaul what it needs is proper management which is apparently scarce in the government in spite of their outrageous incomes. As regards to the deficit, a 1% sales tax on the sale and exchange of stocks and bonds would easily pay it off, in fact, doing so over time, would obviate the necessity for individual income taxes.

[smartalecq]

Obama's stimulus was mostly 1/3 infrastructure projects, 1/3 money back to state governments, and 1/3 tax breaks.

We needed it to jump start the economy and create jobs. It was the right thing to do to avoid a total collapse of our economy and state governments.

The effect was smaller because 1/3 was just tax cuts. The Republicans insisted on those tax cuts.

The Fed and the Obama administration wants a bigger stimulus, but the Repugs are opposing it. The Repugs are sabotaging Obama in the expense of the economy.

[gardentiller]

Just because some people might not need to have access to the Affordable Care Act, It doesn't mean that millions of people don't. One day you might need it and you can thank Obama. Obama did spend a lot of money to boost the economy. Now, some people are twisted about the debt. Would have been nice if he had done nothing, so you ungrateful twits could get a shovel and have someone cover you up. Recommendations are good. However, someone needs to tell the GOP obstructionist to help. Everything is blamed on Obama. How pathetic.

[smartalecq]

When they made Medicare in the 1940s, 41 workers were paying into the system to support a single retiree. That ratio is now at 4 workers to 1 retiree. That is why Medicare is only sustainable until 2023.

Obamacare extends Medicare by 10 more years. But eventually we would need to overhaul the system if we want to keep it. Ironically, the most workable solution; would be a single payer universal system. The system that some Democrats were originally pushing for. Obama had to compromise with a hybrid system.

The old population is growing and they are a significant voting block. Since we are in a democracy, eventually the consensus would tip towards the single payer universal system, where seniors are free from premiums. We would eventually adopt a healthcare system that old democracies in Europe had to.

Insurance companies should thank Obama. Because, if we don't go towards a hybrid system, their business model would eventually be obsolete. It's ironic isn't it?

The most likely hybrid system, is a combination of Medicare and companies like Kaiser.

I am for a single payer universal system, because I believe we should take care of our seniors. We would want others to take care of us when it's our time too.

[officerjoe]

Republican plan is to screw the folks under 55 with a discount coupon for a private insurance policy.You now have divided recipients into two groups,those with coverage and those on vouchers. As the folks with full coverage die off and they lose political power a proposal will be made to eliminate coverage for those folks.The under 55's will say,"yeah they screwed us now we can screw them" It's the old divide and conquer, Pit worker against worker and the boss man wins.Despite his boyish looks Ryan is an evil little bastard.

[donretired]

November 6, 2012 will be the most important date that will affect the rest of your life ... The Choice Is Yours.
A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield
Professor Emeritus John W. Hill, JD, PhD
Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
[e-mail]
MEDICARE
Look clearly at the 2014 rate compared to the 2013 rate.

For those of you who are on Medicare, read the following. It's short, but
important and you probably haven't heard about it in the Mainstream News:

"The per person Medicare Insurance Premium will increase from the present
Monthly Fee of

$96.40, rising to:

$104.20 in 2012

$120.20 in 2013

And


$247.00 in 2014."


These are Provisions incorporated in the Obamacare Legislation,
purposely
delayed so as not to confuse the 2012 Re-Election Campaigns.
Send this to
all Seniors that you know, so they will know who's throwing them under the
bus.
Peggy Riehle
Internal Representative
Network Contracting
205-220-6778

[officerjoe]

The alternative is the Republican plan which does away with medicare gives you a check and sends you down the road.Oh, but that is where you come in Mr Blue Cross/Blue Shield you sell it to us. What do you charge? What? About 800-900 a month. You must think the public are a bunch of saps.

[donretired]

officerjoe

I agree, they think we are a bunch of dumb as## and can't think for ourselfs.

[Eriverq]

How he is not 80% more is amazing to me even thought I do think we need to address this in some level but not like the GOP wants to do it.

[NeverVoteGOP]

Of course he does. Here's why. Watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvTIphPnDM8

[sooner_schooner]

I'm not interested in the Obama media's opinion of the election outcome.

[Middle_American_Man]

Then you can ignore everything you hear until the election. It's going to be rough for you, then, though.

[gardentiller]

Go listen to Foxnews. They say things that you probably like to hear.

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

by Diddy_is_back September 24, 2012 7:21 PM EDT
Yes. And just wait until that death panel kicks in.

----------------

Actually, they are still running.

You ARE talking about the death panels the insurance companies run, aren't you? Or are you a Palinista?

[YourRearViewMirror1]

Folks,

Obamacare is a copycat of RomneyCare in MA.

RomneyCare is extremely Successful in MA. Everybody in MA loves it.

Before the Obamacare passage 2 years ago, health Insurance cost averaged 17.6% increase per year over the last 21 years.

After the Obamacare passage 2 years ago, health Insurance has increased by 5.1% and 4.2%, respectively.

We are already benefiting from Obamacare.

[uisignorant]

You don't know what you are talking about.

[smartalecq]

Diddy,

If insurance companies have their way, they will only cover the young and healthy.

We don't need your empty rhetoric. Republicans want to repeal Obamacare but have nothing better to offer. Republicans are always on the side of corporate special interest.

Canada's single payer system is much better than ours. They wait a bit longer for elective procedures, but everyone is covered and no one goes bankrupt because of a medical condition.