The Medicare has been the focus of the presidential campaign after Mitt Romney named Paul Ryan as his running mate. Florida is one of the states that rely heavily on Medicare and it is where the Medicare battle will be most aggressive. Medicare

Romney said that he would try to preserve and protect Medicare during his five speeches in four states. This was part of his plan to deflect attacks against Ryan, who wants to reform Medicare. In Iowa, Ryan said that Washington has a responsibility to fix Medicare for future generations. In the rate it is going, Medicare will go bust by 2024.

In 2011, Ryan introduced his first budget that cut spending and made changes to Medicare. His budget proposal would have eliminated Medicare’s government-run insurance program and gave seniors vouchers to buy health insurance.

The congressional Budget office estimates that Ryan’s plan will save the government up to $30 billion over the next nine years. But it would cost patients relying on Medicare will have to spend more, with an average of $6,400.

Ryan’s budget proposal failed to get a single vote from Democrats. He then worked with Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon to make key changes to it, which included giving seniors a choice between the current system and the voucher program. It would also exempt people who are over 55. The cost of the average Medicare patient will be less than the previous plan, with an average of $800.

There are differences between Romney and Ryan regarding Medicare. They want to administer Medicare differently. Romney also wants the government to still pay insurers directly instead of issuing vouchers to seniors to buy their own insurance. During a recent campaign stop, Romney said that his Medicare plan is similar to that of Ryan’s. He added that he would not do what the president has done, which was to cut $700 billion out of the current program.