As election day nears, health issues remain central

KHN hosts a discussion with former Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle and conservative health care analyst Avik Roy to explore the plans advanced by President Barack Obama and GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. Romney focuses on some of those themes in a new ad incorporating video from this week's town hall debate.

Kaiser Health News: Video: Weighing The Impact Of Health Issues On Campaign 2012
Kaiser Health News hosts a discussion on the Obama and Romney plans with former Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle and conservative health care analyst Avik Roy, followed by a reporters' roundtable with KHN's Mary Agnes Carey and Sarah Varney, Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post and Politico's Jonathan Allen (10/17).

The Associated Press/Washington Post: Romney Focuses On Economy, Medicare, Social Security With New Debate Ad
The ad uses video from Mitt Romney' town hall-style presidential debate with President Barack Obama in Hempstead, N.Y., to attack the president's performance over the past four years. Besides some on-screen writing to emphasize certain points as Romney speaks, the only addition to the video is some somber background music (10/17).

National Journal (Video): New Romney Ad Attack Obama On Medicare, Social Security
The Romney campaign released a television ad on Wednesday that uses new debate clips to argue that President Obama put Medicare and Social Security at risk and that his economic policies haven't worked. The new ad, called "The Choice," highlights the Republican nominee's comments on high unemployment, falling median income, and the deficit during Tuesday night's debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. Romney said the numbers show that Obama's record has been one of failure, particularly for the middle class. "And that record shows he just hasn't been able to cut the deficit, to put in place reforms for Medicare and Social Security to preserve them, to get us the rising incomes we need," Romney is shown saying in the ad, while text flashes on the screen saying "Under President Obama: Medicare And Social Security At Risk" (Huisenga, 10/17).

The Medicare NewsGroup: Health Reform Perspective: How Do Industry Groups Feel About the Medicare Debate?
President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney are vying for the votes of seniors and baby boomers, and with the presidential election mere weeks away, the debate concerning what to do with Medicare has grown more heated than ever. The program is on shaky financial footing, and both candidates acknowledge the need for reform. But President Obama favors reforming the program within the framework of its current structure while challenger Mitt Romney backs converting Medicare into a premium support program. Health care industry players with a stake in the Medicare game have a lot riding on the outcome of this intense political battle. Most groups have declined to comment on the reform debate prior to the election, but MNG has analyzed their positions on reform (Adamopoulos, 10/17).