Medicare, health law stay in the political spotlight

In a pair of stories, Politico addresses various ways these health issues continue to make political waves in the run up to the next election. Also, CNN reports the AARP members are worried about what a debt deal will do to Medicare, and an AP poll underscores baby boomers concerns about health care costs.

Politico Pro: Obama Vs. Ryan: Whose Albatross Is Bigger?
President Barack Obama's health care law has high negative ratings, and they're not getting any better. But House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's Medicare plan has high negatives, too — and they're not healing either. It's almost enough to suggest that the two plans will just cancel each other out as liabilities in 2012, with the Democrats and Republicans fighting to a draw as they try to scare voters to their side. The big health care question of the election would be: Whose albatross is bigger? In all likelihood, though, the Ryan plan may be more damaging to the Republicans than the health reform law is to the Democrats. That's because voters have more of a history of switching their votes over Medicare than they do over health care in general, according to independent health care experts (Nather, 7/29).

Politico: Nancy Pelosi: Kiss Your Medicare Goodbye
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi dialed up the rhetoric before Speaker John Boehner's plan to raise the debt limit heads to the House floor for a vote, declaring it a "job-killer" and saying seniors could "kiss their Medicare good-bye" (Kim, 7/28).

CNN (Video): AARP Says Leave Social Security Alone
Seniors are scared about a debt deal that may include cuts to Social Security and Medicare. CNN's Sandra Endo reports (7/28). 

Meanwhile, in the background -

The Associated Press/Washington Post: Poll: Many Baby Boomers Concerned About Paying For Retirement, Health Care Costs
The struggling economy, a longer life expectancy, ever-increasing health care costs and challenges facing Social Security are putting added pressure on the boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964 (7/28).