WASHINGTON — As the election nears, Republicans and Democrats alike say Medicare is working to their political advantage in campaigns for the White House and Congress.
They can’t both be right, and no matter which side is, this is one campaign clash with consequences extending well beyond Nov. 6.
Given the millions that both sides are spending, the winner of the presidential election may be able to claim a Medicare mandate.
Add the near certainty that deficit reduction will be prominent on the 2013 agenda. Then factor in the official estimate that the Medicare fund that pays for inpatient care would run out of money in a little more than a decade.
The result is a near-certainty that big change is coming for a program providing health care to 49 million people.
