Americans trust Obama to better handle Medicare than Romney

Washington - US President Barack Obama has an edge over Republican rival Mitt Romney on the issue who would best handle Medicare, a series of polls show.

A Gallup swing state poll shows that nearly 50 percent of Americans in 12 key states trust Obama, compared to 44 percent for Romney to address issues facing Medicare.

The poll shows swing state voters are more likely to believe that Obama’s campaign has a specific plan for Medicare than to believe that the Romney campaign does.
 
According to CBS News, the Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that Obama is gaining ground among older 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 Obama trailing by fewer than four points.
 
“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,” Reuters reports.
 
Nearly 52 percent Americans said that Obama would do a better job handling Medicare, compared to 43 percent who said the same for Romney, according to the Politico poll.

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 Obama and 47 percent choosing Romney, the report added.