WASHINGTON (October 20, 2012)--As Election Day nears, Republicans and Democrats both say Medicare is working to their political advantage in campaigns for the White House and Congress and no matter which side is proven right, it’s a campaign clash with consequences that will extend 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 and 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.