Medicare expected to come up in final presidential debate

The third and final presidential debate this week may include a discussion on Medicare. Moderator Chris Wallace from Fox News is expected to ask the presidential nominees about the program.

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has proposed allowing people 55 and older to buy into Medicare in an effort to address affordability of health insurance. Republican nominee Donald Trump has said he would not touch Medicare. He has also implied that he doesn't support the congressional Republicans' plan to transform Medicare to a so-called premium-support program. That would entail the government making fixed per-capita contributions into the program. Beneficiaries would use those payments to get their care from either traditional Medicare or private plans.

If Medicare is brought up, it would be the second time Wallace and Trump have gone head-to-head on the issue. In a debate during the GOP primaries, Wallace said Trump's proposal to let Medicare negotiate Part D drug prices didn't add up to the estimated $300 billion in savings.

Trump argued that it would, because he would negotiate better prices.

Other topics slated for the Oct. 19 debate in Las Vegas include the national debt, immigration, the economy, the Supreme Court, foreign policy and the candidates' health, which has been scrutinized by media and voters. Last month, Clinton suffered from pneumonia, and Trump was determined to be overweight.

If elected, Trump, 70, would be the oldest president to assume office; Clinton, 68, would be the second-oldest, behind Ronald Reagan.