Poll: Hands off Medicare, Social Security

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Seventy percent of U.S. adults age 50 and older want no changes to Medicare and Social Security as part of any end-of-year deal, an AARP survey indicates.

Seventy-six percent of the 50-somethings oppose reducing Medicare benefits to reduce the deficit, while 75 percent oppose reducing Social Security benefits to reduce the deficit.

Furthermore, 67 percent said they believe changes to Medicare and Social Security should be made based on the needs of the people and not just their impact on the budget.

Sixty-one percent of U.S. adults age 50 and older opposed changing the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, while 78 percent said it was very important not to reduce Social Security benefits for current recipients.

When it comes to reducing Medicare costs, 50-plus adults prefer changes in payment policy for healthcare providers to encourage greater effort to contain costs rather than changing seniors' payments such as higher deductibles and co-pays to discourage the use of services, the survey said.

The survey of 800 adults age 50 and older was conducted by Woelfel Research Nov. 7-8. This survey has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.