Robocall: GOP will 'protect' Medicare

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- The campaign of GOP nominee Mitt Romney is running a robocall accusing U.S. President Barack Obama of "raiding" Medicare and promising to protect the program.

The Center for American Progress -- which describes itself as independent and non-partisan but generally supports Democratic policies -- said on its Think Progress Web site Tuesday the robocall claims Obama is "changing the program forever."

"Some think Obamacare is the same as free healthcare, but nothing is free," an announcer says on the robocall. "Obama is raiding $716 billion from Medicare, changing the program forever -- taxing wheel chairs and pacemakers, raising taxes on families making less than $120,000. Free healthcare comes at a very high price. The Romney-Ryan plan will restore Medicare funding, and protect and strengthen the program for the next generation."

The robocall concludes with a tagline saying it was paid for by Romney for President Inc. Think Progress did not say in which states the robocall was being used.

Obama and other Democrats have pointed out that the Affordable Care Act reallocates $716 billion in Medicare spending, diverting it away from providers to be used to lower co-pays and provide other benefits for seniors.

Democrats say Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, want to replace Medicare with a voucher system that would eventually cost seniors thousands of dollars more than they currently pay for healthcare coverage.