These days, there's one milestone birthday plenty of people look forward to: the one when they become eligible for Medicare and can leave all their health care worries behind. That's the hope, anyway. But the reality is that turning 65 takes care of only a little more than half of subsequent medical expenses.

By Caren Bohan Thu Jun 5, 4:48 PM ET

BRISTOL, Virginia (Reuters) - Barack Obama enjoyed his first campaign swing as the likely Democratic presidential nominee on Thursday, visiting the election battleground of Virginia to mock Republican foe John McCain's health care proposals.

Published: June 5, 2008

The Bristol Herald Courier sent John McCain’s campaign a synopsis of criticisms leveled earlier today in Bristol by Barack Obama. McCain spokesman Crystal Benton issued the following rebuttals.

Health insurance companies are rapidly adopting a new pricing system for very expensive drugs, asking patients to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars for prescriptions for medications that may save their lives or slow the progress of serious diseases.

Higher Fees Squeeze Employers, Workers:
Recent history has not been kind to working-class Americans, who were down on the economy long before the word recession was uttered. The main reason: spiraling health-care costs have been whacking away at their wages.

People with health insurance are having more trouble paying for prescription drugs as higher out-of-pocket costs for medications and a slowing economy strain family budgets...

"Brace yourself for some sticker shock," says David Harrell, CEO of OptimizeRx.com, a website for prescription savings. "The combination of higher costs and reduced coverage you're likely to find the next time you fill a prescription may even make you feel a little sick."

Republican presidential candidate John McCain says the United States is approaching a "perfect storm" of problems that "will cause our health care system to implode" if the next president doesn't act. Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton would agree. But that's about where agreement over health care ends.

More than four in ten Americans report problems paying for needed prescription medications for themselves or their family, with 16 percent saying it is a serious problem.

According to the 2007/2008 results, generic co-pays on PPO plans are $10.99. When comparing the generic price to the non-formulary price on PPO plans, there is a difference of $31.32. For prescriptions used monthly, that difference can equate to $375.84 for just one prescription over the course of a year.

Health care ranks third as the issue that they want presidential candidates to discuss during the campaign -- named by 28% of voters, behind the economy (45%) and Iraq (32%). Party differences exist, with health care ranking second for Democrats, third for independents, and fourth for Republicans.