It’s election season and the airwaves are full of noise, but there are critical issues being debated and, at times, purposefully ignored. For instance, Social Security, Medicade and Medicare are hot button issues for both parties thanks to the millions of Ameircans counting on the benefits these federal programs provide.

According to BusinessWeek, the Medicare issue will be a big issue in the general election, especially in in electoral-vote rich states with large populations of senior citizens like Pennsylvania and Florida.

Medicare, the health-insurance program for Americans 65 and older and those who are disabled, is funded with payroll taxes paid by most employees and employers.

The Medicare trust fund held by the U.S. Treasury is projected to be depleted by 2024.

Tomorrow in Florida, we will get an early read on how senior citizens are voting, since one in three Republican primary voters in the Sunshine State are over 65. Chances are Florida’s Republican seniors, many of whom retired from white-collar jobs elsewhere, understand that market performance, the federal budget, interest rates, Social Security and Medicare are all linked.

According to Miami Herald, seniors would like to hear more about Social Security and Medicare, particularly how reimbursements to doctors or hospitals could change. But virtually nothing about that is being discussed, much less accomplished in Congress.