Even before Paul Ryan was announced as Mitt Romney’s running mate, Medicare was a contentious topic. But with Ryan’s proposed budget reform, it’s coming to dominate the campaign debate.

Now, just like everything else in the race, it's getting personal. This weekend Paul Ryan brought his own mother into the debate at a rally in Orlando, Florida.

But behind the political discourse, what's clear about the Democratic and Republican approaches to Medicare? Just how different are they?

Lori Robertson is the managing editor of factcheck.org.