CHICAGO (AP) — Mike O'Malley is 55; wife Sharon is 53. So what?

So they're on opposite sides of the age cutoff in Mitt Romney's Medicare plan, and that could create a bumpy transition for the suburban Chicago couple and others like them. It would be the difference between being in the traditional program for the elderly and a less certain future.

As the issue rises in importance in the presidential campaign, it's leading to inevitable comparisons for couples and siblings who are just a few years apart — and sometimes perhaps a touch of envy.

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