On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump said he would protect Medicare, but his pick to head up the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has left some Long Island residents wondering if that's true.

Rep. Tom Price (R - Georgia) has said he believes Medicare would work better if it were run privately, instead of by the federal government. He says the move will drastically reduce government spending.

The controversial issue was the talk of the lunch room at the East Neck Nursing and Rehab Center.

"I don't know what they have in mind, but we do not need any changes unless there's more money. That's the only change I would like," says Andrea Rivera, of West Babylon.

Health and welfare advocates say that a change in who runs the program could also mean changes in coverage.

"With the Medicare program, we know that individuals have access to comprehensive care that works for seniors in this country and that's something that we want to make sure we maintain and every individual has access to," says Gwen O'Shea, of the Health and Welfare Council.

Some young people also told News 12 that they are worried about what changes to the program will mean for the future.

"There are just some things they shouldn't mess with like Medicare and Social Security," says Meredith McCrum, of West Babylon. "I've been paying into it my whole life and I hope it's there for me when I need it."