Health care reform is top issue in America this election cycle

Sunday, July 29, 2007 | 7:40 a.m.

It's unusual to fi nd so many people in agreement. When it comes to health care, though, we all agree with the principle that our nation's health care system is broken and we need real, comprehensive reform.

Today, 418,000 Nevadans don't have health insurance and 103,000 are children. Nationally, it's nearly 45 million, including 9 million children. In the wealthiest nation in the world, that's just unacceptable.

That's why Nevada for Health Care - a part of Americans for Health Care, which is a project of the Service Employees International Union - is uniting families, small-business owners, community leaders and policymakers who are concerned about the skyrocketing cost of health care. With the 2008 presidential caucuses just around the corner, Nevadans are in a unique position to have a real impact on the race.

Presidential candidates are visiting our state with more and more frequency, and we have the opportunity and responsibility to talk to the candidates about issues that matter most to us, including real health care reform.

Everyone is worried about health care - being able to get it, keep it and afford it. It's a real burden on all of our families, and it's getting worse all the time.

Our volunteers and activists hear every day from Nevadans who have struggled with our health care system, including Las Vegas resident Tracey Rodell and her son Alan. Rodell has watched Alan suffer as a result of our broken health care system.

Alan was born with a heart defect and, because they do not have adequate, affordable health insurance, he had to wait until the condition was severe for surgery to be approved. Now he will have to face multiple surgeries throughout his life to have heart valves replaced. If he had access to a health care system that allowed treatment without an exorbitant price tag, his life would be a lot different.

Recent polling from Americans for Health Care, a project of SEIU, indicates voters in early primary and caucus states say health care will be one of their top issues in the upcoming presidential election. Democratic and Republican voters overwhelmingly agree that we need fundamental, not piecemeal , reform of the health care system.

There is also strong bipartisan support for shared responsibility in reaching the goal of quality, affordable health care coverage for everyone. Ninety percent of Democratic voters and 77 percent of Republican voters agree that "businesses, government and individuals all have a responsibility to help pay for health care."

Eighty-two percent of voters in four states agree that "everyone has a right to quality, affordable health care coverage." That includes 92 percent of Democratic voters and, remarkably, 72 percent of Republican voters. However, a majority say they have not heard the candidates talk enough about the issue. The poll, paid for by Americans for Health Care, was conducted by Lake Research Partners of likely primary and caucus voters in New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada.

If presidential candidates want to appeal to voters in Nevada, they must listen to what voters are saying - we want to hear more about health care reform. All across the state, presidential candidates are talking about the need for health care reform. We agree.

But now is the time for specifi cs. Nevada's health care voters are calling on all candidates - both Democrats and Republicans - to release their health care plans by Aug. 1, just a few days from now.

So far, former Sen. John Edwards, Sen. Barack Obama, Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Chris Dodd have released detailed plans for comprehensive reform of our health care system. Rep. Dennis Kucinich has introduced a plan that would cover everyone under a singlepayer system.

We are happy to see some candidates taking health care seriously, and we will hold all of them accountable for having plans by Aug. 1. Health care reform is too important to the people of Nevada - and all Americans - for candidates not to make it a top priority.

Our country needs real, comprehensive reform on health care now and we need to hear from all candidates on what they will do to address our nation's health care crisis. The longer we wait to fi x the problem, the worse it's going to get.

Samantha Galing Gaddy is director of Nevada for Health Care, which is part of Americans for Health Care, a project of the Service Employees International Union.