THE RIGHT TO HEALTHCARE

AUG 27 -- This week, the federal government’s non-partisan Census Bureau found that the number of uninsured Americans rose by 1.4 million last year.

Since George Bush took office, Healthcare premiums have increased $2,630 and 5 million Americans have lost their insurance. There are now a staggering 45 million Americans without health insurance.

Paul Krugman explains why this has a major effect not just on Americans’ health but also on their ability to get jobs:

"In America the government offers insurance only if you're elderly (Medicare) or poor (Medicaid). Otherwise, you're expected to get private health insurance, usually through your job. But insurance premiums are exploding, and the system of employment-linked insurance is falling apart.

Some employers have dropped their health plans. Others have maintained benefits for current workers, but are finding ways to avoid paying benefits to new hires - for example, by using temporary workers. And some businesses, while continuing to provide health benefits, are refusing to hire more workers.

In other words, rising health care costs aren't just causing a rapid rise in the ranks of the uninsured (confirmed by yesterday's Census Bureau report); they're also, because of their link to employment, a major reason why this economic recovery has generated fewer jobs than any previous economic expansion."

You can read a succinct version of John Kerry’s comprehensive Healthcare plan here:

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/health_care/health_care.html