University of Southern California

A Call to Care: Cover the Uninsured

Who Needs Care?

In 2003, nearly 44 million Americans lacked health care coverage, an increase of more than 2 million in just one year; nearly 44 million uninsured Americans need care. Most of the uninsured - eight out of 10 - are in working families; America's uninsured workers and their families need care.

Eight and a half million of the uninsured are children under the age of 18; America's uninsured children need care. The health, jobs, families and lives of the uninsured are in constant jeopardy. These children, women and men live sicker and die younger simply because they do not have health insurance; those at risk, sick and dying need care. More than one in four currently uninsured adults have had severe problems with paying medical bills, problems that forced them to change their way of life significantly to pay these bills; those with financial problems need care.

Yet it doesn't have to be this way. So today we proclaim the call to care in the name of our nation's nearly 44 million uninsured people. Why Do Our Faith Communities Proclaim the Call to Care? Because faith communities have a long tradition of caring for people who suffer in mind, body and spirit, today we proclaim the call to care for our nation's nearly 44 million uninsured people.

Because faith communities have prayed for the sick, visited the hospitalized, comforted the dying and their loved ones, and founded hospitals, we proclaim today a call to care for our nation's nearly 44 million uninsured people.

Because faith communities have led the way in seeking just and compassionate public policies, today we proclaim the call to care for our nation's nearly 44 million uninsured people.

Because Jewish teaching holds that "if you save one life it is as if you have saved the world;" because Muslim teaching instructs us to "help one another in righteousness and piety;" because in Christian teaching we read, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me," today we proclaim the call to care for our nation's nearly 44 million uninsured people. Because all of our faith traditions, despite encompassing a wide spectrum of beliefs, hold central a conviction that life is a gift from God to be cherished and that God's people are called to care for one another, provide healing and prevent suffering with compassion and a commitment to justice, today we proclaim the call to care for our nation's nearly 44 million uninsured people.

Answering the Call

By reflecting on the texts and teachings of our own faiths that guide our understanding of and response to the needs of the uninsured, we will respond with faith.

By learning more about the plight of the uninsured and potential solutions through study, and discussion.

By reaching out to help people without health coverage through health fairs and other volunteer opportunities, we will respond with care.

By focusing attention on the plight of the uninsured and promoting respectful discussions in which we invite all Americans to participate in seeking and implementing solutions, we will respond with justice.

Faithfully

Rev. Eileen W. Lindner, Chairperson
National Council of Churches

Bishop Cecil Bishop
AMEZ/Baptist

Lt. Col. Paul Bollwahn, ACSW, CSWM
Salvation Army, National Social Services Secretary

Rabbi Marla J. Feldman
Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism

Dr. Richard Land
Southern Baptist Convention, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

Ms. Garland Pohl
National Association of Diocesan Ecumenical Officers

Ms. Hannah Rosenthal
Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Dr. Mary Ruth Stone
Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee

Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed
Islamic Society of North America

Bishop Melvin Talbert
United Methodist Church

Ms. Nancy Wisdo
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

  • Organizations listed for identification purposes only.