The Road to American Health Care Bus Made a Stop in Vegas

In late April, SEIU launched a nationwide bus tour that is traveling through battleground states on its way to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, stopping in communities small and large along the way to highlight real people who are directly impacted or see the ill effects of our broken health care system.

Sharon Kisling was among the speakers at a press conference today in Las Vegas. “More and more working families can’t afford the rising cost of health care – and they don’t qualify for state programs because they make too much money,” said Sharon Kisling a supervisor with the Clark County Department of Family Services. “The middle class is getting squeezed.”

Sharon was among the speakers at a press conference today in Las Vegas. In her work with Child Protective Services, she sees the effects on children who don’t have health insurance. “No child should have to go without health insurance,” she continued.

Yet, Sen. John McCain’s health care proposals would make it harder for Americans to get coverage, would do nothing to control costs and would erode consumer protections already in place. Speakers distributed a report detailing the shortcomings of McCain’s plan, and called for a health system that works for everyone.

“Nevada has seen what happens when unscrupulous clinics and hospitals put profits above patients,” said Shauna Hamel, RN and SEIU Nevada president. “SEIU Nevada members are committed to continuing to raise health care standards here in our hospitals, through our local Southern Nevada Health District, and in the election in November.”

Today’s event is part of “The Road to American Health Care,” a national bus tour aimed at mobilizing voters around comprehensive health care reform. The bus tour is being organized by SEIU, the largest union of health care workers in North America, as part of a sweeping campaign to elect a new President and Congress committed to fixing health care -- and then make sure those newly elected leaders immediately pass legislation that makes quality health care affordable for everyone.