Low-income Advocates Push for Basic Healthcare

None by KCPW

(KCPW News -- By Alison Barton) Dozens of low-income advocates for basic healthcare went to Capitol Hill this afternoon urging Utah lawmakers to wake up and notice the many Utahns who are suffering due to a lack of healthcare.

"I think it needs to be people first. People over parking, and teeth over tortoises. They chose to fund the tortoises down in St. George as opposed to funding dental for people with disabilities and low-income, and it's not fair. People need to be first, whether we're disabled or not."

That's Ricki Landers, a low-income healthcare advocate from West Valley City. Insured Utahns like Jana Baldwin were also present at Capitol Hill to support the push for basic healthcare.

"I am fortunate that I do have health insurance, but I still can't even pay for it. So, if I have health insurance and I can't pay for it, then how is anybody who is on a worse-off level than I am supposed to pay? I've been working on my masters in public health so I can hopefully have a bigger voice in the political arena."

According to advocates, an estimated 132 Utahns will die in 2007 if nothing is done to help the uninsured and underinsured citizens.

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