As US presidential candidates stake out their positions on prescription drug coverage, a national coalition wants to restore universal health care to the legislative agenda.

The U2K campaign has 400 endorsing organizations, including the General Board of Church and Society and thousands of individual supporters. It was founded in October 1999 by the National Council of Churches, the Universal Health Care Action Network, and the Gray Panthers.

U2K is mobilizing the faith community to back its efforts toward achieving "comprehensive, affordable, quality, and publicly accountable health care for all." It is challenging leaders of faith traditions to declare that the health-care delivery crisis in the United States is a matter of justice and morality.

"All faith traditions challenge believers to act with justice, to engage with healing, and to treat everyone with compassion" say 68 religious leaders in a letter circulated by the campaign. "A Call for Health Care Justice from Faith Community Leaders" points to a health-care delivery system that "distributes services unjustly, rations care inequitably, and offers compassion [only] to those who can afford it."

In 1998, 44 million Americans were uninsured, according to Uninsured in America, a study issued in May by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. The study reveals that most of the uninsured earn incomes higher than the federal poverty level of $13,650 for a family of three. [Other sources set the poverty threshold at $16,660.] The uninsured are from working families with at least one full-time worker.

Most of the uninsured are white, under 65, and working in medium- sized and large businesses with more than 25 employees. But the study also finds that minorities are disproportionately represented in the uninsured population.

Another key objective of the U2K campaign is to "help create an energized bloc of universal-health-care supporters in the next Congress." The campaign is urging candidates for Congress to join the Congressional Universal Health Care Task Force and work to design a just health-care system for all.

As part of its efforts to raise public awareness, the U2K campaign is pushing for the observance of Health Care Justice Week from October 13 to 22. Resources for worship, study, networking, and organizing are available on its website (www.u2kcampaign.org).

United Methodists have a historic involvement in the ministry of healing. Methodism's founder, John Wesley, emphasized the integral link between physical health and spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being, and he had a special concern for the poor. The early Methodist movement founded clinics, hospitals, and homes for both children and the elderly. Today, The United Methodist Church's global-mission outreach almost always has a health component, reflecting the church's understanding that extending health care to those who need it is part of proclaiming the Gospel.

"When Jesus was asked for healing, he immediately said yes in every New Testament instance but one," noted the Rev. Jackson Day, Program Director for Health and Wholeness at the General Board of Church and Society. In that one case (Matthew 15:21-28), Day pointed out, the woman in the story refused to be excluded, insisting that healing be extended to her sick daughter. "Jesus marveled at her faith," said Day, "and provided the requested healing."

"Today there are 45 million uninsured Americans," Day continued. "While the United Methodist General Conference has maintained that health care is a right, our culture treats it as a commodity to be offered only to those with resources. The story of the Canaanite woman reminds us that health care must be for all, and we must find ways to realize that in our society."

September 27, 2000