To the Editor:

Living in close knit eastern Oregon towns we too often hear of the exorbitant costs borne by friends and neighbors struck with medical expenses far beyond their ability to pay. For all the effort and donations that go into helping them, generally they and their families are still saddled with insurmountable bills which are as life changing as the medical catastrophe itself.

It is time for all Oregonians to have comprehensive health insurance! Health care is a human right. Most other developed nations provide universal health care to their citizenry. Insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry are spending billions to lobby our legislators and bend our minds to oppose single payer coverage at the national and state levels. Oregon could be the third state in the nation to pass a comprehensive state health care plan.

Health Care for All Oregon, HCAO, is a statewide, grassroots effort to change Oregons constitution to include health care as a human right and to find a way for all Oregonians to have health care throughout our state. Oregon Rural Actions health care team is working with over 60 other Oregon organizations to make Health Care for All a reality. Join us at one of our meetings in January (1/7/13 or 1/25/13), call the office at 541-975-2411 or visit oregonrural.org/our-work/health-care-reform.