NASHVILLE — Religious leaders are joining forces in an unusual coalition to curb the growing number of Americans without health insurance, as part of Cover the Uninsured Week.
The National Council of Churches (NCC) and the Southern Baptist Convention, in a rare partnership, together called on the faith community to bring greater awareness of the 44 million Americans without health coverage — including 8.5 million children — in a conference call hosted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
“Health care has been up and down on our national agenda, and we believe the time has more than come,” said Eileen Lindner of the NCC. “It’s not the most ordinary thing for these two groups to see eye-to-eye on this matter, but it’s illustrative of the magnitude of 44 million of our neighbors being uncovered.”
Religious leaders will conduct discussions and seminars for clergy on solving the health care crisis in the United States as part of the week and are distributing bulletin inserts and prayer guides. The event runs May 10–16. “We’re calling the American people to come together to find creative solutions,” said Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. “Some churches have opened up free clinics in response to this. Church members who are doctors are donating their time so anyone who doesn’t have insurance can come and receive care.”
According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, eight out of 10 people who are uninsured either work or are in working families. Many hold jobs that don’t offer health care benefits or can’t afford co-payments and premiums.
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