Terra Haute, Indiana, November 13th

The bus campaign’s creators say it is aimed at educating Americans in 11 states about the comprehensive, cost-effective solution to the current health insurance crisis, the U.S. National Health Insurance Act (HR 676).

Local Healthcare-NOW! members will meet with Rep. Brad Ellsworth’s staff at 2 p.m. at the congressman’s Terre Haute office. At 7 p.m., a free screening of Michael Moore’s film, “SiCKO,” will be in Room 103 of Holmstedt Hall on the Indiana State University campus.

The educational bus tour begins in Chicago and ends in New Orleans. Its organizers say the country’s health care crisis has hit Indiana particularly hard.

According to Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan, Indiana has the highest per capita rate of medically-bankrupt families, more than 77,000 Hoosiers. And surprisingly, 75 percent of those declaring bankruptcy for medical reasons had health insurance when they got sick.

Jessica Livingston of the local Healthcare-NOW! chapter said the group will ask Ellsworth to join the current 86 co-sponsors of HR 676 “because it is the only way to truly fix the problems with our health care system crisis. Every other industrialized country in the world has guaranteed health care for everyone — why don’t we?”

After the screening at Holmstedt, members of the Road Show team will discuss the movie and the bill. Members include Donna Smith, who is featured with her husband in a health care “horror” story in “SiCKO.”