June 9, 2007

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Former U.S. Senator Bob Graham talks about healthcare coverage for the uninsured  at NSU Commencement

Ft Lauderdale - FL. - Bob Graham, a former U.S. senator and governor of Florida, told Nova Southeastern University graduates to make a difference in the lives of those without healthcare. He spoke to 651 graduating students in medicine, pharmacy, optometry, public health and dentistry last month during NSU’s Health Professions Division’s commencement.

Graham said one out of seven children in the Sunshine State does not have health insurance. That’s 50 percent higher than the national average of uninsured children, he said.

“More than 600,000 young men and women in this state do not have access to the care they may require and that many of us take for granted,” Graham said. “You can make a difference.”

Uninsured children represent only 20 percent of the more than 46 million Americans of all ages who don’t have health insurance, he said. The number of Americans who fall into the uninsured trap each year is more than the population of Broward County, Graham said. Uninsured patients contribute to the high cost of health care.

“By 2016, annual health care spending in the United States is expected to reach $4.1 trillion,” he said.

Graham was a U.S. senator for 18 years, Florida’s governor for two terms, and he’s also served in the state legislature. A centrist who received an 89 percent approval  rating as
governor, Graham retired from public service in 2005, following his presidential campaign the year before.

During his career, Graham had been actively involved in health care and elderly issues. As a state legislator and governor, he initiated Florida’s Community Care for the Elderly program. As a U.S. senator, he served for 10 years on the Senate Finance Committee, where he took a leadership role in federal healthcare policy.

Graham was an early sponsor of the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program, which now benefits over 240,000 low-income children and families in Florida. In 2002, he was named Legislator of the Year by the National Council on the Aging for his work on Medicare Reform, Medicare Wellness Act, Social Services Block Grant Restoration Act, and Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act.

Graham has also been recognized for his leadership roles, ranging from environmental preservation to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

The commencement occurred on May 27 at the BankAtlantic Center.

About Nova Southeastern University: Nova Southeastern University is the largest independent institution of higher education in the Southeast, and it is the 6th largest independent institution nationally. NSU awards associate's, bachelor's, master's, educational specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. The university is comprised of undergraduate, graduate and professional schools of osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, optometry, allied health and nursing, medical sciences, dental medicine, law, marine biology and oceanography, business and entrepreneurship, computer and information sciences, humanities, conflict resolution, family therapy, interdisciplinary studies, education, psychology and counseling, and family programs.