Nearly one in six Americans – about 47 million people, including 400,000 Minnesotans and 9 million children nationwide – is living without health insurance. Many families are one injury or major illness away from financial ruin.

Some of the uninsured don't get the health care they need because of the high price. Others pass on preventative care and end up being treated later in far more costly emergency rooms. If they can’t afford to pay, the expense is simply passed on to the insured – further driving up health care costs for everyone.

Getting all Americans basic health care coverage is not only the right thing to do, it is good public policy that will help keep the overall cost of health care down.

Bob Olson will consider any plan to achieve universal health care.

As a tax attorney and banker, he believes tax incentives for businesses to provide coverage and premium vouchers for the self-employed, college students and those in between jobs can significantly reduce the number of uninsured.