Utah residents rally for health-care reform

About 25 people representing religions from across the Salt Lake Valley joined in a unified prayer for health-care reform for everyone, especially those who have recently fallen into the margins of the current system.

Using U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson as a focal point by meeting outside his offices in South Salt Lake, the group asked for a blessing on the those who are without access to health care and those who have recently lost it through a job loss due to employee cutbacks in the wake of the recession.

They asked that public officials like Matheson, who has been targeted by health-care-reform activists and protesters three times in the past two days, find the courage to pass a bill this year.

The group said the course of health care, particularly the uncivilized debate over it during Congress' recess, is impeding any chance of discussing reform in a reasoned, fair manner.

Reform is absolutely necessary, it's past time, and instead of a courageous public discussion of the issue and how best to address the disparities and serious problems, it is being drowned out by political dissonance, event organizers said.

Congressional leaders have a huge opportunity to do some real good for people and make reforms that are real reforms, said Linda Hilton, director of the Coalition of Religious Communities. The interfaith community deals with the results of the broken system every day, and some families who thought they would never have to seek out charity services and other sources of help are having to do so because the way things are has left them nowhere else to turn, she said.

"Reform isn't about taking things away from people, it's about restoring fundamental fairness to the health-care system that every day is shutting people out," said Bill Tibbitts, an advocate for the poor with Crossroads Urban Center.

Matheson is seen as a pivotal player in whatever the U.S. House develops as a possible health-care-reform bill. Matheson has said he wants health care reform, but reform that preserves what is best about the current system and contains the soaring costs of care. In a statement issued by his office, he said, "The status quo is unsustainable and unacceptable. Inaction is not an option."