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 recently spoke to 651 graduating students in medicine, pharmacy, optometry, public health and dentistry during NSUs Health Professions Divisions commencement.
Graham said one out of seven children in the Sunshine State does not have health insurance. Thats 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 dont 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, Floridas governor for two terms, and hes 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 Floridas 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.
