CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE CURTIS TAKES AIM AT HEALTH-CARE PROBLEMS

MATTHEWS -- While selling health insurance the past few years, Gene Curtis heard horror stories about problems such as getting coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

He began looking for ways to have an impact on the health-care debate, and concluded the best was to run for Congress.

"I wanted to get somebody to run and try to influence a position on health care, but everybody I talked to was afraid of running against Bill Emerson," said Curtis. "So, when I could not get anybody to file, I decided to file myself."

Curtis, 57, of Matthews, is an independent insurance agent and real-estate broker in Sikeston.

He is running in Tuesday's Democratic primary for 8th District congressman against Thad Bullock of Cape Girardeau, Jay Thompson of Bourbon, and Don Hager of Farmington. Rep. Emerson, a Republican, is unopposed in the primary.

To deal with health care, Curtis wants to see a national sales tax enacted to go into a National Health Care Trust. "This would eliminate the billions of dollars being made in insurance payments now, and we would have a single payer system where everyone comes under it," said Curtis.

"Under that plan there would be a lot of room for options that could be billed by Social Security number and allow people to have expanded coverage if they want it."

Curtis said he doesn't believe there is anything wrong with the current health-care system, other than having to pay for it.

"Under this plan everyone would be covered from the vice president of the United States to people on the low-income scale," said Curtis.

Another advantage is that the billions of dollars being spent to pay for health insurance for local, state and federal workers could be eliminated, he said.

Curtis said he didn't know how much sales tax it would take to pay for the health plan.

If done properly, Curtis said his plan could eliminate the need for a workers' compensation tax since everyone would be covered by health care. Another advantage is that people on welfare would not need to stay on welfare to retain health benefits, and if incentives like health care are taken away, it becomes more practical for them to work in minimum-wage jobs, he said.

Curtis said his plan also deals with drug addiction because people addicted to drugs would be covered by the plan instead of being placed on Social Security disability.

Under the Curtis plan, administrators would be appointed by state governors from each congressional district and paperwork would be handled by existing insurance companies to eliminate the need for another bureaucracy.

"The one part of my health-care platform that is etched in stone is we must have a national health insurance plan that covers every citizen with the same plan and is paid for by a single payer system," said Curtis.

Curtis also proposes stiffer penalties for criminals and a crackdown on drug abusers. He wants a "three-strikes-and-you-are-out" law for drug abusers and a system to allow death sentences to be carried out in one year.

Curtis, an Army veteran, has worked as a real-estate broker for farmland and commercial property since 1977. He has farmed and has been employed in construction.

"The campaign I am running is very low key, but the response I am getting from talking with leaders in the various counties has been good," said Curtis.

"I don't have a lot of money to get my message out, but if I win this nomination there will be some money available so I can talk about pressing issues like health care, drugs and crime."