Health care becomes main issue in US election(NHK)

In the United States, health care has become a major issue in the final days before the presidential election due to widespread anxiety about the future stemming from the financial crisis.

Worries about their standard of living are leading voters to increasingly pay attention to the issue.

Many people in the United States have to buy a health insurance policy individually. Nearly 46 million people remain uninsured and soaring costs make it impossible for a rising number of people to receive medical treatment.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama calls for the creation of a new government-controlled medical insurance system to rescue the uninsured.

Republican candidate John McCain wants to leave medical insurance to the private sector while helping people to purchase insurance through tax breaks.

Opinion polls show that Obama, who is supported by medium-to-low income earners, is widening his lead over McCain on health care.

Smaller company owners are concerned that Obama's reform plan may increase the burden on their companies. Some of them are now supporting McCain.

Both candidates are stressing their differences on the issue to attract undecided voters 3 days ahead of the election.