Health-care options exist, but won't solve all problems

Most people are aware of how dire the health-care crisis is in this country, especially after hearing politicians say it over and over without doing a single thing about it.

Right here in Carson City, some people are doing without important medications because they need the money to pay rent or buy food. Others with no health insurance haven't visited a doctor for years.

That's why it's been heartening to run stories in recent days that there's at least some help available.

The first was in Thursday's paper, after a bus operated by the Partnership for Prescription Assistance stopped in town. For some people, that bus may have seemed like Santa's sleigh as it gave them help finding cheaper - and, sometimes, free - prescriptions.

Those cheaper drugs are offered through the drug companies themselves, which want to keep the health-care system from getting so bad that the government has to step in.

If you missed that bus, it's not too late to take advantage of the programs. All you need to do is call 888-477-2669, or visit the Web site www.pparx.org.

And don't forget that Nevada also has a program in place to help people buy cheaper drugs from Canada. Residents need only visit the Web site http://govcha.state.nv.us/CP-index.htm to see if it can help them or call 1-888-333-1597.

And, one last encouraging sign, from today's paper, is that low-income families will find help at the Carson City's community health clinic, beginning July 5.

It's not free, but does offer another option for people who need help.

All of these things together are encouraging, but they're not the solution to providing security to all of the seniors and families out there living on fixed incomes or from paycheck to paycheck.

For that, we are forced to look to Washington, D.C. We don't recommend holding your breath waiting for action.