Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Marianna Levyash - Talk Radio News Service

In a phone interview with Talk Radio News Service on Tuesday, National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson expressed his support for health care reform and explained why it is necessary for rural Americans working in agriculture.

“We have a system that we have long felt is broken,” said Johnson. “It is even more difficult for rural America because we have less access...fewer health care professionals and farmers and ranchers in particular are older and in a riskier occupation, and both of these things cost more.”

According to Johnson, the NFU has long supported a single-payer universal coverage system. Johnson said that the nation's current healthcare system fails farmers because policies are either too expensive for them to purchase, or they are denied coverage due to having pre-existing medical conditions.

“We are strong supporters of the public option because that’s the closest thing to what we actually want," he said.

Johnson added that he would like Congress to pass healthcare legislation that mirrors what other nations such as Canada and Great Britain have.