When someone has a searing pain in their stomach, unable to walk, eat or sleep without a jolt of pain running through their body, one would hope they go to the hospital immediately to take care of the problem.

Twenty-two year-old Katie Weldon refused to do just that a year ago.

Weldon experienced stomach pains "to the point I couldn't breathe," she said.

Uninsured and struggling to make car, college, and rent payments, Weldon decided to call local hospitals to see how much an emergency room visit cost.

"One nurse told me I really needed to come in and I said I couldn't because I couldn't afford it ," she said.

Even though Weldon worked over 30 hours a week at her job and went to school, her employers and the university didn't consider her full-time -- a requirement needed at both places in order for her to receive insurance through the company or school.

Weldon's situation isn't uncommon.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 47 million men, women, and children – more than the population of Spain – live uninsured and avoid getting medical help.

Of the uninsured, the largest demographic who go without health insurance are those in Weldon's age bracket -- young adults ages 18-24. These individuals make up 29% of the total number of those without any health care coverage, according to the U.S. Census.

Add the number of individuals aged 25-34 who are uninsured and the percentage rises to 55%.

Over the past five years, the cost of health insurance premiums for the American middle class family has increased at least $1,000, according to information provided by the U.S. Census and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

While health insurance, education, gasoline, and heating costs steadily rose over the past five years, the income of the American middle class dropped $3,000 in the same span.

The impact of the squeeze on the middle class – the biggest voter bloc in the country – revealed itself in the last year as Republican and Democratic candidates gear up for the presidential campaign road.

According to national polls, including the Washington Post/ABC and the New York Times polls, health care is second to the War in Iraq as the most important issue voters are looking at for the 2008 presidential election.

Among younger voters, ages 18-24, health care remains an important issue, but the War in Iraq and education take higher precedence.

Survey of 195 young adults ages 18-25 on their most important issues closely mirror the issues important to the rest of the country. (Graphic by Jessica Branen)

An internet survey of 195 college-age adults in the UWEC area conducted by students of a Public Affairs Reporting class at UW- Eau Claire indicate health care is third behind the War in Iraq and education.

"We're still young and healthy," said UW-Eau Claire Junior Rachel Roberts, "but eventually we're going to get sick and we need an affordable health insurance."

Affordable health insurance has become the mantra of the health care plans many presidential candidate hopefuls are touting during the primary campaigns.

For many of the Democratic candidates, the solution comes in the form of a more socialized health care system.

Frontrunner candidates Sen. Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), former Sen. John Edwards (D- N.C.), and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) all have some form of a government-subsidized health care plan they intend to utilize if they become president.

While Clinton, Edwards, and Obama say they will allow individuals to keep private insurance, Kucinich said on his presidential campaign website and on many media broadcasts that he aims to eliminate for-profit insurance and replace the U.S. health care system all together in a span of 15 years.

Twenty-year-old Lacy Almonte has insurance through her place of employment, Olive Garden.

Almonte said her coverage is very good, but a recent situation had her thinking more about her deductible than her health.

Almonte is in her second trimester with her first child. Earlier in the month, Almonte experienced a horrible pain in her stomach.

"I thought I was having a miscarriage," she said. "My husband wanted me to go to the ER."

Almonte's deductible for ER visits is $500 -- an expense she and her husband cannot afford to spend.

"I thought about my deductible and thought 'nu-uh' I'm not doing it," she said.

A call to the triage nurse allowed Almonte to figure out the symptoms she was experiencing were caused by her round ligaments expanding.

Even though Almonte refused to go into emergency care because of the cost, Almonte said she doesn't think a socialized health care system would take care of the problem.

"Everyone would be at the doctor all the time," she said, pointing out that people who do not have serious illnesses are deterred from going in because of the cost and if it isn't serious or can be treated at home, that's a good thing.

For the Republican candidates, getting rid of the current system is out of the question, but fixing and updating it is an option, according to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.), and former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.).

These Republican candidates all have a plan to expand the health care market and give individuals open range of where and how they get their insurance.

UW- Eau Claire Senior Collin Bourgeois said he believes a free-market solution to the health care system would only exasperate the situation.

A free-market system benefits only those at the top of the income brackets, he said. And those at the top of the income bracket do not need help getting a good insurance policy.

"People who are rich have a blind luxury,"he said. "They don't see the bad situation because they aren't in that situation."

All presidential hopefuls agree on the main issue at hand for the U.S. health care system: 47 million uninsured Americans is a sign that the system needs to be fixed.

"It's not working," Almonte said of the current system.

"Some people cannot afford health insurance,"Roberts said. "They shouldn't be punished by not getting health care."