"The first wealth is health." Ralph Waldo Emerson penned these words recognizing that good health is essential to the prosperity of the American people. During periods of economic downturn in our nation's history, however, Americans' health has often been among the first casualties. Today, with skyrocketing health care costs and financial woes affecting both Main Street and Wall Street, people urgently need access to high quality, affordable medical care. Currently, the United States...