A forum at noon today will address the importance of health care for the uninsured.

The forum, held in Room A-133 Life Sciences Building, is part of a series of events recognizing national Cover the Uninsured Week through Friday.

Students and faculty from MSU's colleges of Human Medicine, Nursing and Osteopathic Medicine are sponsoring the series of forums and speeches that started Monday night.

Today's forum will discuss the Ingham County Health Plan, which provides coverage for the underinsured.

Speakers include Jayson Welter from the Ingham County Health Department and MSU Professor Howard Brody.

Brooke Hamel, a second-year medical student, said she hopes the week will bring awareness to the problems patients endure other than illness.

"We get wrapped up in academics and it's important to see patients as real humans with troubles," she said.

An informal meeting was held Monday to discuss the ideas, myths and realities of working with uninsured patients.

A second forum starts at noon Thursday in the same location. It will focus on the challenges and benefits of working with the uninsured.

Representatives from the Free Clinics of the Great Lakes Region Network and the College of Nursing will be on hand.

The week culminates at noon on Friday in the same room with an event titled "Voices of Patients."

Uninsured patients will share their experiences in the health care system.

Cover the Uninsured Week began last year and is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the California Endowment, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and other national organizations.

Patricia McCarthy, spokeswoman for the Detroit region of Cover the Uninsured Week, said it's important to understand many working people don't have health insurance.

"We want to put a face on the uninsured," she said.

"People need to realize that the uninsured can be their neighbors or co-workers.

"They may delay necessary medical care until a condition has worsened."

According to the last Census, there were more than 41 million uninsured Americans in 2001.

A report released last week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimates about 75 million Americans under the age of 65 were uninsured sometime in 2001 and 2002.

More than 600 events in honor of the week are taking place in 50 states nationwide.

For more information, visit www.covertheuninsured.org.