By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – There are more than one million people without health insurance in Missouri and a coalition of groups is using this week to raise awareness about them. They call their campaign Cover the Uninsured. Organizers hope the events will start a public discussion on the subject. George Buntin of St. Louis has no health coverage. He told organizers at the University of Missouri - St. Louis today that one major problem is that health insurance is often tied to whether people have a job. If I'm sick, I'm sick regardless of whether I'm working or not. If someone has to pay for it, they're going to have to pay for regardless of whether I'm working or not. So why not put together a system that pays for health care regardless of whether we're working or not , Buntin said. Local leaders who spoke say they don't have the money to pay for universal health care. They're calling on the federal government should do that.