“New Voices” is an election project from The Takeaway that showcases the issues and thoughts of students and young voters across the country.

About 45 million Americans lack health insurance, and healthcare costs are skyrocketing. Presidential nominees John McCain and Barack Obama both claim the remedy for an ailing healthcare system, but each candidate’s proposals reveal some inconvenient truths.

Shuka Kalantari is a student at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in New York City.