Republican senatorial candidate and former Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns and Democratic senatorial candidate Scott Kleeb spoke in a public forum at the 20th Annual Thomas Timothy Smith, M.D. Lecture on Tuesday. Both candidates addressed health care topics such as reform, lack of services in rural areas, research funds and standards in the industry.

About 120 observers attended the forum, which took place in the Harper Center Ballroom at 6 p.m.

The event was sponsored by the Creighton University School of Medicine and the Boys Town National Research Hospital and was moderated by Daniel Wilson, Psychiatry Department chair and professor.

Kleeb began by saying his health care reform plan involved three components: expanding access, investing in new technology and integrated care.

“It doesn’t matter how close the nearest hospital is if the patient can’t afford it,” Kleeb said about the lack of insurance carriers in Nebraska.

About 156,300 Nebraska residents are uninsured, according to Families USA, a nonprofit health care advocacy organization.

Kleeb supports a bipartisan health care plan that would increase the patient to doctor ratio.

Republican senatorial candidate Mike Johanns said he doesn’t support either presidential candidate’s health care plan because neither are financially realistic.

“When you do the math on that, $480 billion to reach uninsured, it’s not realistic and will crush our economy and small businesses.”

Instead, Johann’s plan focuses on moving services within the community.

The forum was opened to audience participation when the moderator invited members to pose their own questions. Audience members were interested in patient privacy, the price of medication and health care as a social good versus a commodity.

Johanns touted his previous work as governor, citing his mental health facilities reform bill. “I think the shape of the future is often dictated by what you’ve done in the past,” Johanns said. “It was probably one of the most influential pieces of legislation. Is there more to do there? Of course there is.”

Arts & Sciences freshman Stephanie Pelan said she attended the forum to gauge each candidate’s heath care ideas.

“I think it’s really important to be an informed voter,” she said. “Also, health care is a really big issue for me, and I wanted to hear the candidates’ views on it.”