MADISON, Wis. -- Health care costs will likely be on the minds of voters as they head to the polls to pick a governor.

Health care costs are skyrocketing while a chunk of Wisconsinites don't have any coverage. The problem of the uninsured is the latest issue in the We the People/Wisconsin series.

Waukesha's Joe Geck feels fortunate that he has insurance and that he is covered well since his wife is a teacher.

"There's no doubt the system that we have is broken," said Geck, a We the People/Wisconsin participant.

When he looks at the entire system, Geck said he sees a nation with low health rankings compared to other developed countries.

There are 46 million Americans and nearly 300,000 Wisconsinites who are uninsured, WISC-TV reported.

Geck said he likes the French system, where the government guarantees a base level of care and people can buy insurance for more coverage.

"That base level of care with the single-payer system means that everybody, no matter how poor, is getting the basic care that they need to live healthy lives," Geck said.

Phil Dougherty, who represents commercial health insurers, said people paying insurance premiums are really picking up the cost of the uninsured right now.

"Health insurance costs are increasing because health care costs are increasing," said Dougherty, deputy director at the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans. "Thirty percent actually pays for cost of the care that somebody else received."

Adding to the problem, the number of people in commercially run health plans is shrinking. More companies are self-insuring more in a government plan, and more people just don't have coverage.

Dougherty said he believes that if the government dealt with the uninsured, it could drive costs down.

"That's where a target can help the system because taking care of that population could relieve some of the burden on the commercial insurance market," Dougherty said.

But Geck said he believes politicians are reluctant to change the system and upset campaign donors.

"Certain groups own Democrats; certain groups own Republicans," Geck said.

He said he is just looking for a willingness to look at bold ideas and answer the big questions.

"Why do we seem to be at the bottom there? What can we do to fix it?" And, oh, by the way, shouldn't we be talking about potential solutions that, like the French, bring in sort of the best of both worlds?" Geck said.

Gov. Jim Doyle is proposing expanding BadgerCare, the state's health program for the poor.

He said he would like to increase the income limits so more people are eligible.

Doyle has already expanded FamilyCare, the program to get people who need long-term care out of nursing homes and into their own homes.

U.S. Rep. Mark Green wants to provide a state tax credit for health savings accounts, and he is looking for legal reform to stop frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits.