Stopping twice in North Carolina this week, Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden spent much of his time arguing for an affordable health insurance plan that would be available to all Americans.

Biden and his running mate Barack Obama propose allowing all Americans to sign up for a more affordable health insurance plan that would mirror the one currently open to members of Congress. This plan would offer a significant improvement over most types of coverage available today, but critics argue that subsidizing the cost of such a plan for those who still couldn't afford it would be too expensive.

Republican hopefuls John McCain and Sarah Palin have taken a different stance, proposing instead tax credits for families that apply to or pay insurance premiums.

According to the article at WCNC.com, Biden's take on affordable health insurance is popular, particularly for those who can't afford coverage right now, or who struggle to pay their medical bills.

To date, around 47 million Americans are uninsured, and the only positive increases in coverage have come from government subsidized programs designed to help middle-lower income Americans to get health coverage of some kind.