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Health Care

Health Care

Date: Oct 09 2009

Themes: Health, News

Grammar: Zero Conditional

Intro

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When you get sick, the last thing you want to worry about is money. But for the 45 million people living without health insurance in the U.S., a simple visit to the doctor can break the bank. And if they have a more serious problem, they might not be able to afford the treatment they need. Even those who have private health insurance can lose it if they become seriously ill or get fired from their job.

Health insurance is a big topic of debate in the U.S. right now. President Obama wants to reform the health care industry and make sure that every American can get affordable insurance. But his opponents don’t want the government to control health care. They think people should be free to find their own insurance and pay for it themselves. Find out which side of the debate Jason and Devan are on.

Dialog

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Devan

Devan

Jason

Jason

Devan:  So, the other day, I was really sick and I really wanted to go to the doctor, but I don’t have health insurance which has been such a pain for me. Every time I hurt myself or get sick I can’t see anybody. Do you have health insurance?

Jason:  I do, yeah, and I feel so fortunate to have it because it’s so crazy when people need treatment and they just hide out at home and try to treat themselves because they can’t get coverage for whatever reason, maybe they don’t have a job that provides it or they have a preexisting condition and they won’t get picked up by an insurance company.

Devan:  Do you think that that’s a basic human need that every person should be covered?

Jason:  Yeah, absolutely. I don’t it’s like “big government” if we’re not letting people die in the street of curable diseases, you know?

Devan:  Yeah.

Jason:  I mean, and I went to the hospital in Spain once and they have universal healthcare and it was perfectly efficient and I got fixed up real nice.

Devan:  So you didn’t have to wait six weeks to get treated for a headache like everyone’s trying to scare people by saying is the case?

Jason:  Yeah. I think the rest of the world is aware of the way that we don’t really act as civilized as we could with health care.

Devan:  Well, I hope that we can come up with a new system so that I can afford health care.

Jason:  Yeah, really.

 

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Discussion

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Since Devan doesn’t have health insurance, she can’t go to the doctor when she gets sick. Jason’s employer pays for him to have health insurance as part of his salary. This is how most Americans are able to get insurance.

But not everyone is able to get health insurance through their work, and buying private insurance can be very expensive. Plus, insurance companies often refuse to cover people who are already sick or have on-going health problems.

Although some Americans say they don’t want the government to control health insurance, Jason and Devan both believe that it’s the government’s responsibility to make sure that all people can receive the care they need.

Is there universal health care in your country? Are you happy with your health care system?

 

Comments

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Daliana

Daliana

China

In our country,most of the people live in the city have health insurance, but the people  live in the countryside don't have health insurance. There are 800 million peasants in China, they have a low income ,most of them cannot afford the treament ,they stay at home and make their ill more seriously.

01:00 PM Oct 09 2009 |

agellaxin0

agellaxin0

China

health care is the biggest issue for people. In order to lessen burden on family and our country, we should pay more and more attention on doing exercises. Keep illness away from us.   Hope one day, the biggest issue can be the thing we don't have to worry about all day and every one can get necessary treatment easily

12:08 PM Oct 09 2009 |

bluersnow

bluersnow

China

Do more sport, have more healthy food, decrease the risk of illness.

11:51 AM Oct 09 2009 |

linchunw@hotmail.com

China

Health care problem is not only in the US but also it happens at any other countries as well .Just cause the us wanna to work it out in a better way…Hope people will no need to worry about their insurance any longer no matter where r u living Smile

11:36 AM Oct 09 2009 |

go surfer

go surfer

Taiwan

I live in Taiwai.We have universal healthcare. It's good to us.

08:26 AM Oct 09 2009 |

chief_wang

chief_wang

China

HEATH CARE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF LIFE. YOU CAN NEVER TELL WHEN ONE WILL GET SICK. MEDICINE IS HIGHER IN PRICE THAN ANYTHING YOU COULD IMAGINE IF ONE SUFFERS LONG TERM ILLNESS. SO IT IS VERY NECESSARY FOR GOVERNMENT TO COVER THIS AREA.

08:00 AM Oct 09 2009 |

phamtran

phamtran

Viet Nam

THis morning we have a meeting to debate the insurance law in my country. Our government have just released this law. It bring every one helpfully exspecially poor persons 

07:56 AM Oct 09 2009 |

phamtran

phamtran

Viet Nam

IN my country, this problem is solved very well!

07:53 AM Oct 09 2009 |

303Kevin

303Kevin

China

"to make everyone to have a private insurance"... i think we need a long time to make it… too many poeple

07:15 AM Oct 09 2009 |

penny_love_en

China

I think our government is trying the best to make everyone to have a private insurance , but ,as we know , It is still need a little time to make it come true! However I believe our country will carry it out !

07:04 AM Oct 09 2009 |

FromVietNam

Viet Nam

I think that The U.S is one of the richest country in the world and that's made up by the civil, absolutely. So, they has responsibility to provide the insuarance healthcare for people as well as possible. The government might focus to make the citizent's life better instead of focus to war against the countries else.

03:30 AM Oct 09 2009 |

fedorame

fedorame

China

In China we have universal health care which is the basic country policy , but I have to say that not  everyone is getting  picked up, because some companies don't make their employees participate in the plan for whatever reason, although it is illegal. However, this phenomenon is changing day by day, since more and more people think it is their basic right to have coverage and they don't trust and select the company that don't provide the insurance. I wish everybody in the world would  be covered by universal healthcare. 

01:28 AM Oct 09 2009 |

Denny500

Denny500

Australia

That is a big issue. However, this time I don't think Obama is right. I think private insurance will do the part instead of goverment and the goverment only need to regulate the private insurance properly.

 

If controled by goverment, the system will lost control and will became very expensive. It's a waste of social resource. I don't think they will do the best job.

01:19 AM Oct 09 2009 |

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