VOA慢速英语 华盛顿医疗改革之争升温

　　Health Reform Fight Heats Up in Washington

　　华盛顿医疗改革之争升温

　　This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

　　This week, President Obama continued to push for health reform as debate over his plan intensified. He still wants legislation to sign into law by the end of the year. But he had to give up hope for both houses of Congress to pass bills before their August break.

　　Nurse Yaima Milian examines a patient at Baptist Health of South Florida in Miami

　　Health care is one-sixth of the economy. Yet an estimated forty-six million Americans are uninsured. The United States is the only major industrial country that does not guarantee health care for all. The government provides coverage only for old people and the poor. Most insured workers get their coverage through their jobs. But not all jobs offer insurance. And policies can be costly even when employers share the costs. One proposal is to offer the choice of a government insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. Another proposal is to require employers with more than twenty-five workers to offer insurance or pay a penalty. Also, insurance companies could no longer deny coverage to people who are already sick.

小精灵儿童https://www.060s.com