Unseen Passage: Health Insecurity

Reading Comprehension

Health insecurity is at an all-time high. In a time when thousands of people lose their health insurance every day, when health care is becoming elusive to even well-to-do Americans, and when any person is just one pink slip away from becoming uninsured, it becomes clear that health care for all is not just important to achieve, but imperative. At its root, the lack of health care for all in America is fundamentally a moral issue. The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not have some form of universal health care (defined as a basic guarantee of health care to all of its citizens).

While other countries have declared health care to be a basic right, the United States treats health care as a privilege, only available to those who can afford it. In this sense, health care in America is treated as an economic good like a TV or VCR, not as social or public good. Although it can be very complex and frustrating at times, it has come a long way from the health care organizations of yesterday. Previously, most health care facilities were a place where the sick were housed and cared for until death. Physicians rarely practised in hospitals and only those who were fortunate, could afford proper care at home or in private clinics. Today, the level of health care has excelled tremendously: presently the goal of the health care is to have a continuum of care for the patient, one which is integrated at all levels. Many hospitals offer a referral service or discharge plan to patients who are being discharged. Plans for the patient are discussed with a discharge planner. The discharge planner is a person who is trained in assessing what the patient’s requirements for health care will be after discharge from the hospital.

Q. Answer the following questions:

1. Why do Americans feel insecure with regard to health care?
2. How is the United States different from other advanced countries in terms of health care as a basic right?
3. Why does America consider health care as a privilege?
4. What is today the level of health care in America?

Answer

1. Americans feel insecure with regard to health care due to rising cost of health care and insurance.
2. The United states is different as (it does not have some form of universal health care).
3. America considers health care as economic good like a TV or VCR, not as social good.
4. The health care level has improved tremendously in America.

Q. Choose the correct alternatives:

1. What is presently the goal of health care in the USA?
   1. available to those who can afford it
   2. to have a continuum of care for the patient
   3. a place where the sick can be housed and cared
   4. economic good like a TV or VCR
2. A person who is trained in assessing what the patient’s requirements for health care will be after discharge from the hospital is known as:
   1. Health care trainee
   2. Referral service provider
   3. The discharge planner
   4. None of the above
3. A moral issue in America is
   1. health insecurity
   2. health care to be a basic right
   3. health care available to those who can afford it
   4. the lack of health care for all
4. The word ‘assessing’ means
   1. estimating
   2. discharging
   3. requiring
   4. All of the above

Answer

1. to have a continuum of care for the patient
2. The discharge planner
3. the lack of health care for all
4. estimating