NOTE TO STUDENTS:  This is a challenging article, but an EXTREMELY important issue for all Americans.  Many of you will be eligible to vote in the 2008 presidential election.  Understanding the major issues facing our country today, including health care, will help you when voting - if you understand the issues, it will help you choose the candidate who more closely represents your point of view.  If you can gain an overall understanding of both sides of the health care issue, you will be ahead of many adults.  So take your time with the article.  Read through once and circle all of the vocabulary words you don't know.  Then look up the definintions and read the article a second time. 

1.  Name the leading politicians working toward a mandatory or universal health care.

2.  a) What is the approximate population of the U.S.?
b) What percentage of the population currently does not have medical insurance?
c) Why should the answer to #2b) really be one-third less than it is?

3.  Why has the number of uninsured Americans "become politically attractive...for both Democrats and Republicans?" (para. 8)

4.  a) What is Universal Health Care? 
b) What is the main reason that people would support a Universal Health Care program?

5.  Why is Sally Pipes, CEO of Pacific Research Institute, opposed to a Universal Health Care program?

6.  If California Gov. Schwarzenegger's health care plan is passed, it will tax doctors 2% of their revenue and hospitals 4%.  How might this affect medical fees?

7.  a) What do some people like about the Massachusetts (and California) models?
b) What problems do others have with the new health care prototypes?

8.  What three problems are not addressed by Universal Health Care, according to Dr. Gratzer of the Manhattan Institute?

9.  The U.S. health care/medical insurance system has some significant problems that need to be fixed.  To form your own opinion, examine some of the pros and cons of Universal Health Care.  BalancedPolitics.org offers a chart listing pros and cons of Universal Health Care, including explanations of each item below the chart.  Read through this page.  What do you think - are you for or against Universal Health Care?  Why?

10. Universal Health Care isn't the only proposed solution to the health care problem. Another solution is Health Savings Accounts.
For information U.S. Small Business Administration, go to sba.gov and from the U.S. Treasury Department, go to treas.gov.  What do you think of this alternate solution?