2007年VOA标准英语-California Governor Unveils Health Care Plan to

By Carol Pearson
Washington, D.C.
10 January 2007
 
watch Health Reform report

The United States is widely acknowledged to have one of the best medical care systems in the world.  But many Americans cannot afford it. The U.S. Census¹ Bureau says that some 46 million people do not have either the money, or the health insurance to pay for a doctor or life-saving drugs. Now California may become one of a few states to offer universal health care.

 
Arnold Schwarzenegger discusses his plan to extend health coverage² to nearly all Californians
California health officials say one fifth of the state's residents have no access to adequate health care.  This is due to skyrocketing medical costs and the high cost of health insurance. 

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger summed up the problem this way: "California has, as we all know, the best care with the best medical technology in the entire world.  But the problem is the delivery."

Many people who cannot afford health care in California have jobs. The same is true in other states.  The federal government's own researchers recently conducted a study showing more and more Americans -- including those in the middle class -- are unable to afford health care coverage.

Take Cliff Whalen, a single father with a nine-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter.  He makes about $25,000 a year. "I'm not asking for health insurance for free, I'm asking for something I can afford."

Whalen lives in Massachusetts, one of the few states implementing³ universal health care coverage. He soon will be able to buy health insurance at a reduced rate.  California's plan is similar to the one in Massachusetts.  What Governor Schwarzenegger is trying to do reflects a trend among the states.  Jim Frogue, with the Center for Health Transformation⁴, says about the states’ efforts, "I'd say just about all 50 of them are wrestling with serious health care reform."

The California governor's plan would spread the cost among individuals, businesses, insurers, government and health care providers. Everyone in California, including illegal immigrants, would get medical care.

The plan has its critics, including some small business owners. "Something like this job tax would really, really hurt my business,” said one owner. “In fact, I would literally⁵, I would probably close my doors."

But Schwarzenegger says spreading around the costs would actually lower them.

"Everyone is left with a better deal here. That is the way it is.  Even though everyone has to chip in, everyone is left with a better deal," said the governor.

Dr. Arthur Garson, Dean of the University of Virginia Medical School, has helped write proposed legislation now in the U.S. Congress to reform health care. "What this bill would do would be to allow states to subsidize people through small business, and pay some of the premiums⁶, and to improve public systems such as Medicaid. There is no other country that has allowed 46 or 47 million people to be uninsured." 

The California legislature still has to approve Governor Schwarzenegger's plan before it can take effect.

And Dr. Garson says he expects more states to come up with plans of their own. Over the next several years, he says, the best systems will surface.  And those systems may become the model for a federal health care plan.

1 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

2 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

3 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

4 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 premiums   

n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价

参考例句：

• He paid premiums on his life insurance last year. 他去年付了人寿保险费。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Moves are afoot to increase car insurance premiums. 现正在酝酿提高汽车的保险费。 来自《简明英汉词典》