Why Americans Are Paying Each Other’s Medical Bills
Ask students: Why are people opting for health care sharing plans despite the potential risks? How have these plans spread across the country?
Many Americans have enrolled in an alternative to traditional health insurance called health care sharing plans. But unlike insurance, these plans are unregulated and don’t have to meet minimum health benefits mandated by the Affordable Care Act. Kate Harris with the Colorado Division of Insurance and KFF Health News senior Colorado correspondent Markian Hawryluk join John Yang to discuss.
For a transcript of this story, click here.
Discussion Questions
- Why are people opting for health care sharing plans despite the potential risks?
- How have these plans spread across the country?
- Who is Kate Harris, and what is her background?
- When do the participants in this plan have to pay?
- What is one thing the majority of these people share?
Focus Questions
How do you think health care sharing plans reflect the state of health care overall in the U.S.? Why do you think they’ve become more popular recently?
Media Literacy: What background information would you like to have to better understand why some people are opting for risky health care sharing plans?
Extension Activity
Discuss with a friend, neighbor or classmate — can you think of other examples of people in the U.S. adapting to high health care costs? What are some of those other ways people have adapted to high costs?
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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