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Presidential Election 2008: Health Care Reform
While other nations have some form of national health care system in place, the United States is the only industrialized nation with a voluntary employer-based plan. The United States also outspends all other countries on health care per capita and as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP).
Yet based on measures such as life expectancy at birth, the American people receive a lower level of care than do the citizens of many countries that spend less. U.S. Census data indicate that about 59.7 percent of all Americans have coverage through employment-based health insurance. Others receive assistance through the Medicare and Medicaid government programs for the elderly and poor.
Still, roughly 47 million Americans are uninsured. According to a Congressional Research Service report, in 2007, employers spent an average of $3,785 per employee on health care premiums. Attempts to enact reforms have had little effect on the rising costs of health care. Some reasons for higher costs include increasingly advanced--and more expensive--medical technologies, the increased longevity of the population, and lawsuits that lead to higher medical malpractice premiums.
The candidates for President, Senator Obama and Senator McCain, both propose unique solutions to extend health care to more Americans and also to make it more affordable. Which of the candidates' solutions offers the lowest cost, best coverage, and includes the most Americans?
Activity
SIRS Leading Issues provides an excellent strategy and lesson plan for students to learn more about the fundamentals of this major issue of the 2008 election, why it's so important to so many people, and which candidate's solution is more likely to be successful.
Pathfinder
Click More Issues in the Pro vs. Con section > Select Health Care Reform > Click My Analysis tab to start the unique five-step critical thinking research process.
Leading Issues also provides four unique report/presentation models for students to use that were created specifically by ProQuest to integrate critical thinking with the five-step process.
Step 5 (of My Analysis): Apply your knowledge: Logon to Researcher and click Educators' Resources link at the top of page. Review and open the following guides to a variety of unique models that students can use to express what they have learned.
- Guide to Writing a Research Paper
- Guide to Writing a Mini-Research Paper (Teacher guide also available)
- Guide to Creating a PowerPoint Presentation
- Guide to Creating a Mini-Debate Activity (Teacher guide also available)
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