Angelika Christmas and the year 2010 are just around the corner. While most of you are busy with the final Christmas preparations, statesmen in Copenhagen are debating how to avert the climate catastrophe, and the struggle over healthcare reform continues in the American Senate.
The all-important question is whether the Senate will manage to vote on the bill before the Christmas break, thereby bringing us all a step closer to a national health insurance. Because even if the Senate votes and the senators pass the reform, the historic step of a health insurance for all is far from complete, as the whole thing then has to go back to the House of Representatives and be reconciled with the version of the reform passed there.
The mills are grinding slowly. Yet, we really need the reform urgently because the US healthcare system is seriously ailing. So that you can check if you know the facts, I have put together a small quiz for you below.
In this spirit, we wish our loyal newsletter readers a Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year!
Angelika und Michael
1. Who made the following statement: "We have the greatest health care system in the world. Sure, it has flaws but it saves lives in ways that other countries can only dream of."
a) Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California
b) Barack Obama, President of the United States of America
c) Richard Shelby, Senator from Alabama
2. How many Americans do not have health insurance?
a) Approximately 36 million
b) Approximately 46 million
c) Approximately 56 million
3. How many Americans die prematurely each year because they have no health insurance or inadequate health insurance?
a) 45,000
b) 80,000
c) 100,000
4. In what position are the USA according to the latest Statistics of the World Health Organization in the global comparison of countries with regard to infant mortality?
a) Place 7
b) Place 17
c) Place 41
5. According to the latest statistics from the World Health Organization, what is the ranking of the USA in terms of maternal mortality during childbirth?
a) 4th place
b) Place 24
c) Place 34
6. According to the latest statistics from the World Health Organization, what rank do the USA hold in terms of life expectancy?
a) Place 15
b) Place 31
c) Place 42
7. Which of the following American presidents have attempted to introduce a national health insurance (multiple answers are possible)?
a) George Washington
b) Theodore Roosevelt
c) Henry Truman
d) Richard Nixon
e) Ronald Reagan
f) Bill Clinton
g) George W. Bush
h) Barack Obama
8. Which selected American population group has benefited from a mandatory health insurance since 1965?
a) Children under 5
b) Children between 5-14
c) Persons aged 65 and over
Correct answers:
1) c 2) b 3) a 4) c 5) c 6) b 7) b,c,d,f,h 8) c