Insurance

The L.A. Times is running an article entitled, "Bush Vetoes Healthcare Plan for Poor Children." The article begins, "President Bush today vetoed a compromise bill to extend a health insurance program for children of the working poor, and Democratic leaders in Congress responded by launching an all-out effort to override his decision -- although they face an uphill battle in the House." The article reports, "The congressional bill, a compromise between leading Senate Republicans and Democrats in both chambers, would renew and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, allocating $60 billion over five years to cover an estimated 9 million to 10 million children, an increase from about 6 million now enrolled."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Young Children

• If your students could pay $1.00 a day to stay healthy would they do so? Why/why not? Do they think it's fair that some people could not afford to pay $1.00 a day to stay healthy? Why/why not?
  
• Consider asking students to list as many things as they can think of that somebody should do to stay healthy.
  
• Do your students think that doctors should see poor people for free? Why/why not? If doctors did not charge poor people how would the doctors be able to feed their families?
  
• Consider inviting somebody who helps poor people into your classroom to discuss their work with students.
  
• Ask your students what they think the President of the United States does. Encourage them to support their opinions. Consider showing them a picture of the White House.
  
• Ask students to write two or three questions that they would ask President Bush if they had the chance. Students might email these letters to the White House.
  
• Ask students if they've ever worked hard to make sure that something would happen. What did they make sure would happen? Why did they make sure that this would happen?
  
• Consider asking students to develop skits in which they demonstrate how they might make sure that something will happen.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Override; Coverage; "Federal Poverty Level"; and, Levy.
  
• Do students think that the government has a responsibility to provide health insurance for children who could not otherwise afford it? Why/why not?
  
• Consider asking students to write persuasive essays in which they support one side of this issue. Students might include reference to a core democratic value in their argument.
  
• Ask students to imagine a conversation between President Bush and Speaker Pelosi, as to whether or not the insurance program for children should be expanded. What side of this issue do students think that business people would stand on? On what side of this issue might most teacher stand? Encourage students to explain.
  
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion. Encourage students to speak in the voices of the individuals to whom they refer.
  
• Ask students to imagine that they were members of Congress and had to vote on this health insurance package. Would they support it? Why/why not? If they did support it what budget items might they consider eliminating? After all, the budget of the United States is not infinite.
  
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion. Consider holding a debate. Before the debate students might investigate the current budget of the United States to determine what items they'd be willing to eliminate.